Farewell Ziva: Cote de Pablo, the spirit of NCIS, dies at 46 md20

The legendary procedural NCIS has been a television staple for more than 20 seasons thus far, and the flagship show has been renewed for season 23. Debuting in 2003 (as a spinoff of JAG), NCIS follows the special agents of the U.S. Navy’s Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as they are faced with the most compelling cases that the military can throw at them. Anchored for most of its run by Mark Harmon as Supervisory Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, the CBS military police procedural series has followed in the footsteps of other long-running procedurals by showcasing an ability to change.

Though the flagship show is a spinoff itself, it has launched a host of NCIS offshoots to varying degrees of success. The 2020s have been a time of great upheaval for the franchise, as some shows have gotten the ax in shocking fashion (see NCIS: Hawaii) while CBS has also green-lit more spinoffs. Shows like NCIS: Origins aim to transform the long-running franchise, but NCIS is still going strong all these years later. Now, CBS has opted to renew NCIS for a 23rd season, meaning more episodes are soon to come.

NCIS Season 23 Latest News

CBS Renews NCIS For A Landmark 23rd Season

Announced as part of a mass renewal of some of the network’s biggest series, the latest news confirms that CBS has renewed NCIS season 23. Though the news is exciting, it isn’t particularly surprising considering the show’s overwhelming popularity and the continuing expansion of the franchise. Along with NCIS, it was confirmed that the prequel series NCIS: Origins and spinoff NCIS: Sydney scored additional seasons. With NCIS: Tony & Ziva still on the horizon, the decades-old procedural franchise is entering a new golden era.

NCIS Season 23 Is Confirmed

Season 23 Will Likely Debut In The Fall Of 2025

Taking suspense out of the equation entirely, CBS decided to renew the entire NCIS franchise in late February 2025. As such, NCIS season 23 is on the horizon, further pushing the legendary procedural into uncharted TV territory with each new installment. Little is known about the forthcoming 23rd season after the shocking NCIS season 22 finale. However, it stands to reason that CBS plans to debut the show in late 2025, since the series has been a fall staple for decades.

NCIS Season 23 Cast Details

Fans Should Expect To See Most Of The Team Return For Season 23

There have been a host of changes across the show’s 22 years on the air, but the cast of NCIS season 23 is expected to remain the same. Despite Wilmer Valderrama’s tease about an “earth-shattering” NCIS season 22 death, every main character survived the finale. However, one recurring character wasn’t so fortunate. During season 22’s last episode, crime boss Carla Marino spared Alden Parker’s life, but she had his father, Roman Parker, killed. So, Francis X. McCarthy, who played Roman, will not return in season 23.

Each important NCIS character made it through the season 22 finale, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any cast member exits or additions ahead of season 23’s premiere. As of the writing of this article, though, every main character is expected to return. At the very least, Gary Cole will undoubtedly be back as Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker, given the events of season 22’s last episode. Meanwhile, Parker’s second-in-command, Senior Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Special Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), Special Agent Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), and the others should also return.

The cast of NCIS season 23 will likely include:

Actor	NCIS Role
Gary Cole	SSA Alden Parker
Sean Murray	SSA Timothy McGee
Wilmer Valderrama	Agent Nick Torres
Katrina Law	Agent Jessica Knight
Brian Dietzen	Dr. Jimmy Palmer
Diona Reasonover	Kasie Hines
Rocky Carroll	Director Leon Vance

NCIS Season 23 Story Details

What’s Next For The NCIS Team?

Predicting every plotline in NCIS season 23 is difficult, since the show is a classic police procedural and frequently features episodic cases. Most episodes introduce a standalone mystery that gets solved by the hour’s end. So, fans can expect more of those types of cases in season 23, especially because the season will likely contain 20-plus episodes. However, CBS hasn’t confirmed season 23’s episode count yet.

As for overarching storylines, season 23 will pick up where NCIS season 22’s ending left off. Carla is on the run and holds Alden responsible for her son’s death (meaning Rebecca De Mornay should return in season 23). Meanwhile, Alden is more motivated than ever to catch Carla after she ordered his father’s death. Dr. Jimmy Palmer also mentioned in the finale that Alden’s mother’s death certificate was suspicious, which will certainly come into play in future episodes. Additionally, the Lily mystery remains unsolved. Ultimately, NCIS season 23 should deliver more classic procedural action and address bigger storylines.