Actor Brian Dietzen, known for playing Dr. Jimmy Palmer on NCIS, has died md20

NCIS Season 23 featured a special agent who had only appeared on the flagship series once before, when she replaced Special Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) in Season 11. The agent’s return was part of an NCIS crossover event between the flagship and its prequel series, NCIS: Origins, with the shows collectively telling a two-part story that spanned over 30 years. NCIS: Origins kicks off the story with “Funny How Time Slips Away,” which features original Leroy Jethro Gibbs actor Mark Harmon, and NCIS continues the case with “Now and Then.”

Alden Parker’s (Gary Cole) team reopens the investigation when Thomas Mulligan (Michael Lowry), who went to prison for a murder he didn’t commit in “Funny How Time Slips Away,” escapes mere weeks before his release. Parker informs the team that it was one of Gibbs’ earliest cases, creating a compelling tie between the two series. While the prequel series doubtlessly made a bit more of an emotional impact, NCIS paid off one of its most deserving stories by returning an original member of Gibbs’ team, and Ziva’s original replacement.

NCIS Season 23 Brings Back Special Agent Vera Strickland

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Roma Maffia reprises her role as Vera Strickland in NCIS Season 23. Now a key character in NCIS: Origins, Vera liaises with young Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) in the NCIS: Origins case, helping investigate the murder of a petty officer who was shot and placed on the train tracks to cover up what the people of Serenity believed was a justified killing. In NCIS, Vera is interviewed by Parker and his team, telling them Mulligan confessed to a murder he didn’t commit when his activity takes them directly to her house. However, she initially tries to evade their questions.

While Mulligan takes off on Vera’s Harley-Davidson, and she has little else to tell the team about his location, she is determined to participate. Due to working closely with young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and his team, Vera possesses valuable firsthand insight into the case and forces her way into the investigation. Like when she first appeared in the series, Maffia’s character is full of moxie. She even meets Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) again, with whom she has a memorable run-in in Season 11. That said, the appearance perfectly recalls her introduction to the franchise.

Vera Strickland Replaces Ziva David in NCIS Season 11

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Maffia first appeared in the NCIS franchise in Season 11, Episode 3, “Under the Radar.” As Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), and McGee processed the loss of their teammate, Ziva David, Vera Strickland appeared in the bullpen at NCIS Headquarters. She had a meeting with Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) and other business to attend to, so she could process out of the agency. She was otherwise ready to ride away on her “hog,” planning to spend her retirement riding her motorcycle. However, when McGee loses his credentials, Vera is humorously drawn into the case.

Tony and Vera work well together. Still, Vera complains about the danger, which is exacerbated when she almost gets run over by one of their informants as he tries to evade their questions. Ultimately, Vera left NCIS early due to a “severe ankle sprain,” and it was the last viewers saw of the character until she emerged in the 1990s NCIS prequel. Still, Vera replaced Ziva David in Season 11 for about a week when her team was missing her the most, creating a welcome distraction and a memorable character. However, her role in the show’s extensive plot is easy to forget.

After Ziva left the team in 2013, it appeared that she had been killed in NCIS Season 13. While the series eventually revealed that Ziva was alive in Season 16, with Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham), finding evidence of her whereabouts, Tony and Ziva’s on-screen reunion didn’t happen until a spinoff focused on the couple revived their story. Ziva is busy with her own agenda in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, but Vera mentions the fan-favorite, calling Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) “the new Tony and Ziva.”

Vera Strickland Appeared in Both Episodes of NCIS’ Crossover Event

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Maffia’s appearance in NCIS is one of the richest elements of the crossover event because Vera appears on both sides of the investigation, from its origin in Serenity to its conclusion in NCIS. Diany Rodriguez plays a younger rendition of Maffia’s character in NCIS: Origins, and she assists the team with their investigation from their Pendleton office. Vera’s appearance in the flagship, alongside older Woody (Bobby Moinahan) and Phil (Ely Henry), confirms that all three characters from the prequel are still living. However, her initial appearance suggested that Vera survives NCIS: Origins.

When Maffia appeared in the flagship 12 years ago, Vera was fixated on riding her motorcycle, which made her ankle injury an even greater hindrance. NCIS: Origins’ hour of the crossover event paid off the story, revealing that Mike Franks inspired Vera to ride. When Mike learns that Vera is interested in skydiving, he suggests she take motorcycle lessons from his neighbor instead. The development led to a running gag that he had asked Vera out on a date, only for Franks to let her down easily, revealing Mike was the one who inspired Strickland’s need for speed.

Vera’s stories in the NCIS and NCIS: Origins crossover episodes are great callbacks to Maffia’s initial appearance in the flagship. Including the fact that she still holds McGee accountable for her brief stint in the field. That said, Vera’s comeback subverts her NCIS Season 11 story, where she was determined to kick back and put her feet up. In her NCIS Season 23 revival, Vera wants in on the action and is unwilling to comb through old case files and miss out on the most exciting aspects of the case. With her nod to Ziva, the episode perfectly calls back to a story that’s a dozen years old.