A veteran NCIS actor reacts to the cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i, expressing hope that the characters on that show will return. Premiering on CBS in September 2021, the story of NCIS: Hawai’i centered on a team of Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents working out of the Pearl Harbor Field Office. Led by Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey), the Hawaii team investigates crimes with connections to the military and national security. The spinoff also starred Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, Tori Anderson, and Kian Talan.
When the Aloha Spirit Met Network Reality
Fans of NCIS: Hawaii were blindsided when CBS decided to cancel the beloved spinoff. The news hit like a rogue wave—sudden and hard. But one of the show’s biggest stars has stepped forward, not just to share their reaction, but also to give fans a glimmer of hope. Could this really be the end? Or is there more in store for these characters we’ve grown to love? Let’s dive deep into what happened, how the cast feels, and why the door to the NCIS franchise may not be closed just yet.
During an interview with TV Insider, Rocky Carroll reacted to the news that NCIS: Hawai’i season 4 won’t be happening. Carroll, who has played Leon Vance since NCIS season 5, admitted that he was shocked by the decision CBS made to cancel the spinoff. In the quote below, Carroll expresses hope that the characters played by Lachey and others could still appear on ongoing NCIS shows and points out how different characters have crossed over in the past:
I was shocked. Less than two weeks ago, I was doing a talk show with Vanessa Lachey and LL COOL J. We were all sitting around celebrating being a part of the NCIS universe. You never know what the motivating factors are, but I’m hoping that those characters, because we still have the mothership as we call it, we still have NCIS: Sydney, and who knows, those characters may turn up. I mean, LL COOL J’s character came from Los Angeles and was in Hawai’i. So who’s to say that Vanessa Lachey’s character wouldn’t show up somewhere in the NCIS universe again?
Don’t Count Them Out Just Yet
NCIS: Hawaii may have wrapped up sooner than fans expected, but the spirit of the show lives on. Whether through cameos, spin-offs, or full-blown revivals, the door is open—and fans are ready to walk through it again. As the waves crash on Waikiki and the final credits roll, one thing’s clear: this isn’t the last we’ve seen of these characters. The franchise is too big, and the fans are too loud to let them fade away quietly.
