For a show that’s been on the air for over two decades, NCIS has never shied away from pulling its ghosts out of the shadows. And Season 23 is proving that some legacies refuse to die. Longtime fans will recognize the breadcrumbs: the cryptic warnings, eerie parallels to past storylines, and the unnerving rise of a new adversary.
The twist? NCIS isn’t just introducing another “big bad.” It’s setting up the spiritual successor to Harper Dearing — one of the most reviled antagonists in the show’s history, whose reign of terror shook the Navy Yard and left scars that still ache 14 years later.
The Villain Who Broke NCIS: Harper Dearing’s Legacy
Back in Season 9, Harper Dearing (played with chilling precision by Richard Schiff) detonated one of the franchise’s most shocking arcs. Driven by grief over his son’s death, he turned personal vendetta into terrorism, orchestrating the Navy Yard bombing that killed and maimed without mercy.
Dearing wasn’t just feared because of the destruction he caused — it was his psychological warfare that made him unforgettable. He knew how to press Gibbs’ buttons, exploit team weaknesses, and spin a narrative that left the NCIS squad fractured and haunted. He was the kind of villain who lingered in viewers’ minds long after his demise.
Season 23: A Familiar Darkness
Fast-forward to 2025. Season 23 has been sprinkling clues like breadcrumbs: mysterious bombings, coded messages, and references to old case files. Fans were quick to notice that the pattern felt… familiar. Too familiar.
And then came the name that’s already stirring theories: Elias Kade.
Who Is Elias Kade? Theories Swirl
Kade enters the story as a calculated new threat, but his methods echo Dearing’s chilling playbook. Anonymous communications. False trails. Mind games designed to push the NCIS team into morally gray territory.
The fandom has exploded with speculation:
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Illegitimate Son Theory: Could Kade be Dearing’s surviving son, hell-bent on continuing his father’s war?
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The Disciple Theory: Was he radicalized by Dearing’s writings or recordings, becoming a believer in his ideology?
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The Bigger Picture Theory: Or is he part of something larger — a sleeper cell or network that carried Dearing’s message into the next generation?
Nothing’s confirmed yet, but the parallels are impossible to ignore.
Dearing vs. Kade: Same Darkness, Different Era
What makes Kade even more terrifying is how he updates Dearing’s methods for a new age. Where Dearing used bombs, Kade leverages cyber warfare. He’s fluent in AI surveillance loopholes, social engineering, and digital sabotage — a reminder that villains evolve alongside technology.
And unlike Dearing’s grief-fueled chaos, Kade is colder. More methodical. He doesn’t seem to flinch, and that makes him potentially deadlier.
Gibbs’ Absence Is Felt
This villainous echo also underscores a painful truth: the team no longer has Gibbs at the helm. Without their rock, the squad is strong but vulnerable — and Kade seems poised to exploit that leadership void. Fans can’t help but wonder: if Gibbs were still around, would he see the trap before it’s sprung?
Why Revisiting Dearing Works
For longtime NCIS watchers, tying Season 23 back to Dearing is a masterstroke. It:
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Rewards fans who remember the emotional gut-punch of Season 9.
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Layers the narrative with unresolved trauma.
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Bridges nostalgia with fresh stakes, keeping old and new viewers equally hooked.
It also reinforces NCIS’s greatest storytelling trick: villains don’t just come and go — they leave ripples. And sometimes, those ripples swell into tidal waves years later.
What’s Next?
All signs point to a climactic showdown between Elias Kade and the NCIS team — one that could rival or even surpass the Navy Yard arc. Casualties feel inevitable, and the possibility of Gibbs returning for a cameo (or even just his shadow looming larger) is fueling fan discussion.
Whether Kade is revealed as Dearing’s son, disciple, or something even more sinister, one thing is clear: NCIS isn’t done with its demons. And neither are we.
