After more than two decades on the air, CBS’s NCIS continues to surprise long-time viewers by digging deep into its own expansive history. In a brilliant move designed to invigorate the flagship series and bridge its growing universe, NCIS Season 23 has brought back a character many fans had completely forgotten existed: Special Agent Vera Strickland, played by Roma Maffia.
The significance of Vera Strickland’s return is twofold. First, her original appearance was pivotal, marking the immediate, chaotic transitional phase following the dramatic departure of Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) in Season 11. Second, her revival serves as a direct link to the franchise’s newest entry, the prequel series NCIS: Origins, which follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs. By reintroducing Vera, NCIS is not just tapping into nostalgia; it’s strategically weaving together the past and present, using a forgotten face to solidify the continuity of the entire “One Blue Family” universe.
💔 The Post-Ziva Vacuum: Vera’s Original Role
Vera Strickland was first introduced in the NCIS Season 11 episode, “Under the Radar,” which aired immediately after Ziva David’s emotional exit. Ziva’s departure left a gaping hole in the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) and the show’s core dynamic.
The Temporary Solution
- Filling the Void: Vera Strickland was brought in not as a permanent replacement, but as a temporary agent on loan to the MCRT for a few weeks before her planned retirement. Her presence served a crucial narrative purpose: it allowed the team and the audience a brief period of adjustment without immediately introducing the character who would eventually replace Ziva, Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham), who joined several episodes later.
- A Familiar Connection: Vera’s most notable biographical detail was that she was the former partner of the late, great Mike Franks (Muse Watson), Gibbs’ longtime mentor. This connection immediately gave the short-lived character a sense of history and gravitas within the Gibbs-verse, but her stint was too brief for her to fully register with the wider audience.
While her time was short, the dry wit and no-nonsense attitude displayed by Roma Maffia’s portrayal left a favorable impression. For longtime fans, her return acknowledges this transitional, often overlooked era of the MCRT, a phase of chaos and flux that paved the way for the team’s next chapter.
🌉 The Season 23 Revival: Connecting the Timelines
The decision to bring Vera Strickland back now, more than a decade later, is a direct result of the franchise’s expansion and the need to connect the flagship show to the new prequel, NCIS: Origins.
The Crossover Link
- NCIS: Origins Connection: Vera Strickland is not just appearing in NCIS Season 23; her younger self, played by Diany Rodriguez, is a key character in the prequel, which focuses on the early 1990s career of a young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) as he works alongside Mike Franks. Showrunners confirmed that Vera was an intentional “deep pull” to build out the lore surrounding Gibbs and Franks.
- The Living Bridge: Roma Maffia’s reprisal of the older Vera in the modern-day NCIS acts as a “living bridge” between the two series. This crossover element allows audiences to see the character’s journey across decades, directly connecting the MCRT’s present-day cases with the formative years of their former leader, Gibbs, and his mentor, Franks. This kind of interconnected storytelling is exactly what CBS is banking on to keep the NCIS brand relevant and unified.
Her reappearance allows the current MCRT team, led by Alden Parker (Gary Cole), to cross paths with a tangible piece of Gibbs’ and Franks’ shared history, enriching the procedural’s mythology and providing a welcome dose of nostalgia.
🎯 The Strategic Logic: Nostalgia and Course Correction
The timing of Vera Strickland’s return is highly strategic, aligning with CBS’s broader efforts to reinvigorate the flagship series.
1. Tapping into Core Lore
With the NCIS universe currently thriving with three active spinoffs (Origins, Sydney, and the newly wrapped Tony & Ziva), the mothership series is keen to capitalize on its own deep, rich history. Bringing back a character tied to the legendary Gibbs-Franks dynamic—even tangentially through the post-Ziva transition—is a powerful form of fan service that reminds viewers of the show’s golden era. It’s a nod to the dedicated audience who remembers those subtle, character-focused episodes.
2. Reinforcing Continuity
The NCIS franchise, due to its longevity, occasionally struggles with continuity. By establishing Vera Strickland in the Origins timeline as Franks’ first partner and then bringing her back in the present day, the show retroactively strengthens the internal logic of the universe. It creates a seamless chain of service that spans from the early 90s to the modern day, emphasizing that the agents in Washington, D.C., are all part of one vast, continuous network.
3. Mirroring the ‘Tony & Ziva’ Buzz
Vera’s return also subtly echoes the massive fan interest surrounding the recent Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva. With renewed enthusiasm for the classic characters, reintroducing a character from the season immediately following Ziva’s initial departure is a clever way to keep the memory of that era—and the hope for future main-cast cameos—alive within the original series.
🔑 Conclusion: The Power of a Forgotten Face
The revival of Special Agent Vera Strickland in NCIS Season 23 is a masterful piece of strategic storytelling. It is a necessary plot device that elevates a forgotten face into a crucial narrative link.
Vera’s return achieves three vital goals: it acknowledges the chaos of the post-Ziva era, strengthens the continuity with the NCIS: Origins prequel, and provides a much-needed shot of nostalgia by connecting the present-day MCRT with the rich legacy of Gibbs and Mike Franks. For a show in its third decade, this move proves that NCIS understands that its future success lies in its ability to honor and interweave the compelling stories of its past.
