We don’t have a clue in the world about who was at the receiving end of the gunshot. Was it a special agent?
Or Was it someone we knew? The season 20 finale ended on a massive cliffhanger.
With the exit of Mark Harmon from NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigation Service Major Case Response Team) after a successful two-decade-long hustle, fans were worried about the subsequent events that were to follow. Some even questioned the tenacity of the series in retrospect of the exit of its main character. However, February 21st was a miraculous day! A renewal for Season 21 was announced, and the fans couldn’t have been happier. It seems like the perfect cliffhanger at the end of Season 1 was the ultimate catalyst for another season’s renewal.
Ever since the unanimous renewal announcement in February 2023, a lot of events have transpired, causing a delay in production as well as production-related announcements for NCIS Season 21. Here, we will dive into the updates and events that followed the miraculous renewal day of February 21 and then tread into what Season 21 will serve on the piping-hot NCIS plate! Meanwhile, check out the announcement for the renewal of Season 21:
🚨 BIG news – get ready to grab your gear, because we’ve got more work to do. #NCIS has officially been renewed for Season 21! We’ll see you there. pic.twitter.com/Khog7IiXY1
— The NCISverse (@ncisverse) February 21, 2023
NCIS Season 21 Release Date Updates: Will It Come This Fall?
As stated above, the series was vouched for a Season 21 renewal, so the infamous procedural crime drama will return to the big screen. However, the big question is WHEN?
It seems like our prayers were answered when CBS released their initial fall schedule and NCIS Season 21 cut! It bagged the Monday 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. slot. However, the initial renewal and return joy were short-lived. We are currently entering the third month of the WGA strike, and there is no telling when this will end. If the writers are not free, we do not have a script for NCIS Season 21. Hence, practically, we cannot expect NCIS Season 2 Episode 1 to air this fall or even in 2023, for that matter.
Moreover, it is befuddling to comprehend how a fall release will follow. Technically, for a fall release, the writing should be wrapped up by summer and in post-production before fall, but that cannot be the case since the writers are on strike. Hence, a more calculated prediction would lead us to a mid-2024 release at best!
However, CBS then clarified that they will not release NCIS Season 21 this fall! Instead, they are going to air reruns of the show on the CBS network and have picked the slot on Mondays, 9/8c. For the time being, we urge the readers to check out the new revised fall CBS’s 2023–24 schedule, which, on a positive note, includes the NCIS 20th anniversary marathon that will air on September 25, 2023, as a bonus for the lack of NCIS content. For the time being, we also urge the readers to check out the new revised fall CBS’s 2023–24 schedule, which includes the following shows:
Mark your calendars! 🗓 The CBS Fall Premiere dates have been set! 🍂 pic.twitter.com/BbLDZ5V2e7
— CBS (@CBS) August 3, 2023
At least we have something to look forward to this fall, even if it doesn’t mean we get an entirely new season. This might be the perfect opportunity for you to re-watch the earlier 20 seasons of NCIS! It will be a considerable while before we find NCIS Season 21 on our screens, given that all the potential fall 2023 releases have been shifted to a mid-season release in 2024. Between the inconsequential premiere delay and the never-ending strikes, will we ever reach a consensus? Even if negotiations are met, and the strike dissipates by the end of the year, it does not leave enough wiggle room for the production and post-production process to end before the new season releases within the first quarter of 2024.
It is definitely not enough time to shoot 22 episodes, as Season 20 contains 22 episodes. So it looks like we will be viewing a shorter season this year if you want Season 21 to reach your screens by mid-season 2024. This won’t affect what the story will portray per se because filming has not begun yet, but it will only present a shorter season, with major stories being pushed into another season down the line.
NCIS Season 20 Plot: Episode Run-Down
*Spoiler Alert*
This is to help you understand the premise of the series from where Season 21 will build up:
S20.E1 ∙ A Family Matter
Wed, Jan 18, 2023
Alden Parker is still on the run with his ex-wife, Vivian. The team is investigating on who might have a personal vendetta against him in hopes of clearing Parker’s name.
S20.E2 ∙ Daddy Issues
Mon, Sep 26, 2022
McGee’s personal life and professional life intersect when a dad from his children’s school is linked to a break-in at a government storage bunker.
S20.E3 ∙ Unearth
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
When a dead body is found at an ancient burial site that is thought to be cursed, the team tries to determine the motive and the symbolism behind the crime. As Torres continues therapy with Dr. Grace, he discovers that their lives are in danger.
S20.E4 ∙ Leave No Trace
Mon, Oct 10, 2022
Agent Knight’s past resurfaces when her ex-boyfriend, a National Parks Service agent, teams up with NCIS to investigate a campsite murder.
S20.E5 ∙ Guardian
Mon, Oct 17, 2022
Agent Parker steps up to protect Director Vance after a terrifying home invasion. The team detects advancements in Jessica and Jimmy’s blossoming romance.
S20.E6 ∙ The Good Fighter
Mon, Oct 24, 2022
While investigating the death of a fellow NCIS agent who was cat-sitting for a friend, the team realizes that one of their own has been secretly investigating them to locate a possible mole.
S20.E7 ∙ Love Lost
Mon, Nov 14, 2022
NCIS should investigate the Secretary of the Navy when her husband starts accusing her of trying to murder him.
S20.E8 ∙ Turkey Trot
Mon, Nov 21, 2022
An unknown shooter causes chaos at an annual Thanksgiving 5K, time is of the essence for the NCIS team to find the culprit. Kasie joins Knight for Thanksgiving lunch at Knight’s sister’s house.
S20.E9 ∙ Higher Education
Mon, Dec 5, 2022
The team investigated the death of a college student who was hit by a truck, after inexplicably stripping in the street before running into the road.
S20.E10 ∙ Too Many Cooks
Mon, Jan 9, 2023
The entire NCISverse who are in Washington D.C. to celebrate the retirement of their former professor. However, their worlds intertwine when the NCIS agents are forced to investigate the same professor’s suicide.
S20.E11 ∙ Bridges
Mon, Jan 16, 2023
Parker discovers he’s a victim of identity theft while investigating the unusual murder of a Navy ensign. Knight and Jimmy face hurdles in their relationship as their connection heightens.
S20.E12 ∙ Big Rig
Mon, Jan 23, 2023
When an old pal of Torres’ comes to him – disheveled and bloodied – for guidance amid an undercover FBI operation and then disappears, NCIS helps track him down. McGee prepares to be a contestant on a popular game show.
S20.E13 ∙ Evil Eye
Mon, Feb 6, 2023
In preparation for a role, a world-renowned actress shadows the NCIS team as they investigate a decapitation case.
S20.E14 ∙ Old Wounds
Mon, Feb 13, 2023
Parker grapples with his emotions when a con man from his past turns up as a murder suspect.
S20.E15 ∙ Unusual Suspects
Mon, Feb 27, 2023
NCIS investigates the death of a ride-share driver who was found after a car accident. Parker’s dad, who is temporarily living with him, assists the team in their investigation.
S20.E16 ∙ Butterfly Effect
Mon, Mar 13, 2023
The NCIS team starts to investigate on who is responsible for a potential bio-terror attack at a strip mall parking garage.
S20.E17 ∙ Stranger in a Strange Land
Mon, Mar 20, 2023
When a marine is killed, the team investigates. They learn the man worked at a Center that helps Afghan immigrants. They go there and learn the man had a heated discussion with an Afghan. They learn the marine worked with his father when he was stationed there and he tried to get his family out, but his parents were killed by the Taliban. They think he blamed him for their deaths. They try to talk to him, but he runs. They learn he has bomb-making materials. They eventually apprehend him, and he tells them the marine was trying to help because someone was forcing him to make the bomb, only he doesn’t know. So they need to find out who and what they want the bomb for. Palmer is concerned about his daughter going on a date.
S20.E18 ∙ Head Games
Mon, Apr 10, 2023
The NCIS team digs deep to investigate a Navy lieutenant who’s accused of trying to murder her husband but has no memory of the attack; Kasie navigates a potential medical scare.
S20.E19 ∙ In the Spotlight
Mon, May 1, 2023
Agent Knight saves a mother and child from a potentially fatal car accident and she is now viral for this reason.
S20.E20 ∙ Second Opinion
Mon, May 8, 2023
NCIS works to solve the murder of a senator’s daughter who has a rebellious reputation and a large online following: Jimmy gets competitive with an old college rival.
S20.E21 ∙ Kompromat
Mon, May 15, 2023
When a suspicious murder occurs in the classified section of the National Archive, NCIS must investigate a string of Russian spy encounters that may be linked to the crime.
S20.E22 ∙ Black Sky
Mon, May 22, 2023
Torres finds himself in prison as the team tries to stop an impending terror attack on U.S. soil.
NCIS Season 21 Spoilers: What To Expect In The New Season?
Cliffhangers are a great suspense-builder until we have to wait over a year to get answers. We had to face a similar situation with NCIS because of the deadly cliffhanger it left us with at the end of Season 21, and we probably have to wait till 2024 to know what that gunshot was all about.
Let’s take a detour from this eery atmosphere and take matters into our own hands. We have prepared a list of questions that NCIS Season 21 needs to answer for us to get some clarity on how Season 20 ended in an almost successful terrorist operation.
Did Nick Torres pull the trigger?
We did hear a gunshot before the screen blacked out, and Nick was holding a man at gunpoint while he mumbled the words, ” I will kill you.” If he did pull the trigger on the man, it seems like Torres’ career in NCIS seems bleak! It might butt him out of his uniform if he killed the man, no matter who he was. This is the most asked question on the internet after NCIS Season 20 ended, so it is only fitting that NCIS Season 21 will pick up from this cliffhanger and answer the burning question.
Who is the man who Torres holds at gunpoint?
Again, this is a pivotal question that will determine the fate of Season 21. From what we saw in the Season 20 finale, Nick Torres knew the man he was holding at gunpoint. And for Nick to be holding a man at gunpoint meant that there were layers of secret buried underneath the surface. Here is what happened. Nick went undercover in prison and befriended an inmate who claimed an old friend had betrayed his family, stolen their money, and was responsible for him being in jail. Nick believed the tale, calling his sister to say, “I found him.” He confronted that man, who begged for mercy, saying he was sorry, but Nick snapped he and his family had trusted the guy, and they ruined them.
The key question is who this man is and what he did to Nick’s family. The likely explanation is he stole their money, but the hate Nick has hints it was even deeper than that. Fans are eager to see just what horrible crime this man committed to drive Nick to such an extreme action. Looks like Season 21 might grab a shovel and help us dig into the past Nick for a change. This might be a slight detour from the usual case-fitted crime-solving episodes to a deeper look into the characters. After 20 years, I think it is fitting to get to know the roots beneath our heroic special agents and make them more vulnerable.
Will Parker’s romance bud in Season 21?
Senator Miller, a much sought-after character in Season 20, was connected to the ring of Russian spies that the team was hunting down. In an interesting turn of events, Miller was found staying at Parker’s place. All presumptions pointed this dalliance to be nothing more than a one-night stand, but fans would want to see the Boss in a new relationship, with the team nudging him now and then. It might add a more comic twist to the plot for Season 21.
Will Kasie’s Alzheimer’s affect her job?
In a dramatic turn of events in Season 20, with heavy hearts, it was declared that our beloved agent Kasie had countered the incurable Alzheimer’s disease(a neurological ailment that results in the gradual yet complete loss of memory). Will this remain a permanent plot in Season 21 because it will mean that Kasie might have to leave her job, given that memory loss is not one of the strong suits of a special agent?
However, it is true that in real life, actress Diona Reasonover recently underwent surgery, which would have meant writing out Kasie had the season gotten started on time. She is expected to recover by the time production begins for Season 21, so we are unsure whether the plot for her neurological disease will continue in Season 21 or not.
What is next for Jimmy and Knight?
After an affirmed strengthening of their relationship, the pair decided to finally move in together. Season 21 will probably dive deeper into their relationship and show us the hardships and achievements the two go through while balancing work and family.
Can we expect a legendary crossover of the franchise?
This has happened before in Season 20 as a three-way series crossover, skillfully crafted, adding the right amount of flavor for audience awe! Logically, they can once more find a way to work one in with NCIS: Hawaii. We might see some Hawaii cast members pop in for a cameo and continue the NCIS universe. Never say never! With more plot reveals and teasers on the way before the much-awaited NCIS Season 21 release, Web News Observer will inform you of these along the way. So, stay tuned to this space!
NCIS Season 21 Cast: Characters That Are Set To Return
Since the writing for Season 21 is on a hiatus, we have not received any official announcements on additions or deductions to the cast. One thing we know for sure. Mark Harmon will not be returning for Season 21. In addition to this, some rumors are saying they will be bringing back Michael Weatherly in Season 21, as was done before in Seasons 16 and 17, as well as Cote De Pablo!
TV Fanatic reports,
“Bosses are tearing their hair out over their terms.” This is in tune with the demands the actors are placing for their return to the show. So, we will need to wait and watch over the developments that take place in this context.
Other than that, this is the cast list of who we can expect to watch in the reruns that CBS has scheduled for the fall season:
- Sean Murray as Timothy McGee
- Wilmer Valderrama as Nick Torres
- Katrina Law as Jessica Knight
- Brian Dietzen as Dr. Jimmy Palmer
- Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines
- David McCallum as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard
- Rocky Carroll as Leon Vance
- Gary Cole as Alden Parker
- Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs (considering these are reruns)
The creation of the series can be attributed to Donald P. Bellisario. NCIS is produced by Bellisarius Productions in association with CBS Studios. Steven D. Binder, Chas. Floyd Johnson, Mark Horowitz, Mark Harmon, Scott Williams, David North, and Bellisario serve as executive producers.
Where To Watch NCIS Season 21: Streamer Options
NCIS Season 21 has not reached our screens yet. However, as mentioned above, CBS scheduled the episode reruns on Mondays at 9/8c. When it does, it will air on the official CBS network channel and later on Paramount Plus. This gives you ample time to catch up to the prior 20 seasons on the following platforms:
- CBS App
- YouTube TV
- Fubo TV
- Hulu +
- Live TV
- Netflix
- Vudu (rent or buy)
- Amazon Instant Video (rent or buy)
- iTunes (rent or buy)
- Google Play (rent or buy)
NCIS Season 21 Trailer: Is It Out Yet?
Since the writing for Season 21 has not yet taken shape due to the writer’s strike, there is no official trailer release! We will update you as soon as we get relevant information on the same.
As we are updated on a potential release date or any updates on the cast, plot, and recent developments, we will update you along the way. All you need to do is turn on your notifications to Web News Observer so that you don’t miss out on any updates.