Amidst the incessant squabbles between our NCIS special agents,
BOOM!
A gunshot went off and the screen turned blank!
We are left in a frenzy as the Season 20 finale ended on a massive cliffhanger. We don’t have a clue in the world about who was at the receiving end of the gunshot. Was it a special agent? Was it someone we knew? Looks like the only we will be getting any answers is through the inception of Season 21, which, unfortunately, will take a while to make a comeback.
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!
NCIS Season 21: Release Date Updates
🚨 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
— NCIS (@NCIS_CBS) February 21, 2023
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 pm to 10:00 pm slot.
However, the initial renewal and return joy was 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. 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!
NCIS Season 21: Cast
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.
NCIS Season 21: Expected Plot
*Spoiler Alert*
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, 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 Alzheimers 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!
Where To Watch NCIS Season 21?
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
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.