A surprising twist brought a brilliant season 20 of NCIS to a close. Following the conclusion of the episode’s plot, which involved a potential terrorist strike, a character might have taken a disastrous choice. It did appear that things were getting under control once the offenders were identified, but a shocking development concerning Nick Torres left us with a lot of unanswered concerns. What can we anticipate from Season 21 of NCIS? I hope the wait will not be too long to find out.
Unfortunately, NCIS season 21 is absent from the fall TV lineup this year, as are many other shows we expected to come back. That’s because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes, but it’s not all bad news. The writers’ strike has officially ended, and we have exciting news to share with fans of the show!
NCIS season 21 is now being written
Deadline claims that following the end of the writers’ strike, writers’ rooms for television programs including NCIS, Grey’s Anatomy, Fire Country, and others reopened. Although there haven’t been any updates from the NCIS writers, there are rumors that they are actively working on the scripts. If we receive any new information or photographs from the writers’ room, we’ll be sure to update this piece.
Since its 2003 premiere, the acclaimed police procedural program NCIS has captivated viewers all over the world with its riveting narratives, alluring cast of characters, and consistently enjoyable entertainment. NCIS has seen many character exits and deaths over the years, in addition to fresh storylines and problems, but one thing has been consistent: we can always count on NCIS to be entertaining.
Fans of the long-running drama were not kept waiting for a renewal announcement, as NCIS season 21 was officially announced in Feb. 2023, months before season 20 came to a close. If you follow the TV franchise, you’ll be happy to know that NCIS: Hawai’i was also renewed at the same time, with fans eagerly awaiting news on the third season of the spinoff.
Who’s returning for the new season of NCIS?
As of right now, it looks like we are set to see the main cast return. Whether or not Wilmer Valderrama will return for good is up in the air considering how his character’s arc left on a cliffhanger. But we are confident that we will see the main cast return, which consists of:
Rocky Carroll as Director Leon Vance
Sean Murray as Agent Timothy McGee
Wilmer Valderrama as Agent Nick Torress
Katrina Law as Agent Jessica Knight
Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines
Gary Cole as Agent Alden Parker
Sadly, David McCallum, who portrayed Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, passed away on Sept. 25, 2023, from natural causes at the age of 90. NCIS actors Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, and Wilder Valderrama all shared heartfelt tributes to the actor, with Valderrama calling it “an immense honor it was to share the screen” with him.
NCIS season 20 ended with a big cliffhanger for Torres
In the NCIS season 20 finale, Nick was undercover during the case to find out more about the terror attack. While there, he saw a familiar face but it was not someone he wanted to recognize. The person in question apparently was someone he knew from his mom’s past. In fact, he got to know an inmate who said he was his mom’s boyfriend and was supposed to help with legal fees. At the end of the episode, Nick was at the man’s house holding a gun and telling him he wanted him dead. Could this mean trouble for Nick Torres and Wilmer Valderrama’s time on the drama?
While we know the series will likely follow the same usual pattern of us seeing the agents solving individual cases, we know there is always an overarching theme at play. Whether or not this will involve Torres is unknown. However, since it looks like this is more of a personal arc, we may find out closer to airdate what is in store for the series as a whole.
How the writers’ and actors’ strike affected NCIS
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in early May after not being able to come to an agreement on their contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). That meant writers’ rooms were been put on pause and writers could not work on projects under the AMPTP.
After that, the actors went on strike after facing a similar dilemma in July, with the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) not being able to come to an agreement on their contract with the AMPTP either.
So how did this impact shows like NCIS?
Well, writers and actors under their respective U.S. unions could not legally work with the AMPTP while the strikes were going on. So although CBS had hoped they’d be able to write and start filming NCIS season 21 in time for the fall season, that was not the case.
In September, it was announced that the WGA had voted to end the strike, meaning writers’ rooms could get back to business! This included NCIS season 21, which began production shortly after the writers’ strike concluded.
In November, the actors’ union also reached a new deal which brought an end to the SAG-AFTRA strike. This allows actors, including those from the NCIS cast, to once again promote their shows and to begin returning to set to film new episodes!
NCIS season 21 still doesn’t have a premiere date
Although the release date for NCIS season 21 has not yet been announced, we do know that it will not air in 2023. There won’t be any new episodes of the adored drama for the first time in 20 years. Although the new season will undoubtedly debut in 2024, we are unable to predict the month it will do so.
With the actors now free to start filming, CBS hopes to start work on the upcoming season of NCIS as early as December. To get the shows back on the air, it is the first important step. The production process will move forward as soon as filming is allowed to start, and it appears that episodes will be able to return in early 2024—possibly in February or March.
Season 21 will be the shortest season of NCIS ever
As filming on the new season was unable to begin during the summer and was delayed due to the strikes, NCIS will be looking at its shortest episode count ever. CBS has yet to confirm the official episode count for season 21, but most broadcast shows will only have 10-13 episodes this season. That’s half the standard episode count for CBS’s longest-running drama.
Most seasons of NCIS tend to run between 20-24 episodes, with the show’s shortest season being season 18 which was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Season 18 was just 16 episodes long, making it the shortest season of the show since its fifth season, which consisted of 19 episodes.