BIG NEWS Season 21 of ‘NCIS’? Everything Fans Needs to Know JUST CHECK
After two decades on television, some may think that there’s not much more NCIS can do to surprise folks. But viewers were left stunned by the bombs dropped throughout season 20.
In the span of 22 episodes, fans saw massive changes for the group of government agents, including Jimmy (Brian Dietzen) confessing his love for Knight (Katrina Law) by publicly declaring it in front of his co-workers. But what really set people off was a massive cliffhanger about Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), who went undercover in jail to gain clues about a supposed Russian terrorist attack. He not only got answers, but he found someone who may unlock some dark secrets he never planned on sharing with anyone.
Given the surprise twist at the end, it’s no surprise people are already itching for a season 21. Thankfully, the show got renewed for another year, with much more in store for our favorite team. Here’s what to expect from NCIS season 21, including its release date, cast, spoilers and more.
Will there be season 21 of NCIS?
In February 2023, viewers of the longtime drama received word that NCIS would be back for season 21. The show announced the huge news on Instagram, along with a video montage revealing that it will return for the 2023-2024 television season.
“BIG news,” the show’s social team captioned the post. “Get ready to grab your gear, we’ve got more work to do. #NCIS has officially been renewed for Season 21! We’ll see you there.”
You can hit “save” at the top of this article to keep up with the latest information about NCIS season 21.
Is there a release date for NCIS season 21?
Get ready, folks, because we know when your favorite government agents are coming back to television! In an announcement made on Instagram, it was revealed that NCIS season 21 will premiere on Monday, February 12, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. What’s more, its spinoff NCIS: Hawai’i will air season 3 at 10 p.m. ET on the same night.
“The countdown starts NOW — #NCIS Season 21 and #NCISHawaii Season 3 premiere February 12 on @cbstv. 🎉,” read the official caption on November 13. “We can’t wait to see you there! #NCISverse.”
And if that wasn’t enough, Brian Dietzen (who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer on the drama) gave fans a first look at the season with a new photo uploaded on Instagram. Posting a promotional shot featuring the entire cast, he further confirmed NCIS‘s return date with his audience.
“Season premiere of NCIS,” he captioned the image on January 2. “February 12 9/8c on CBS! Who’s in?”
The news of a release date for NCIS season 21 comes after the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA unions both went on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over the summer. This led production on the upcoming season to pause until settlements were reached between all parties.
Who will be in the cast of NCIS season 21?
Based on the events from the season 20 finale, here’s who fans can expect to be in the NCIS season 21 cast:
- Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee
- Wilmer Valderrama as Special Agent Nick Torres
- Katrina Law as Special Agent Jessica Knight
- Gary Cole as Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker
- Brian Dietzen as Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jimmy Palmer
- Diona Reasonover as Forensic Specialist Kasie Hines
- Rocky Carroll as NCIS Director Leon Vance
Sadly for longtime fans, NCIS will no longer feature David McCallum as Donald “Ducky” Mallard. Viewers learned on September 25 that the English actor died at the age of 90 from natural causes, with many of his co-stars paying tribute to his legacy in the entertainment industry. Current cast member Wilmer Valderrama honored his late co-star with a touching tribute on Instagram, being honest about his grief over the loss of his loved one.
“David, what an immense honor it was to share the screen with you,” Wilmer emotionally wrote alongside a photo of him and David together. “Your professionalism and ability to effortlessly take every one of us on a journey through your art will be felt forever. I will miss you my friend.”
A different person who may play a critical role next season is Al Sapienza, who debuted in the season 20 finale as an unknown older man who chats with a young prisoner at the jail Torres is undercover in. While the season finale infers the two have some history, it’ll likely be explored come season 21.
Did NCIS season 21 drop any clues about the new season?
While it’s unclear what storylines will be fleshed out in the new season, NCIS left a major cliffhanger during the season 20 finale involving Torres. After spending the episode going undercover in a prison to discover the culprit behind a mysterious Russian attack, the agent learned from Evelyn Shaw (guest star Juliette Goglia) that inmates knew a federal agent was among them. What’s more, the group discovered that current inmate Yuri (Themo Melikidze) and his father Kostya Valkov (Ilia Volok) were in cahoots to try and cause an electrical blackout across the U.S., or what Ducky called a “black sky event.”
Eventually, Torres makes his way out of prison, but not without seeing an older man (Al Sapienza) speaking with another prisoner who claimed he was in jail for something he didn’t do. As the group tried to stop Evelyn, who is really Valkov’s daughter and the one who released the blackout virus, Torres went to the older man’s home. Turns out, he held an unspoken key to Torres’ past, leading Torres to pick up a gun and say he wants to see him die.
With this massive twist, fans immediately ran to social media with thoughts on what their connection may be. “I’m guessing an ex-boyfriend of [Torres]’ mom that likely stole mom’s life savings and ran … for Nick to want to kill him, he had to have done something more serious than that,” one person wrote on Reddit in May 2023. “I think the guy dated Torres’ mom, screwed her financially and left, or framed Torres the same way he’s doing for his current victim,” another agreed in part. “I think this is a stepdad that came into their lives after Torres’ real dad left … He must have did something to the family during his time. Maybe conned them when they already were poor?” a different follower added.
While we won’t know whether Reddit’s theories will come to life, TVLine did drop some surprise info about the season 21 premiere episode. Per the outlet, the first episode of the season will be titled “Algún Día” and will center around Torres risking his future by “confronting the man who tormented his family when he was a child.”
Needless to say, folks better prepare for a deep dive into Torres’ life before NCIS …
Where can I watch and stream NCIS season 21?
When NCIS airs new episodes, folks can tune in on Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. If you don’t have access to a TV, you can always watch the drama on either the CBS site or the CBS app.
What’s more, viewers don’t necessarily need to have a cable subscription in order to watch NCIS. There are services like YouTube TV, fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, which will allow people to watch as it airs live. The two former sites offer free trials, so you can test them out before choosing a subscription.
If you decide to watch new episodes at a more convenient time, you can always stream NCIS on Paramount+. If you don’t have an account yet, the streamer has a seven-day free trial which you can try before opting into a plan that starts at $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Once you’re set up, click on the title page on Paramount+’s official website or the Paramount+ app.
