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NCIS season 23

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NCIS
Season 23
Season 23 U.S. DVD cover
Starring
No. of episodes20
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseOctober 14, 2025 (2025-10-14) –
May 12, 2026 (2026-05-12)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 22
Next →
Season 24
List of episodes

The twenty-third season of NCIS was announced on February 20, 2025[1] by CBS. It premiered on October 14, 2025, it concluded on May 12, 2026, and contained 20 episodes. On January 22, 2026, the series was renewed for a 24th season. This season also includes the series' 500th episode as well as Wilmer Valderrama’s 200th episode.

This is the final season to feature Rocky Carroll as series regular.

Premise

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NCIS revolves around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., the NCIS team is led by Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker, an ex-FBI Special Agent and a skilled investigator.

Cast and characters

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Main

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Recurring cast

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  • Rebecca De Mornay as Carla Marino, the boss of the Kansas City Mob.
  • Zane Holtz as Dale Sawyer, NCIS Special Agent
  • Victoria Kelleher as Barbara Dunsley, NCIS Accountant
  • Roma Maffia as Vera Strickland, retired NCIS Special Agent
  • J. Claude Deering as Curtis Hubley, NCIS Technical Operator
  • Patrick Keleher as Mateo Garcia, McGee's son from a previous relationship
  • Naomi Grace as Kayla Vance, Leon Vance's daughter and NCIS Agent

Crossover

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NCIS: Origins

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  • Bobby Moynihan as Woodrow "Woody" Browne, retired NIS forensic analyst
  • Ely Henry as Philip Elertson, retired NIS forensic chemist

Special guest star

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Notable guests

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Episodes

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
4881"Prodigal Son"Diana ValentineChristopher J. WaildOctober 14, 2025 (2025-10-14)23015.33[2]
4892James Whitmore Jr.October 21, 2025 (2025-10-21)23025.79[3]
Part I: Parker goes to extremes to apprehend Carla Marino, to Vance's objections. Flashbacks show Parker's troubled youth and his estranged sister Harriet (Nancy Travis), now a Navy Vice Admiral, unsuccessfully trying to get him to change his ways. Parker's quest for revenge culminates in him stowing away on the ship Carla is on, and Harriet being forced to give an order to fire a bomb at the ship, realizing at the last second that Parker is on it.
Part II: The ship is detonated, but not by Harriet's missile. Marino had put a doppelganger on the ship to fake her death and kidnap her granddaughter to bring her into the crime ring. Parker, who had escaped the ship himself, discreetly works the case at Gibbs' old cabin alongside McGee, while the team works to rescue Marino's granddaughter. Meanwhile, Palmer discovers Marino may not be the only person to see Parker's father on the night he was killed.
4903"The Sound and the Fury"Tawnia McKiernanScott WilliamsOctober 28, 2025 (2025-10-28)23035.37[4]
Torres and Knight work with night shift agent Dale Sawyer (Zane Holtz) on a blackmail case, and Torres begins to experience supernatural occurrences.
4914"Gone Girls"Rocky CarrollAmy RutbergNovember 4, 2025 (2025-11-04)23045.45[5]
The team investigates a Marine suspected of kidnapping the wife of a high-ranking official, and Knight discovers the wife might be a victim of domestic abuse.
4925"Now and Then"José Clemente HernandezMarco SchnabelNovember 11, 2025 (2025-11-11)23055.63[6]
When an inmate who had three weeks left until parole escapes prison, the team reopens one of Gibbs and Franks' unresolved cases. Meanwhile, the team puts together a time capsule.
Note: This episode concludes a crossover event that begins on NCIS: Origins season 2 episode 5.
4936"Page-Turner"Marc RoskinSydney Mitchel & Steven D. BinderNovember 18, 2025 (2025-11-18)23065.56[7]
While McGee releases a new book under his alias Thom E. Gemcity, the team investigates a murder which intertwines with McGee getting kidnapped by a woman making a desperate attempt to get justice for her deceased son.
4947"God Only Knows"Lee FriedlanderAndrew BartelsDecember 2, 2025 (2025-12-02)23076.06[8]
Parker clashes with a priest when the team investigates the death of a Navy SEAL. Meanwhile, Jimmy admits his findings from the investigation into his mother's burial, all adding to Parker's pent-up grief and anger.
4958"Stolen Moments"Diana ValentineBrian Dietzen & Jesse SternDecember 9, 2025 (2025-12-09)23085.89[9]
The team assists the Secret Service when a man is shot by the vice president's house. Meanwhile, Vance instructs the team to be shadowed by an AI chatbot whose input leads to some tension between Jimmy and the rest of the team.
4969"Heaven and Nature"James Whitmore Jr.Scott WilliamsDecember 16, 2025 (2025-12-16)23095.57[10]
The team assists Parker in his investigation into his mother's passing, and Parker discovers that his mother (who had been helping a mother and daughter get away from her abusive husband) was murdered by the man, a dirty cop who falsified the report that gave Parker the belief she had perished in a drunk driving incident. Meanwhile, Knight is given her first ELITE task by Vance: track down former NCIS agent Eleanor Bishop, who has since become a wanted fugitive. The episode ends with Bishop observing the team from her car in the distance.
49710"Her"Rocky CarrollChristopher J. WaildMarch 3, 2026 (2026-03-03)23105.31[11]
Knight and NCIS: Elite are tasked with arresting Ellie Bishop after Bishop's cyber team is accused of leaking classified material. Bishop asks her old NCIS colleagues to help prove her innocence. During the case, Torres confronts Bishop on her sudden departure.
Cast: Gary Cole does not appear in this episode.
49811"Army of One"Tawnia McKiernanAmy RutbergMarch 10, 2026 (2026-03-10)23114.89[12]
When an Army major and former informant of Knight's barricades himself in an ammunition storage, he says Knight is the only one he'll answer to. Knight clashes with Army CID over whether or not he committed a murder.
Cast: Brian Dietzen does not appear in this episode.
49912"In Too Deep"Michael ZinbergMarco SchnabelMarch 17, 2026 (2026-03-17)23124.95[13]
When a murdered Navy drone pilot brings one of McGee's exes back in his life, he is stunned to discover he has a long-lost son. Meanwhile, while preparing for their weapons recertification exam, Parker confronts Vance for supposedly not having the team's back. Vance reveals he's concerned over the fact the DOD might fold Army CID into NCIS due to budget cuts. Vance later stuns Parker and says NCIS is the agency being shut down.
50013"All Good Things"José Clemente HernandezSteven D. BinderMarch 24, 2026 (2026-03-24)23135.55[14]
When the son of a Marine that Gibbs once helped comes to NCIS in desperation to aid his sister, the NCIS team, now fractured due to the agency being shut down, reunites off the books. As Vance details the case's timeline to a mysterious individual, he also relays how the agency's history has positively impacted the lives of the public, every member of the team, and himself, despite many personal sacrifices. Vance comes to realize that during the case, he was fatally shot, and the mysterious man is in truth, the late Dr. Mallard (Adam Campbell). Vance also learns that after his death, the team solved the case and NCIS was able to reopen. Accepting his death and that the agency, the team, and his children will all be fine, Vance tearfully reunites with his late wife, Jackie.
Cast: Final regular appearance of Rocky Carroll as Leon Vance.
50114"Fleeting"Marc RoskinAndrew BartelsMarch 31, 2026 (2026-03-31)23145.04[15]
During Fleet Week, a stolen MPD squad car case turns fatal after a stabbed sailor is found in the trunk. Meanwhile, the team is still trying to cope with Vance’s death.
50215"Knick-Knack"Kevin BerlandiChristopher J. WaildApril 7, 2026 (2026-04-07)23155.00[16]
After a Navy captain is murdered on a museum vessel, the team begins a Da Vinci Code style investigation looking for lost treasure that was worth killing for.
Cast: Diona Reasonover does not appear in this episode.
50316"S.O.S."Rocky CarrollSydney Mitchel & Amy RutbergApril 14, 2026 (2026-04-14)23164.91[17]
A Navy lieutenant reappears six months after her plane disappeared, and the team discovers the crash wasn't an accident. McGee helps the lieutenant deal with her trauma by telling of the time he was held hostage.
50417"Reboot"Lionel ColemanScott WilliamsApril 21, 2026 (2026-04-21)23175.24[18]
With most of NCIS away and the mainframe shut down for a midnight upgrade, Kasie and a skeleton crew are left in charge of the reboot. Things get dangerous when someone kills a member of the “Tech Trolls.” Sam Hanna, who’s visiting during a flight layover, steps in to help find the murderer. Kasie later says she’s the reason the Tech Troll is dead.
Cast: Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama and Katrina Law do not appear in this episode.
50518"Bad Impressions"James Whitmore Jr.Marco SchnabelApril 28, 2026 (2026-04-28)23185.13[19]
Continuing from the last episode, Kasie is framed for murder with her own self-developed biometric program. Sam Hanna helps the team find the real suspect and meets Kasie's ex-girlfriend in the process.
50619"Deal with the Devil"Diana ValentineAndrew BartelsMay 5, 2026 (2026-05-05)23195.35[20]
As Parker appears for the trial of Wayne Rogers-the corrupt Army CID director who was complicit in the murder of Vance-the team finds out that he has tried to make a deal with the Department of Justice. As Rodgers is put into WITSEC until the deal is approved, things get murky when Harriet Parker appears to have been given sensitive missiles for Venezuelan cartel members with Rogers's help. Rogers escapes and is apprehended with those missiles, but again put into WITSEC after he calls the Department of Justice. As Rogers is being transported by the US Marshals, the team gets news that he was shot dead by a sniper at 4500 ft, which leads them to suspect Gibbs. Harriet visits Parker's home and as he mentions cooking salmon received from Alaska, she suspects him to be complicit in Rogers' death.
50720"Sons and Daughters"José Clemente HernandezChristopher J. WaildMay 12, 2026 (2026-05-12)23205.44[21]
Kayla Vance's involvement in a fatal coffee shop bombing investigation is under fire by Gabriel LaRoche, who discovers Leon had been funding it with dirty money. The team discovers the bomber was inspired by a book and the bomber's father attempts to kill the author, but Kayla talks him down. LaRoche drops the investigation and makes plans to become the new Director of NCIS. Meanwhile, McGee's son, Mateo, applies for an internship, but Torres discovers it to be false and confronts him when a gunshot goes off.
Cast: Rocky Carroll reappears as Leon Vance in this episode. This episode also marks Wilmer Valderrama’s 200th episode.

Ratings

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Viewership and ratings per episode of NCIS season 23
No. Title Air dateRating/share
(18–49)		Viewers
(millions)		DVR
(18–49)		DVR viewers
(millions)		Total
(18–49)		Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Prodigal Son (Part I)" October 14, 20250.3/45.33[2]0.11.910.47.23
2 "Prodigal Son (Part II)" October 21, 20250.3/45.79[3]0.11.920.47.71
3 "The Sound and the Fury" October 28, 20250.3/45.37[4]0.11.750.47.12
4 "Gone Girls" November 4, 20250.3/45.45[5]0.11.700.47.15
5 "Now and Then" November 11, 20250.3/45.63[6]TBDTBDTBDTBD
6 "Page-Turner" November 18, 20250.4/55.56[7]TBDTBDTBDTBD
7 "God Only Knows" December 2, 20250.3/56.06[8]TBDTBDTBDTBD
8 "Stolen Moments" December 9, 20250.3/55.89[9]TBDTBDTBDTBD
9 "Heaven and Nature" December 16, 20250.3/55.57[10]TBDTBDTBDTBD
10 "Her" March 3, 20260.3/45.31[11]TBDTBDTBDTBD
11 "Army of One" March 10, 20260.4/54.89[12]TBDTBDTBDTBD
12 "In Too Deep" March 17, 20260.3/34.95[13]TBDTBDTBDTBD
13 "All Good Things" March 24, 20260.4/55.55[14]TBDTBDTBDTBD
14 "Fleeting" March 31, 20260.3/45.04[15]TBDTBDTBDTBD
15 "Knick Knack" April 7, 20260.3/45.00[16]TBDTBDTBDTBD
16 "S.O.S." April 14, 20260.3/44.91[17]TBDTBDTBDTBD
17 "Reboot" April 21, 20260.3/45.24[18]TBDTBDTBDTBD
18 "Bad Impressions" April 28, 20260.3/45.13[19]TBDTBDTBDTBD
19 "Deal with the Devil" May 5, 20260.4/55.35[20]TBDTBDTBDTBD
20 "Sons and Daughters" May 12, 20260.3/45.44[21]TBDTBDTBDTBD

Production

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After the season renewal, CBS revealed that the series would be returning to its original timeslot (held from seasons 1 to 18) on Tuesdays at 8pm, followed by NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney at 9 and 10 p.m. respectively.

On September 4, it was announced a special crossover with the Origins spinoff celebrating U.S. Veterans on November 11, with a case that would span across decades. For this event, both series inverted their programming schedule.[22] Also, Mark Harmon, Roma Maffia and Muse Watson reprised their roles as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Vera Strickland and Mike Franks for the crossover.[23][24]

This is the final season to feature Rocky Carroll as NCIS Director Leon Vance after 18 years, as Carroll was written out of the show in this season's 13th episode. However, he reappeared in the season finale for scenes set before his character's death.[25][26][27][28] Carroll stated that while his character has been written off, he will continue to work behind the scenes as a director on the series.

References

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  1. ↑ Klein, Brennan (February 20, 2025). "NCIS Franchise Will Continue As All Three Shows Are Renewed For More Seasons". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (October 16, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: ABC Still Leads Broadcast Networks Overall Despite Season Premieres of Three NCIS Dramas on CBS". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: NBA on NBC Season Opener Tops All Prime Time Telecasts Among Adults 18-49 and 25-54, Including ABC's Demo Powerhouse Dancing with the Stars". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (October 30, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: MLB World Series on Fox Platforms Rises with Game 4". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (November 5, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: NCIS Lineup on CBS Gets Uptick from Recent Weeks". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (November 14, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: NCIS: Origins on CBS Hits Series-High in Total Viewers with NCIS Crossover". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (November 20, 2025). "Tuesday Ratings: Dancing with the Stars on ABC Achieves Several Milestones for Penultimate Episode of Season". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Bunch, Rebecca (December 8, 2025). "Tuesday TV Ratings 12/2/25: Dancing with the Holidays Solid but Well Below Dancing with the Stars Average, NCIS: Origins Jumps, Murder in a Small Town Ends Down". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Bunch, Rebecca (December 8, 2025). "Tuesday TV Ratings 12/9/25: NBC Wins the Night with Frosty the Snowman and Shrek the Halls, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney Plummet to Series Lows, Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas Respectable". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Bunch, Rebecca (December 18, 2025). "Tuesday TV Ratings 12/16/25: The Voice Has Lowest-Rated Finale Ever, Rob Reiner Special Solid, 9 PM NCIS Repeat Tops Previous Week's NCIS: Origins". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Tuesday Ratings: ABC Wins; Respectable Sampling for RJ Decker
  12. 1 2 Tuesday Ratings: High Potential, Will Trent and RJ Decker Lead ABC to Total Viewer Victory
  13. 1 2 Tuesday Scorecard: World Baseball Classic Hits a Home Run on Fox; ABC's High Potential Most-Watched
  14. 1 2 Granddaddy NCIS Tops Night in Total Viewers; ABC's Will Trent and High Potential Solid – Tuesday Nationals
  15. 1 2 Tuesday Scorecard: ABC and the NBA on NBC Share Dominance; High Potential Most Watched
  16. 1 2 High Potential on ABC Tops Tuesday
  17. 1 2 Diluted NCIS Franchise Leads CBS to Narrow Tuesday Total Viewer Victory
  18. 1 2 ABC’s Will Trent Tops the Network Tuesday Troops
  19. 1 2 Tuesday Scorecard: CBS and The NBA Playoffs on NBC Lead Uneventful Eveving
  20. 1 2 NBA Conference Semifinals Doubleheader Leads NBC to Tuesday Victory
  21. 1 2 The NBA Conference Semifinals on NBC Scores at Tuesday Night Victory
  22. ↑ Nemetz, Dave (September 4, 2025). "NCIS Sets Date For First Crossover With NCIS: Origins". TVLine. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  23. ↑ Jacobs, Meredith (October 31, 2025). "'NCIS' & 'Origins' Crossover Photos: Mark Harmon & Roma Maffia Return". TVLine. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  24. ↑ Franken, Claire (November 11, 2025). "NCIS: Origins Bosses Explain Why We Didn't See Mark Harmon's Gibbs Reunite With Lala — Plus, Get Scoop On [Spoiler]'s Surprise Cameo". TVLine. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  25. ↑ "NCIS Kills Off Major Character After 18 Years". E! Online. March 25, 2026. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  26. ↑ Willman, Chris (March 25, 2026). "'NCIS' Shocker: Rocky Carroll Tells All on His Unexpected [SPOILER] and Playing Director Vance for Nearly Two Decades". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  27. ↑ Jacobs, Meredith (March 24, 2026). "'NCIS' Shocker! Longtime Star Speaks out About Exit After 18 Seasons". TV Insider. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  28. ↑ Nemetz, Dave (March 25, 2026). "NCIS Star Rocky Carroll Breaks Down Episode 500's Shocking Twist: 'I Couldn't Have Asked For More'". TVLine. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
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