CBS Pays Off An Incomplete Plot That NCIS Cheated Fans Out Of 12 Years Ago

A lot has happened in NCIS season 23’s crossover with NCIS: Origins season 2, and yet, it’s still able to wrap up an incomplete storyline from 12 years ago. On the heels of a lackluster year, CBS appears to be determined to revive its premier procedural’s glory days during the 2025-2026 TV season. While NCIS remains a ratings hit for the broadcaster, it has been knocked down multiple slots in terms of hierarchy. Since returning from the summer hiatus, however, the franchise has been delivering solid episodes.

These efforts culminate in the NCIS season 23 and NCIS: Origins season 2 crossover event that not only brings back Mark Harmon as Old Leroy Jethro Gibbs to the prequel, it also features a couple of more familiar faces. For starters, Muse Watson makes a cameo as Old Mike Franks during one of the special’s most creative scenes, but it is Roma Maffia’s Vera Strickland who gets the meatiest role among the legacy characters that returns for the TV event. This also allows NCIS to finally make up for cheating viewers out of a storyline involving her more than a decade ago