We should have known it was coming, if I’m being honest. We’d already heard the news about the actor who played young Ducky on NCIS popping up on NCIS: Origins. So a full-on crossover, even through different timelines, made sense. Particularly as NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which is the show that would probably make more sense for NCIS to crossover with, is still way too new and has to find its own footing before attempting any shenanigans.
Plus, it’s just easier to do a crossover with two shows on the same filming schedule.
So yes, NCIS & NCIS: Origins are crossing over this year. And now, it’s not just the Ducky episode. Instead, we’re getting a full crossover, one with a case that Gibbs and the team investigated in the ’90s, popping up again for the NCIS team to investigate. And look, we’re not going to deny it is kinda exciting.
The crossover was announced by NCIS’ Wilmer Valderrama and NCIS: Origins‘ Austin Stowell.
The episodes are set for Tuesday, November 11. NCIS: Origins will open the crossover, with NCIS following right after. And we have the synopsis: “Gibbs and team investigate the small-town death of a naval officer in the ‘90s,” and then on NCIS, airing at 9 pm, the same case is “unexpectedly re-opened in the present day.”
The NCISverse has had many crossovers in its time, though the shows that are now left in the universe had yet to crossover, outside of a cheeky mention in NCIS last season about the Sydney office and its lead, Michelle Mackey. Now, that’s another crossover we’d love to see.
NCIS: Origins stars Stowell as a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the role made famous by Mark Harmon on the original NCIS. Harmon is, of course, no longer a regular on that show, but he does do the voiceovers on NCIS: Origins. So, it’s almost like having Gibbs back?
CBS will air NCIS, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney back to back to back on Tuesdays this upcoming season. NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which brings back the characters first introduced in NCIS, is now streaming on Paramount+.