The NCIS franchise returns with NCIS season 22 and the debut of NCIS: Origins in the fall of 2024, but the two shows' release schedules change slightly following their premieres. As its title suggests, NCIS: Origins serves as a prequel to the original military police procedural series, taking place in 1991, a little over a decade before the events of NCIS season 1. NCIS: Origins is the sixth installment and fifth official spinoff in the NCIS franchise, following in the footsteps of NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai'i, and NCIS: Sydney. However, it's the first prequel.
While NCIS season 22's story revolves around the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in the present day, NCIS: Origins' plot follows Leroy Jethro Gibbs at the start of his career at the Naval Investigative Service (the precursor to NCIS). The two TV shows are quite different, but they both have qualities that should appeal to fans of the franchise. The good news is that NCIS season 22 and NCIS: Origins air back-to-back on CBS on the same night.
NCIS Season 22, Episode 2 Releases At 9pm ET On CBS
NCIS Moves From 8pm To 9pm ET
|
NCIS Season 22 Episode # |
Episode Name |
Director |
Writer |
Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
"Empty Nest" |
Diana Valentine |
Christopher J. Waild |
October 14, 2024 |
|
2 |
"Foreign Bodies" |
Lionel Coleman |
Marco Schnabel |
October 21, 2024 |
|
3 |
"The Trouble with Hal" |
TBA |
TBA |
October 28, 2024 |
|
4 |
"Sticks & Stones" |
TBA |
TBA |
November 4, 2024 |
|
5 |
"In From the Cold" |
TBA |
TBA |
November 11, 2024 |
Even though NCIS season 22, episode 1 premiered on Monday, October 14, at 8pm ET, NCIS season 22, episode 2, "Foreign Bodies," will air at 9pm ET on Monday, October 21. The show is moving forward an hour to the 9pm ET timeslot on CBS, where it should remain for the rest of the season. Since 9pm ET will be NCIS season 22's normal timeslot, NCIS: Origins must also move to accommodate the original NCIS series.
NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 3 Releases At 10pm ET On CBS
NCIS: Origins Moves From 9pm To 10pm ET
|
NCIS: Origins Episode # |
Episode Title |
Director |
Writer |
Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
"Enter Sandman – Part 1" |
Niels Arden Oplev |
Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North |
October 14, 2024 |
|
2 |
"Enter Sandman – Part 2" |
Niels Arden Oplev |
Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North |
October 14, 2024 |
|
3 |
"Bend, Don't Break" |
John Terlesky |
Jon Worley |
October 21, 2024 |
|
4 |
"All's Not Lost" |
Hanelle M. Culpepper |
Michael J. Ballin and Thomas Aguila |
October 28, 2024 |
|
5 |
"Last Rites" |
TBA |
TBA |
November 4, 2024 |
|
6 |
"Incognito" |
TBA |
|
November 11, 2024 |
The two-part series premiere of NCIS: Origins dropped on Monday, October 14, at 9 pm ET on CBS. However, the prequel series will move ahead an hour, starting with episode 3 on Monday, October 21. So, NCIS : Origins
When Will NCIS & NCIS: Origins Stream On Paramount+?
The Entire NCIS Franchise Is Available On Paramount+
Paramount+ releases new episodes of NCIS season 22 and NCIS: Origins season 1 the day after they premiere on CBS. So, as of the writing of this article, NCIS season 22, episode 1, and the first two Gibbs-centric episodes of NCIS: Origins are available to stream on Paramount+. Meanwhile, NCIS season 22, episode 2, and NCIS: Origins season 1, episode 3, can be streamed starting on Tuesday, October 22.
As for what time the new NCIS franchise episodes drop, Paramount+ releases them at 3am ET/12am PT. The "next day" for the streaming service refers to Pacific Time. So, Paramount+ waits for midnight to come on the West Coast before adding the new episodes of NCIS season 22 and NCIS: Origins to its streaming library.
How Many Episodes NCIS Season 22 & NCIS: Origins Have Left
NCIS Season 22 Will Have More Episodes Than Season 21
According to TheWrap, NCIS: Origins season 1 contains 13 episodes. As a result, 11 episodes of the Gibbs NCIS prequel TV show's first season remain following the two-part premiere, and the finale should air in January. Meanwhile, CBS hasn't released NCIS season 22's official episode count. However, it's expected to have somewhere between 20 and 22 episodes, based on previous full-length seasons. NCIS season 21 only had 10 episodes due to production delays from the 2023 writers and actors strikes, but season 22 will get the series back on track.
What To Expect From NCIS Season 22 & NCIS: Origins' Future
Will Mark Harmon Return To NCIS?
Although the NCIS season 21 finale implied that Katrina Law's Jessica Knight was leaving the show, the actress returns in season 22. The premiere featured a six-month time jump, and by the end of the hour, Knight was on her way back to Alden Parker's team. So, viewers can expect developments in Jessica and Jimmy Palmer's relationship. Plus, the agents are tasked with finding a mole within NCIS in the season 22 episodes, while also dealing with a new villain — Seamus Dever's Department of Justice Inspector General Gabriel LaRoche, who becomes the NCIS Deputy Director during the premiere's ending.
As for the prequel series, Mark Harmon reprised his role as Gibbs in the NCIS: Origins premiere. The original Gibbs actor serves as the story's narrator as he reflects on his early days with the NIS. Consequently, Harmon's appearance in the premiere won't be the last time the audience sees him in the military police procedural show. He will occasionally pop up in NCIS: Origins over the course of its first season, which follows Gibbs' time at Camp Pendleton.
Can NCIS: Origins Match NCIS' Success?
The Prequel Series Can Benefit From Airing After The Original Show
NCIS season 22, episode 1 totaled 6.42 million viewers and a 0.4 rating, while the NCIS: Origins premiere opened with 5.03 million viewers and a 0.3 rating. However, both shows were up against Monday Night Football on ABC. So, the numbers from NCIS: Origins episode 3 will be more telling of its future.
The NCIS Gibbs prequel series benefits from airing after the original show, meaning that it's being set up for success in this day and age of TV. But while it might be able to keep up with NCIS season 22's numbers, NCIS: Origins will never be able to match NCIS's triumphs, as its first season averaged 11.84 million viewers in 2003. Only time will tell how it matches up with the rest of the NCIS franchise, though.
Source: TheWrap
