NCIS season 21 is on a break, which means that episode 8 will take a while to air. TV’s most-watched scripted series has only been back for several weeks due to the historic dual Hollywood strikes of 2023. Like the majority of shows, NCIS didn’t get to premiere in its usual mid-September return because both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA were still protesting, primarily for overall better working conditions for people in the industry. Once the issues were resolved, the writers, cast, and crew of these projects scrambled to salvage the remainder of their respective seasons, including NCIS.
Despite the delay, much has already happened in NCIS season 21, as well as the bigger universe that it started. Nick Torres’ personal crisis, which almost landed him in prison for years, was eventually resolved in the premiere. Immediately after, the squad was hit with a massive loss with the death of Ducky Mallard, in light of David McCallum’s demise in 2023. NCIS season 21 brought back Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo for a cameo. There’s still a lot to look forward to, but it will be a bit of a wait to know what’s next for Director Leon Vance’s people.
NCIS Season 21 Is On A Break, Likely Due To Several Factors
The writers’ and actors’ strikes may have long been resolved and the cast and crew are now back at work, but the work stoppage still has ramifications on productions. This means that NCIS needs to do a mini-break in the middle of an already delayed season. For context, the police procedural typically takes a hiatus around this time of the year anyway, but usually just for a week. It’s either to pave the way for the so-called sweeps period or give the cast and crew some separation between what they have filmed and what’s going to be aired.
The sweeps period takes place between April and May (also in November, February, and July). Data collected during these dates is used by advertisers and networks to decide on the advertising rates for the rest of the year. The higher the ratings, the higher the commercial slots are sold. Because of this, broadcasters such as CBS want to make sure that their top shows have new episodes during the aforementioned weeks. No official word on why NCIS is on a break, but based on history, these are likely the reasons.
When NCIS Season 21, Episode 5 Will Release
NCIS season 21 is now on its second week of hiatus after also not releasing a new episode during its March 11 timeslot. Instead, the long-running police procedural has been covering its programming block with reruns, previously of the season opener, “Algún Día,” which tackled Torres’ case, followed by Ducky’s Gibbs-less tribute episode, “The Stories We Left Behind.” The good news is that the CBS mega-hit will finally return next week with a fresh episode. NCIS season 21, episode 5 will finally be released on March 25 after a two-week break.
How Many Episodes NCIS Season 21 Has Left
When it returns for episode 5, NCIS season 21 will be back to its regular releases for a couple of weeks. However, it is once again faced with another programming interruption, tentatively scheduled for April 8, which is currently expected to air another re-run. On top of the sweeps and production progress factors, spreading out the episodes like this also makes sure that it can wrap up on its usual May finale dates because NCIS season 21 only has 10 episodes in total.
This means that when episode 5 rolls out on March 25, there will only be five episodes left in NCIS season 21.
This is the lowest number for the CBS show, which usually produces upwards of 20 episodes per year since it started in 2023. Before 2024, the record was previously held by season 18 with just 16 episodes; it was at the height of the pandemic. This means that when episode 5 rolls out on March 25, there will only be five episodes left in NCIS season 21.
What To Expect When NCIS Season 21 Returns
NCIS season 21, episode 5 is titled “The Plan,” and it’s no ordinary case for Special Agent Alden Parker’s team. For starters, the outing will mark the debut of Jessica Knight’s dad, Special Agent in Charge Feng Zhao (guest star Russell Wong), who helps the squad unravel the mystery of a recently used service weapon belonging to a missing agent. Beyond the case, it’s curious if his arrival will have any affect on Jimmy Palmer and his ongoing romance with Knight.
Elsewhere, Timothy McGee deals with his own issues as he learns about the existence of a close relative through a DNA test result. Several of McGee’s family members have been established characters in NCIS throughout his two-decade stint with the agency. Considering this, it’s interesting to find out who joins the clan and how it impacts him moving forward.
