NCIS spoilers: 10 burning questions for Season 21

NCIS fans are used to long waits for new seasons over the summer. Sadly, this year is going to be even longer than usual. Due to the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes, NCIS Season 21 will not be premiering in 2023 and will likely not hit until early 2024 at the earliest.

That’s a tough wait, especially as Season 20 ended on a huge cliffhanger. It’s just one of many questions abounding for Season 21 that fans will want answered. These are ten of the biggest as fans await the return of NCIS and hope Season 21 provides some answers amid the top cases.

Who is the man Nick confronts?

The Season 20 finale had Nick undercover in prison and befriending an inmate who claimed an old friend had betrayed his family, stolen their money, and was responsible for him being in jail. Nick believed the tale, calling his sister to say, “I found him.” He confronted that man, who begged for mercy, saying he was sorry, but Nick snapped he and his family had trusted the guy and they ruined them.

The key question is who this man is and what he did to Nick’s family. The likely explanation is he stole their money, but the hate Nick has hints it was even deeper than that. Fans are eager to see just what horrible crime this man committed to drive Nick to such an extreme action

Will Torres pull the trigger in NCIS Season 21?

The final scene had Nick holding a gun on that man, seemingly ready to kill him. While it may just be a scare tactic, Torres clearly wants to do it. If he crosses that line into cold-blooded murder, it’s safe to say Nick’s career at NCIS is over. Whether or not he throws it all away for revenge is keeping fans on their toes for this new season.

What’s next for Jimmy and Knight?

A great highlight of Season 20 was watching the medical examiner and tough agent step up their relationship. They’re clearly sleeping together, and the pair confessed their love for each other. Palmer was there to help Knight cope when her dad was in the hospital, and they seemed great together. Now, they may want to talk about moving in together and the obvious challenges of handling a relationship on the job, as we can expect more romantic travails for the pair in Season 21.

Will Parker’s new relationship continue?

A recurring subplot in Season 20 was the team tracking a ring of Russian spies connected to Senator Miller (Brigid Brangh). That built to a fun moment of the team trying to find Miller only to discover she was staying at Parker’s place. It seemed a one-night stand, yet it might be fun to see if this relationship is continuing as Parker could use a fun new romance and the pair seem good together. If nothing else, seeing the team reacting to their boss’ relationship can be fun.

Is Kasie still having health issues?

A dramatic turn late in the season had Kasie learn that due to genetics, she may be more prone to getting Alzheimer’s. She’s tried to focus on her job, but that does weigh on her. Another turn is that actress Diona Reasonover recently underwent surgery, which would have meant writing out Kasie had the season gotten started on time. While she should be recovered by the time production begins, it’s possible the writers fit Reasonover’s real health issues into Kasie facing some challenges on the job herself.

Will Ducky return in NCIS Season 21?

While he’s been mostly absent touring lectures, the beloved former medical examiner did make a couple of cameos in Season 20. David McCullum does appear to be cutting back on acting jobs, so he wouldn’t be returning full-time. But it wouldn’t be NCIS without some appearance by Ducky, so another cameo via video call would be the safe bet.

Will Fornell return in NCIS?

The former FBI agent has been a popular face on the series for years. He had some good appearances in Season 20, helping Parker out of a jam and showing his sardonic humor. Given the limited number of episodes Season 21 will have, it’s uncertain if they can work in a Fornell appearance, but it would be fun for him to continue his streak of appearing in at least one episode every NCIS season.

Can Ziva and Tony come back?

Ever since the series Bull ended, fans have wondered if Michael Weatherly can return to NCIS as Tony DiNozzo. He was last seen leaving to raise the daughter he never knew he had after Ziva’s seeming death. Tony has been mentioned as happily living in France and reunited with Ziva when she turned up alive again. While it’d be terrific to see them both, it appears unlikely to work for Weatherly or Cote De Pablo’s schedules, especially as Season 21 will have fewer episodes. At the moment, an appearance by either, let alone both, seems unlikely.

Will Gibbs ever come back?

NCIS just hasn’t been the same since Mark Harmon left in the Season 19 premiere. As good as Parker is, fans deeply miss Gibbs, from his rules to banter to unable to adapt to modern times. Mark Harmon, like Gibbs, seems happy away from all this, and Gibbs is enjoying his retirement. Yet it’s hard to imagine him gone forever as it’s possible some case might pull Gibbs back and be fun seeing him and Parker mix it up. So it’s a “never say never” situation, as Gibbs may still pop up, even if not this season.

Will we see another crossover?

NCIS has done a great job with the crossovers, including a great three-way one in Season 20. It’s logical they can once more find a way to work one in with NCIS: Hawaii, but tricky. Again, the limited episode number in Season 21 means there may be less time for a lot of stories, including a crossover event. Still, we might see some Hawaii cast members pop in for a cameo and continue the NCIS universe.

NCIS Seasons 1-20 are streaming on Paramount+.