NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 finally has a premiere date on CBS. Who will return? Will we see NCIS: Los Angeles characters? Here’s everything we know so far.
Broadcast TV was not the same in fall 2023. While NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 was originally set to return in the fall, it had to be delayed. The joint WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes put everything on hold.
The good news is production is starting up. We’ll get new episodes very soon, but when exactly will that be? Here’s what we know about the returning show, along with the cast and any NCIS: Los Angeles surprises.
When will NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 premiere on CBS?
CBS wanted the series to return in the fall, but that wasn’t possible. The good news is there is now a date. We’ll get the NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 premiere on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024.
This is just after the Super Bowl. Only NBC has opted to bring its scripted shows back in January. CBS has opted for a clean run without any episodes being disrupted by the football schedule.
The show returns in the 10 p.m. ET/PT timeslot. While there are a lot of arguments that this is a bad timeslot, the series has performed relatively well with NCIS as a lead-in.
How many episodes will be in Season 3 of NCIS: Hawaii?
This will not be the usual 20-something-episode season. Due to the strike action, all broadcast shows will be reduced from the initial plan. CBS hasn’t confirmed the episode count for NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 just yet, but we know it’s going to be somewhere between 10 and 13 episodes.
We’ll likely see 13 episodes for this series. It’s sure to match the flagship series as the two shows air back to back on Mondays.
Who will return for the third season of the NCIS spin-off?
Season 3 is set to see the whole main cast return. That includes Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara. Fans will remember how Al-Bustami was missing from a few episodes of Season 2. This was linked to her production schedule on the mainland. It’s unlikely that she’ll be filming on the mainland at the same time as NCIS: Hawaii this time, especially with the recent strikes.
That means we should see the following return:
- Vanessa Lachey as Jane Tennant
- Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman
- Noah Mills as Jesse Boone
- Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara
- Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik
- Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler
- Kian Talan as Alex Tennant
There is also an addition from NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J will reprise his role as Sam Hana. He made a cameo at the end of the second season to help save the day. Shortly after that, the series confirmed that Sam would return, although LL Cool J is a recurring guest. He won’t be in all episodes, and it will likely happen when he’s needed in a big storyline.
What will happen in NCIS: Hawaii Season 3?
The second season left us with the majority of storylines wrapped up. There was just one question mark. Jane’s former friend and mentor, Maggie, had managed to escape with the scuffle that happened at the end of the season. Now Maggie is out on the run, and there is a good chance that we’ll see her back at some point. This could be when Sam Hana comes into the story.
We’re also sure to see more personal storylines happen. There was a lot of time spent on Lucy and Kate’s relationship, and it would be great to see them take the next step forward. The last couple of seasons has also focused on Kai’s struggle between his culture and his work. Then there’s Jane and Alex’s relationship as Alex shared his intention to enlist.
Noah Mills has teased that there will be some adjustments and that the season will have a slightly different feel. It’s not clear what he means by that, but it would be great to see more for Jesse Boone in the series. He’s the one who has been explored the least.
Catch up on NCIS: Hawaii with Paramount+.