NCIS Officially Makes Franchise History by Confirming a Disappointing Major Trend

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NCIS reached a turning point on Tuesday night with dramatic midseason finales for both the original series and its prequel, NCIS: Origins, continuing a pattern seen across the franchise. Both shows have shifted from airing on Mondays to Tuesdays, where CBS now broadcasts all of its NCIS programs consecutively, finishing with NCIS: Sydney.

Even though Mark Harmon’s character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is no longer on NCIS – now in its 23rd season – the show remains a hit, attracting an average of 8.6 million viewers for its premiere. The new prequel, NCIS: Origins, is also promising, exploring the early life of Gibbs with Austin Stowell playing a younger version of the iconic character.

NCIS Confirms Major Love Triangles for Origins and the Flagship

Okay, let me tell you, Episodes 8 of both NCIS and NCIS: Origins really delivered! These installments were huge for the franchise, especially when it comes to the romantic storylines. The flagship NCIS episode, “Stolen Moments,” pretty much confirmed what fans have been hoping for – a connection between Nick Torres and Jessica Knight. Interestingly, the episode cleverly used Jimmy Palmer’s story to bring their budding romance into focus. It was a smart move that really paid off!

Okay, so the show really threw me for a loop with this love triangle! It turns out Jimmy finally clued in that something was going on between two of his closest friends, and honestly, it was heartbreaking. He’s totally confused about why he and Knight even split up in the first place, and he’s trying to fix things, but now he’s realizing he’s up against Torres for Knight’s attention. It’s a mess, but I’m totally hooked!

This is the first time the main series has explored a love triangle with its central characters, and it seems this will become a recurring theme. In the recent story, “End of the Road,” Gibbs and Diane (Kathleen Kenny) are splitting up, which unintentionally reveals Lala Dominguez’s romantic feelings for Gibbs, establishing the love triangle that began in the earlier stories.

The NCIS Franchise Makes History With Its Parallel Love Triangles

The NCIS franchise delivered a unique television event with storylines running simultaneously in both the original series and its prequel, building on the show’s established history. For the first time, NCIS explored two major romantic relationships within the same night, highlighting the strength of NCIS Tuesdays and what the franchise can offer.

This isn’t the first time this season the show has linked its strongest episodes with related storylines. Back in November, a case that stretched over three decades was featured. The investigation began in the 1990s with Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) and his team, and was later revisited by Parker’s (Gary Cole) team on NCIS.

The crossover event seamlessly linked the two shows, highlighting the unique feel and presentation of each one. It was a treat for fans to see original stars Mark Harmon and Muse Watson (who played Gibbs and Mike Franks on NCIS) return, and it paid off for viewers who watched both series. NCIS mirrored this approach in its midseason finale, delivering significant character development.

How NCIS: Origins Can Preserve Lala and Gibbs’ Romance

It appears the relationship between Gibbs and Lala has come to an end, but there’s still a way for the show to acknowledge it. After Tuesday’s episode, where Gibbs and Diane got married in Las Vegas and decided to try a long-distance relationship, the original storyline for NCIS: Origins, set in 1992, is no longer possible.

According to NCIS: Origins executive producer Gina Lucita Monreal, Gibbs currently needs Diane in his life. She explained that Diane was the perfect match for him at this point, and his feelings for her are genuine and powerful. However, Monreal also indicated that Gibbs remains conflicted between Diane and Lala.

Fans are speculating that the series will eventually pair Harmon’s character with a long-term love interest, someone to share his life with. If this is true, NCIS: Origins is a smart way to show how their relationship develops, creating a lasting story that goes beyond the original NCIS series.

What Will Happen to Knight, Torres, and Palmer in NCIS

The future of the relationship between Knight, Torres, and Palmer is complicated. Unlike in Origins, where some events were already decided, their story is more open-ended. Knight and Palmer used to date, but they split up when Jimmy ended the relationship after Knight accepted a job at Camp Pendleton in California.

After Jess came back, Jimmy didn’t try to get back together, and things were a little awkward between them as they moved on. But in Episode 8, Palmer starts to understand what happened. He wonders why he and Jess split up, and finally notices the connection between Knight and Torres, realizing he just hadn’t seen it before.

Jimmy isn’t ready to tell Jess how he feels, but if he and Knight were to reconcile, it would abruptly end the blossoming relationship between Jess and her coworker. However, viewers understand that any reunion between Jimmy and Knight would be painful for Jimmy, creating a complicated and heartbreaking love triangle on NCIS.

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2025-12-11 19:14