NCIS Season 23 Episode 1 Release Date, Cast, Preview

NCIS Season 23 is coming back to CBS with brand new episodes! The show will return on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET. This is when fans can watch the first episode called "Prodigal Son (Part 1)." The show has moved back to its old time on Tuesday nights.​

You May Also Like: NCIS Season 23 Episode 1 Spoilers

Release Date and Schedule

The NCIS team will be back with their first new episode on October 14, 2025. The show now airs on Tuesday nights at 8:00 PM ET on CBS. This is the same time it used to air before it moved to Monday nights. After the show airs on TV, you can watch it the next day on Paramount+.​

The new season will have about 22 episodes like other seasons. New episodes will come out every Tuesday night. If you miss an episode on TV, you can find it on streaming services. CBS has created an all-NCIS Tuesday night with three different NCIS shows airing back-to-back.​

Main Cast Members

The main team of NCIS agents will be back for Season 23. Here are the stars who will return:

Gary Cole plays Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker. He is the team leader after Agent Gibbs left the show. Parker has been dealing with a very personal case involving his family.​

Sean Murray plays Senior Field Agent Timothy McGee. He has been on the show since Season 1 and is now the longest-running cast member. McGee is very smart with computers and technology.​

Wilmer Valderrama plays Special Agent Nick Torres. He joined the team in Season 14 and is a former undercover agent. Torres is brave and always ready for action.​

Katrina Law plays Special Agent Jessica Knight. She joined the team in Season 19 and brings special skills to help solve cases. Knight is strong and determined.​

Brian Dietzen plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer. He is the team's medical examiner who helps figure out how people died. Palmer has been on the show for many years and is very important to the team.​

Diona Reasonover plays Forensic Specialist Kasie Hines. She works in the lab and finds clues that help solve cases. Kasie is very good at science and technology.​

Rocky Carroll plays Director Leon Vance. He is the boss of the whole NCIS team and makes important decisions about cases.​

New Cast Member

There is also a new person joining the team. Nancy Travis will play Navy Vice Admiral Harriet Parker. She is Agent Parker's sister. This will be very interesting because both Parker and his sister will be dealing with their father's death.​

What Happened in Season 22?

At the end of Season 22, something very sad happened. Agent Parker's father was murdered in his own home. Parker found his dad's body and knew who was responsible. It was Carla Marino, a dangerous mob boss who has been Parker's enemy for a long time.​

Carla killed Parker's father to make him suffer. She blamed Parker for her son's death, so she wanted to hurt him back. This made Parker very angry and he wants to get justice for his father.​

Episode 1: "Prodigal Son (Part 1)" Preview

The first episode is called "Prodigal Son (Part 1)." In this episode, Parker is very upset about his father's murder. He wants to find Carla Marino and make her pay for what she did. But Parker might make some dangerous choices that could hurt his job and his team.​

The episode will show Parker going to extreme lengths to hunt down Carla. This means he might break some rules or do things that are not safe. His team will try to help him, but they are also worried about what he might do.​

The team is specifically told to make sure Parker doesn't go anywhere dangerous alone. But they have to decide if they will follow orders or help their friend get justice.​

What the Stars Are Saying?

The actors are very excited about Season 23. Wilmer Valderrama (who plays Torres) shared the official trailer on his Instagram. He said "NCIS comes home to Tuesdays" and told fans to get ready for the new season.​

The showrunner Steven D. Binder says Season 23 will be "super continuous" with lots of action. He promises "A lot of heat, a lot of action, and we're hoping to not let up".​

The theme for this season is "NCIS on Fire," which means there will be lots of exciting cases and fast-paced episodes. The show will focus more on the characters and their personal stories.​

Big Changes This Season

Season 23 has some important changes. The show moved back to Tuesday nights at 8:00 PM. This happened because other CBS shows needed new time slots.​

Now CBS has created "NCIS Night" with three NCIS shows:

1. NCIS at 8:00 PM
2. NCIS: Origins at 9:00 PM
3. NCIS: Sydney at 10:00 PM​

The show will also be more "character-forward" this season. This means we will learn more about each team member's personal life and feelings.​

Special Crossover Episode

Something very exciting is happening this season. NCIS will have a crossover with NCIS: Origins on November 11th. This is special because Origins is about young Agent Gibbs in the 1990s.​

The crossover will be about a cold case that young Gibbs couldn't solve. Now the current NCIS team will try to solve the same case many years later. This will connect the past and present in an exciting way.​

Where to Watch?

You can watch NCIS Season 23 in several ways:

Live on CBS - Tuesday nights at 8:00 PM ET starting October 14, 2025

Paramount+ - Episodes available the day after they air on TV

Streaming services - Various platforms offer NCIS episodes​

The show will also have all the old seasons available on Paramount+ so new fans can catch up on 22 years of NCIS stories.​

Parker's Quest for Justice

The biggest story in Season 23 will be Parker trying to get justice for his father. Gary Cole (who plays Parker) says this will affect his character's mind and emotions. He warns that Parker might want revenge, but it might not always be the right kind.​

Parker will have to deal with his grief while also being a good leader for his team. His sister Harriet will also be dealing with their father's death, so they will help each other through this difficult time.​

Looking Ahead

NCIS continues to be one of the longest-running shows on TV. It has been on CBS for more than 20 years and still brings in millions of viewers each week.​

The show has been renewed, so fans know there will be more episodes after Season 23. This gives the writers time to tell bigger stories about the characters and their cases.​

Season 23 promises to be full of action, emotion, and surprises as Agent Parker seeks justice for his father while leading his team through dangerous cases. The show will continue to focus on both solving crimes and showing the personal lives of the NCIS agents.

Don't miss the premiere on Tuesday, October 14th at 8:00 PM on CBS to see how Parker's story begins and what challenges the team will face this season!