NCIS Franchise Grows with New Spinoffs and Family Drama in Season 23

The NCIS franchise is set to have a big year in 2025. Not only is the Paramount+-exclusive series NCIS: Tony & Ziva arriving in the coming weeks, but the flagship NCIS show, along with NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney, will all air on CBS on the same night this fall.

As for NCIS Season 23, which premieres on October 14th, 2025, the series will introduce a new character who is expected to shake things up for Gary Cole's Alden Parker. Nancy Travis, known for her roles in shows like Last Man Standing and The Kominski Method, has been cast as Navy Vice Admiral Harriet Parker, Alden's sister.

Harriet's arrival in the two-part season premiere will shed light on Alden's past and how he became the man viewers have been following since early Season 19. According to NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder, when Alden and Harriet reunite, their childhood dynamic will quickly reignite, causing problems for their respective jobs. This is set against the backdrop of a "global crisis" that the team will have to navigate.

Interestingly, the article also notes that at the end of NCIS Season 22, Alden Parker discovered that his and Harriet's father, Roman Parker, had been murdered by Kansas City mob boss Carla Marino. This event is likely to be a key part of Alden and Harriet's storyline in the upcoming season, as they grapple with their father's death and the potential for Alden to take matters into his own hands to seek justice.