Spoiler Alert for NCIS: Origins season 1, episode 6, “Incognito"CBS devastatedNCIS: Hawai’ifans when it canceled the series in 2024, and the network just made things worse five months later.NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation ahead of season 4 shocked fans and cast members, as it showed no signs of slowing down, especially with its high ratings. There are many reasons whyNCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation was a mistake, but despite the calls for the network to walk back on its decision to pull the plug on it, CBS stuck to its choice.
Thecast ofNCIS: Hawai’icomprised incredible diversity, which is one of the reasons that its cancelation was a massive loss for the franchise.While many CBS shows feature a diverse cast,NCIS: Hawai’ibrought diversity to a TV universe where representation hasn’t been great, as it focused on the United States military and government operations. Cutting Vanessa Lachey’s Jane Tennant’s story as Special Agent-in-Charge is even more devastating with developments from the newestNCISfranchise spinoff.
NCIS: Origins Takes Over NCIS: Hawai’i’s Timeslot
NCIS: Origins' Timeslot Is Controversial
NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation ahead of season 4was preceded with the development of another offshoot —NCIS: Origins.The franchise’s first prequel story debuted in September 2024 AND explores the backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the agency. While the shows have very little overlap,NCIS: Originstaking overNCIS: Hawai’i’s former timeslot created some commotion, especially among fans who weren’t thrilled with the cancelation in the first place. The new prequel series airs after the originalNCISon Monday nights whenHawai’iused to air new episodes.
Ironically,NCIS: Originsseason 1, episode 6, “Incognito,” highlighted the importance of strong female representation in theNCISfranchise.
NCIS: Originstaking over forNCIS: Hawai’iin CBS' programming roster has made the cancelation worse. Critics of the decision point out that whileNCIS: Originsbuilds on existing lore within theNCISfranchise,NCIS: Hawai’iwas more progressive, bringing more to the table regarding representation and diversity.Ironically,NCIS: Originsseason 1, episode 6, “Incognito,” highlighted the importance of strong female representationin the franchise. Unfortunately, the series replaced the franchise’s most valuable resource for said representation.
NCIS: Origins Episode 6 Tackles Lala’s Struggles To Excel As A Woman In Mike Franks' Team
Mike Franks Is Historically Sexist In NCIS
“Incognito” hones in on Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino), the muse of Gibbs’NCIS: Originsstory. In his narration as older Gibbs, Mark Harmon discusses how she felt like she was in a box, with episode 6 exploring howLala struggles to excel as a woman on Mike Franks' NIS team. The previous episode highlighted how the leader overlooked Vera Strickland (Diany Rodriguez) despite previously working together. After being called out, Mike eventually helps his former partner with the endeavor. Sadly, him successfully garnering funding after Vera failed further highlights women’s unique challenges at NIS.
NCIS: Origins Lied About Its True Story & How It Can Change Everything We Know About Mark Harmon’s Gibbs
NCIS: Origins isn’t exactly Leroy Jethro Gibbs' story, and its true narrative has the ability to change Mark Harmon’s character’s narrative.
The developing tension between Mike Franks and the women he works with is no surprise, considering the character’s introduction to theNCISfranchise. Gibbs' mentor first appeared inNCISseason 3, episode 24, “Hiatus Part II,” one of thebest episodes ofNCIS.NCIS Director Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly) called Franks to help restore Gibbs' memory, and he was necessarily rude. When he learns that Jenny is the director, he comments negatively in disbelief regarding her gender. Thus,NCISrevealed decades ago that Franks was sexist. AsNCIS: Originsgrapples with that, it exposes an existing issue within the franchise.
NCIS: Origins Shows How Important Jane Tennant’s Story Is In NCIS: Hawai’i
Lala’s Struggle Highlights The Need For NCIS: Hawai’i
Honing in on how women have been underrepresented in NCIS,NCIS: Originsexacerbates the demand for a strong female lead like Jane Tennant.Lachey’s character was the first female to lead anNCISshow, and she lost the spotlight whenNCIS: Originscame on the scene. Lachey was also the first Asian American to lead an installment in the franchise. She brought her intersectional experience to her character, which deeply enriched the series. As a diverse character,Jane Tennant’s unfinished storylines makeNCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation even worse. Now, her cliffhanger narrative will likely never be resolved.
NCIS Begins Solving Its Oldest Plot Hole By Secretly Introducing A Fan-Favorite Character In Origins
NCIS: Origins tackles Leroy Jethro Gibbs' early years in the agency, but it also has a chance to fix some plot holes, including its oldest one.
Lachey’s character was just one aspect of whatNCIS: Hawai’ioffered, which set it apart from other series in the franchise. The Island-based spinoff also featured rich experiences within the LGBTQ+ community, prominently featuring an intimate, loving relationship between two female NCIS agents. The romance between Lucy Tara (Yasmine Al-Bustami) and Kate Whistler (Tori Anderson) enhanced the rich diversity thatNCIS: Hawai’ibrought. The newNCIS: Originsspinoff underlines the need for more female representation, such as women in positions of power like Jane Tennant, exacerbating the loss ofNCIS: Hawai’i.
NCIS
TheNCISfranchise is an American media franchise that focuses on military-related criminal investigations by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It began withNCISin 2003, a spin-off fromJAG, and has since expanded to include multiple spin-offs set across different locations.
