NCIS: Hawai’i Has Been Forgotten by the Franchise

Almost two years have passed since NCIS: Hawai’i was canceled, and CBS still hasn’t properly acknowledged it.

The successful NCIS spinoff got the pink slip after three seasons on CBS, and despite the wider franchise continuing, it hasn’t taken advantage of bringing any of its characters over to the mothership.

Given how NCIS: Hawai’i was cut short in its prime and was one of the most-watched shows of the 2023-24 season, it’s a slap in the face that the updates on the characters have been minimal.

Sure, we got an update on Jane Tennant and her family on NCIS Season 22 Episode 18, when Sam Hanna was working with the team on the main series.

I don’t consider LL Cool J an NCIS: Hawai’i alum because he was a co-lead on NCIS: Los Angeles, which ran for 14(!) seasons.

Many fans, myself included, believe that NCIS: Hawai’i Season 3 spent too much time on a character that already had 14 seasons to shine.

So, it added insult to injury that Sam was the person to share these minimal updates on Jane.

Why not, you know, bring Vanessa Lachey back for that episode to give her character closure?

I know Vanessa is busy as the host of shows like Love is Blind, but there are many other original NCIS: Hawai’i stars who could have popped up to share updates on behalf of the whole team.

NCIS: Hawai’i Blossomed Into One of Broadcast TV’s Finest Series

I’d feel far different if NCIS: Hawai’i had a longer run because, to this day, the cancellation remains one of the most shocking in TV history.

After an above-average first season, the creatives really put in the work to address the initial niggles and provide a much lighter entry into the franchise.

The disrespect is maddening — another reminder that network executives think they know best, even when millions of viewers disagreed.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva was recently canceled, but there’s a strong chance that the beloved characters will have another story tell in the NCIS universe if Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly are open to it.

Sadly, the franchise has simply moved on from NCIS: Hawai’i, perhaps because executives at CBS don’t believe it’s worth bringing any of the characters back, and it’s a damn shame.

My other theory is that there’s a mandate to keep those characters on ice because it will restart the conversation about CBS’s massive mistake in pulling the plug.

There’s no doubt in my mind that ending the show was a mistake, but I’d have a bit more respect for executives if they acknowledged that, yes, this show deserved better.

Setting up a small arc on the mothership could be a good way to make everybody happy.

It’s Time to Give the Show a Proper Goodbye

Getting a canceled show off the ground is more or less a no-go. We never hear of it nowadays because the focus is on saving money, and new shows tend to come with a much lower price tag.

CBS has been pretty aggressive about ending shows and casting the net wider with spinoffs because, as you probably already know, the financials of broadcast TV put most shows in the red.

Unless they sell well internationally or become a moment on streaming, there’s practically no hope in hell that they’ll survive very long.

It’s cutthroat, and a big part of the reason many viewers are simply waving goodbye to broadcast TV and going entirely to streaming.

In an ideal world, NCIS: Hawai’i would get another shot.

But failing that, the least CBS could do is acknowledge its impact — and let its characters live on in the franchise. They don’t just deserve it; fans do too.

What are your thoughts on the demise of NCIS: Hawai’i, now that we’re approaching the second anniversary?

Do you think the network has disrespected the series by effectively shutting out its cast from the rest of the shows?

Let’s have a conversation about it in the comments section. I’m curious to see how people feel as we approach this dreaded anniversary.

Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
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