NCIS weaves together its two timelines for a case that spans from the ’90s to today.
Officially announced in September 2025, the crossover slated for November 11 brings together a young Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell, and agent Nick Torres, portrayed by Wilmer Valderrama, with plenty of nods to Mike Franks.
At the heart of the plot is a case reopened decades later, told in parallel between NCIS and NCIS: Origins, in CBS’s lineup and streaming on Paramount+.
In the background, Adam Campbell’s return for a Ducky tribute episode promises to strike a chord with longtime fans.
A first-of-its-kind event between NCIS and NCIS: Origins
The crossover brings together the worlds of NCIS and NCIS: Origins for the first time around a shared storyline, set to air on November 11, 2025. Conceived as a bridge between generations and investigative styles, the episode promises sweeping storytelling, strong emotional resonance, and polished direction. Backed by CBS and available to Paramount+ subscribers, this event stands out as a marquee moment of the fall season and underscores the scale of the shared universe.
A case spanning two eras
At the episode’s core, an unsolved case more than thirty years old resurfaces. In the ’90s, a young Gibbs (played by Austin Stowell) delves into the suspicious death of an officer, laying the groundwork for a sprawling cold case. Today, Nick Torres (played by Wilmer Valderrama) picks up the file, blending modern analyses with clues left behind at the time. The investigation toggles between abandoned leads, reconstructed testimonies, and cross-referencing of the evidence, setting up a nuanced face-off between old-school methods and today’s tools.
Familiar faces and surprises
The episode is packed with nods to the franchise’s mythology. Clear ties to Mike Franks, Gibbs’s longtime mentor, enrich the plot and lend weight to the flashbacks. Another highlight: the return of Adam Campbell, who portrays a young Ducky in a special tribute episode, imbuing the whole with a poignant sense of remembrance. Between subtle reveals, signature props, and anticipated lines, the writing carefully tends to continuity while saving targeted surprises for longtime fans.
A much-anticipated event in a rich context
Following the official announcement in September, excitement spread across social media, fueled by theories, fan edits, and breakdowns. The November 11, 2025 broadcast is shaping up to be one of the key dates in CBS’s fall lineup, while Paramount+ amplifies its reach among connected audiences. Balancing the legacy of an established brand with a franchise strategy, the linear/streaming synergy boosts the event’s visibility and fuels anticipation for the promised reveals.
Where nostalgia and renewal intersect
The project marries the nostalgia of a formative era with the narrative renewal driven by Origins, braiding Gibbs’s past and Torres’s present in a mirrored structure. By foregrounding character emotion, crisp clues, and elegant time shifts, the episode crafts a singular experience—true to NCIS’s DNA while opening new horizons for the franchise.
