‘NCIS’ Gets a Major Shakeup — Could This Be the End of the Show?

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for NCIS Season 23.

Episode 12 of Season 23 of NCIS, titled “In Too Deep,” which aired on March 17, 2026, delivered a gut punch to fans. And now, everyone is worried that the beloved show, which has been airing since 2003, might be coming to an end.

In that episode, it was revealed that NCIS, or the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the agency the series centers on (and the name of a real U.S. federal law enforcement organization), is shutting down. Does that mean this is the last season of NCIS? After all, how could the show continue if the agency itself no longer exists? Here’s what we know about the show’s fate.

Thankfully, Season 23 does not mark the end of NCIS, but it does take the show down a path no viewer was expecting. In Episode 12, viewers learn that the NCIS agency is at risk of being shut down due to budget cuts. While they had been under the impression that it would be Army CID impacted by the cuts, Vance delivers the disheartening news to Parker — it’s NCIS that’s getting the axe. That’s where that episode ends, but it doesn’t mark the end of the season.

While Episode 12 certainly leaves viewers with a major cliffhanger to digest, it also cuts before Parker has a chance to respond to the news. That said, Episode 13, titled “All Good Things” and set to air on March 24, will likely address the big changes coming to the agency, though it appears members of NCIS may have already been told to take a step back.

According to Episode 13’s synopsis, the son of a Marine Gibbs once helped seeks assistance from NCIS, and the team “reunites off the books.” It also warns that “chasing justice without a badge may cost them more than their careers.”

So now that NCIS is being dissolved, what comes next for the show?

While many assumed the show might be ending after Vance dropped the bombshell that NCIS was being dissolved, the series still has some life left. After all, we have to see how the characters navigate without NCIS (or if the agency is revived). And it looks like we will, since NCIS was renewed for Season 24.

In a video shared to Wilmer Valderrama’s Facebook account in February 2026, we see the cast being informed that NCIS had been renewed for another season. He captioned the post, “We’ll be back for a Season 24.” Naturally, the announcement was met with cheers, applause, and a few surprised looks that the show had been given the green light to continue.

While an official air date for Season 24 hasn’t been announced, it could drop in fall 2026, staying in line with the show’s typical premiere schedule. As for the cast, that’s not entirely clear either, though Wilmer, Katrina Law, and Gary Cole were all present for the renewal announcement and seemed pretty excited, so there’s a good chance their characters will return for Season 24.

Where the show goes from here, and whether NCIS will remain dissolved, fans will have to wait and see. The trajectory of Seasons 23 and 24 will likely determine just how much potential the series has to continue forward.