How To Watch NCIS' 2023 Crossover Event In The Right Order
"NCIS" has expanded into one of the most dominant franchises on television, spawning numerous spinoffs. And CBS decided to reward fans with an "NCIS" crossover in 2023 to bring their favorite characters together for a pulse-pounding adventure. CBS aired the episodes in order on January 9, but if you want to check it out after the fact on Paramount+, here's the order you need.
The first installment belongs to "NCIS," with the episode "Too Many Cooks." It kicks things off by bringing the "NCIS" team as well as characters from the other properties, including G. Callen (Chris O'Donnell), Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey), and Jesse Boone (Noah Mills), to Washington D.C. to celebrate the retirement of a renowned professor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. But when that professor dies, they all wind up in the crosshairs with bounties on their heads.
To see what happens next, fans need to catch the "NCIS: Hawai'i" episode "Deep Fake." The crossover concludes with the "NCIS: Los Angeles" episode "A Long Time Coming," which is part of the show's final season. Given how many fans felt the "NCIS: Los Angeles" finale did the series a disservice, maybe a future crossover could bring back some characters to provide greater closure.
Critics thought the NCIS crossover of 2023 was great for fans
From a ratings perspective, the "NCIS" crossover of 2023 makes a lot of sense. For people who've previously watched only one or two of the shows, a crossover offers an excuse to check out an episode of a new series or at least get introduced to the characters. If they like what they see, they may binge-watch other entries in the "NCIS" universe. In this way, many critics found the crossover to be a success, serving as a vital entry point for newcomers while giving longtime fans inside references only they would understand.
CBR wrote highly of the episodes and how they explored new character relationships: "The crossover's script also successfully delivers appropriate exposition for the characters and the plot without being heavy-handed. Instead, the show uses the characters' (sometimes newfound) dynamics to lay out their shared histories and connections to the case or the larger 'NCIS' shared universe."
Entertainment Weekly was similarly impressed with the crossover: "What a fab three hours! We got the procedural elements we've been tuning in for over the years, and the twists were served up alongside some fanservice and fun callbacks. Truly, what more could we ask for?"
The 2023 "NCIS" crossover was a big success. Now, showrunners just need to do one with the cast of "NCIS: Sydney," as hard as it might be to get the teams to go international.