One forgotten NCIS character is officially coming back.

In about a month, NCIS‘s Super Tuesday will officially premiere. All three shows — the flagship, LL Cool J and Scott Caan’s NCIS: New York, NCIS: Origins, have been back in production for quite a while now. While CBS has been careful with what they reveal about this new era for the franchise, pertinent information about the projects has come out, increasing people’s excitement over them, while also helping in ramping up the network’s marketing.

The Eye Network has shared official news about all three shows. For starters, Michael Weatherly’s Tony Dinozzo Jr. will return in NCIS for a season-long arc, while NCIS: New York marks Sam Hanna’s homecoming to the East Coast. The franchise’s only period piece, on the other hand, will have multiple comebacks. NCIS: Origins season 3 will see Mark Harmon’s return as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the screen, and Erik Christian Olsen as a producer. Beyond them, there are also a couple of more cameos peppered throughout its junior run.

Caroline Lagerfelt herself has confirmed that she will be back as Elizabeth Mallard in NCIS: Origins season 3. On her official Instagram account, she shared a couple of images from the set of the prequel, including with Adam Campbell and Austin Stowell, who play young Ducky and young Gibbs. Check out the photos below:

It has previously been revealed that Campbell will return as young Ducky in NCIS: Origins after making his debut in season 2. For context, the prequel was able to find a way to continue his and Gibbs’ arc from the flagship by sharing that they reunited in Camp Pendleton years after their initial encounter in DMV — before both of them were part of the agency that they would eventually shape in the next few decades. It’s unclear how the Mallard matriarch will fit into NCIS: Origins season 3‘s story, but it’s safe to assume that it is part of building Ducky’s personal story.

Victoria was introduced in NCIS season 2, episode 13, “The Meat Puzzle.” By then, the role was still played by Nina Foch, who reprised the role one more time before the character died off-screen. Lagerfelt took over the role in 2016’s NCIS season 16, episode 10, “The Tie That Binds.” Because the narrative was set in the past via flashbacks, tracing the very first time Gibbs and Ducky met, the procedural was able to get away with featuring the late Mallard matriarch through a younger actor. Now, NCIS: Origins is repeating the same tactic for season 3.

It’s always great when NCIS taps into its long history and brings back characters from the past. NCIS: Origins has the unique ability to capitalize on this, simply because it takes place long before the events of the flagship. The only risk is that it opens itself up to continuity issues. But for the most part, viewers are arguably going to be more forgiving of them, if they mean nostalgic storytelling done right.

NCIS: Origins

Release Date

October 14, 2024

Directors

Niels Arden Oplev, John Terlesky, Diana Valentine, Edward Ornelas, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Lionel Coleman, Loren Yaconelli, Pete Chatmon, Pamela Romanowsky, Ruben Garcia, Jessica Lowrey

Writers

Brendan Fehily

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  Austin Stowell

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs

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  Kyle Schmid

  Special Agent Mike Franks