After decades of success NCIS is breaking a major franchise rule, explained in-depth

For two decades, NCIS has played by it's own rules and for the first time, the show is breaking one of its most sacred traditions with the 23rd season.

Since 2003, NCIS has been going on with one unspoken rule and it's that no matter what, the Major Case Response Team remains emotionally united. With everything that goes on in the group, people falling in love, breaking up and grieving, it never breaks the group. That stability has become a very important part of the show's identity and season 23 is throwing that rule out of the window.

At the center we have Jessica Knight who is caught between her past with Jimmy Palmer and a growing, undeniable spark with Nick Torres. Knight and Palmer's relationship had bad timing and things ended soon. Now the new season reopens that wound just as Torres steps into the picture again.

For the first time, the show allows a personal storyline to ripple outward. Once the love triangle becomes public, the team cannot stay neutral. People will feel protective. People will take sides. Even if the work remains professional, the emotional balance of MCRT changes. That has never happened before.

With that being said, it would certainly be interesting to see what angles this new storyline brings to the show, and how it affects the group and the show's premise. If anything, we're in for more drama than ever

More details about NCIS Season 23

NCIS started off in 2003 as a spin-off of JAG and then evolved into a long-running procedural that blends military cases, sharp character work and emotional continuity. The show is set primarily at the Washington Navy Yard, and follows the Major Case Response Team as they investigate crimes tied to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, balancing high-stakes cases with deeply personal arcs.

The show has survived over 500 episodes and 23 seasons and even with all the changes, it stays intact in it's premise, focusing on it's characters and it's consistent storylines, which is exactly why it has survived for so long.

Season 23 premiered in October 2025, and this time, it leans harder into character-driven storytelling. Alden Parker is now fully settled as team leader and the team is operating just as well. We get to go deeper into Parker's past and everything that shaped him, and of course, Torres and Knight's storyline is taking up a lot of space with questions about if Knight and Palmer's will possibly be getting back together.

Showrunner Steven D. Binder teased how character driven storylines make up the very soul of the show and particularly this season as he told TV Line,

"I know people always say, ‘I watch the show for the characters’ — that was always our thing — and I really want to make this a character-forward show in a way we haven’t seen before. So, if you’re invested in these people, this is going to be the season for you.”

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NCIS is available to stream on Paramount+.

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