NCIS Series Confirms The Early End Of Its 2026 Run

Published Nov 9, 2026, 10:16 AM EST

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One NCIS series is moving forward with its early 2026 ending.

CBS's revamped Super Tuesday has become an important part of this network TV's cycle. Each show in the three-hour block has given the massive fandom something to look forward to — whether that's the beginning of a new era for NCIS in New York or the revelation about Lala's present-day fate. Each team has been dealing with their own weekly cases, but there's increased focus on its serialized stories, as they have a bigger impact on the franchise's overall lore.

That's exactly the case for NCIS: Origins season 3, which has seen the full-time return of Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. While the actor has already been involved in the project, providing the narration for every episode on top of producing it, this marks the first time that he is appearing throughout the cycle as Old Gibbs. That comes with a contemporary story that has him reuniting with his former agents: Tony Dinozzo Jr. and Ellie Bishop. Meanwhile, NCIS: Origins' period narrative plays parallel it.

With just four episodes out, Lala actor, Mariel Molino, has confirmed that NCIS: Origins season 3 production is down to filming their last episode. On her Instagram, which has been shared by the official NCIS account, she shares that they have only three more days left of shooting via a behind-the-scenes image of her and Caleb Foote getting ready as their respective characters. Check out the image below:

Mariel Molino

For context, CBS previously confirmed that NCIS: Origins season 3 would have a shortened run of just 10 episodes. This is what allowed the show to tackle more serialized stories, with most of its weekly cases tying into a bigger narrative decades into the future. That said, there has been no additional specific timeline information offered until Molino's post, which confirms that they are near the end of production for the season. Beyond that, the fate of NCIS: Origins is still in limbo, as CBS has yet to renew it for season 4.

Whether showrunner David J. North is preparing for the possibility that this will be the final run for the prequel is curious. Granted that the focus of its current year has been answering major questions about this era in Gibbs' life, NCIS: Origins still has so much story left to tell outside of that. Throughout its run, it has done a great job endearing other supporting cast members to the public, and it would be a shame not to learn more about them, especially those who haven't had any presence in the flagship. It would also be great to see Gibbs' undercover era — something that NCIS established during Jenny Shepard's time as the agency's director.

No specific date has been confirmed with regard to when NCIS: Origins season 3 will wrap up its run as part of CBS's fall 2026 schedule. That said, it's possible that all 10 episodes will already be out before the network enters its mandatory holiday hiatus for 2026. After that, the long wait for its future verdict will officially begin. For now, the public still has six episodes left to look forward to.

NCIS: Origins

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  Austin Stowell

  Leroy Jethro Gibbs

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  Kyle Schmid

  Special Agent Mike Franks