NCIS: Daniela Ruah, Vanessa Lachey to ‘Cross Over’ for Franchise’s 1,000th Episode (Exclusive)
The Los Angeles and Pearl Harbor offices will be represented when CBS‘ well-watched NCIS franchise airs its 1,000th episode in a few weeks.
TVLine has learned exclusively that both Daniela Ruah, who played Special Agent Kensi Blye-Deeks throughout NCIS: Los Angeles‘ 14-season run, and Vanessa Lachey, who currently leads the NCIS: Hawai’i team as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, will appear during that milestone hour, which will air as the Monday, April 15 episode of NCIS.
Though neither Kensi nor Jane will appear “in person” alongside the D.C.-based NCIS team, I am hearing the characters’ appearances will nonetheless be quite fun.
Also appearing during the episode — as first reported by TVLine’s Inside Line column — will be Director Leon Vance’s son Jared, to be played this time around by Spence Moore II (All American, Superman & Lois).
Previewing the franchise’s 1,000th installment, NCIS co-showrunner David North told TVLine during our recent set visit, “One of our own beloved characters is going to end up in grave danger, and you’re go to see all of the different franchises brought into this in a little bit of a different way.”
Added co-showrunner Steven D. Binder, “There’ll be a personal storyline, and this one will circle around Director Vance,” played by NCIS vet Rocky Carroll.
Along the way, fans can be assured, “We’re going to play plenty of homage to the past,” said North, and scatter “some Easter eggs for longtime fans of the show,” Binder added.
“If you’re watching it in 4K, you might have to blow somethings things up,” the EP quipped, “but they’re going to be there.”
Ruah has not strayed far from the NCIS-verse since filming her final scenes as NCIS: LA‘s Kensi a little over a year ago. Most recently, she directed the March 4 episode of NCIS and the April 15 NCIS: Hawai’i (aka the franchise’s 1,001st episode, titled, ha, “The Next Thousand”).
“If I get asked [to play Kensi again], I will certainly figure it out at the time,” Ruah told TVLine toward the end of NCIS: LA‘s run. “If it makes sense, why not, right?” (Ruah’s NCIS: LA co-star LL Cool J of course is currently reprising his role as Sam Hanna on NCIS: Hawai’i.)
Lachey’s Tennant meanwhile has popped up on the NCIS mothership thrice before — as part of a pair of two-show crossovers (in March and then September 2022), and in the January 2023 three-show crossover event that also folded in NCIS: LA.
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Will Kensi be on the 1001st episode, on NCIS: Hawaii?? We know Daniella was there!
Did you read the article? It said she directed the 1001st episode.
Wonderful. Lets get the rest of the LA cast to Hawaii to join Sam Hanna. The Hawaii cast can be transferred anywhere.
That is great, I like CSI Hawaii.
👀👀👀👀
But again…. These aren’t the Franchise’s 1000th and 1001st Episodes… They have to include the Parent Show JAG’s Episodes into the counting. NCIS isn’t it’s an original show unto itself. It is a Spin-Off and should be forever considered as such.
JAG wasn’t about NCIS agents.
This is the 1000th episode of the NCIS franchise of TV shows about NCIS teams.
Although JAG was primarily about the legal office of the military, I first learned about NCIS agents and their work on JAG.
I do agree though that the 1000 episode count is about the NCIS shows starting with NCIS, not JAG.
Thank you.
But without the main JAG TV Series we wouldn’t have the rest of the NCIS Off-Shoots to begin with so you have to include the JAG Episodes in the NCIS Counting since JAG is the Parent show. This is nothing but rampant revisionism at it’s worst. You cannot separate the NCIS Spin-Offs from the JAG root.
By that token you would have to count A Few Good Men.
Is A Few Good Men directly related to the Fictional World and Universe of JAG the TV Series and its various Spin-Offs? No.
But the NCIS crew were just guesting on JAG. None of them were regular or recurring characters. NCIS used JAG as a convenient launching pad. The show wasn’t even a true spinoff.
sorry, am I supposed to get excited that two actors from spinoffs are appearing in NCIS’s 1000 episode. How about some of the other actors from over the years that have appeared in the show for more than a guest appearance? There have been so many actors that have been on the series either as regulars or guests and these two are the only ones they could come up with? Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo or Emily Wickersham or Maria Bello to name a few. I know Weatherly and Cote have their own show coming but their appearance would be more significant than these other two actors. Granted that former cast members have a high body count but seriously.
This is a milestone for the franchise, not just the original series, so it is appropriate to have characters from the other shows appearing. Who knows what other characters may show up as well, and we already know there will be lots of Easter eggs. There may even be some surprise appearances for all we know, but if everyone from every show appeared there wouldn’t be time for an actual story
Did anyone look at the picture above. Hint, initials G.C.
If Sydney is not represented, I’m going to be one ticked off fan. Amy Reisenbach pulled a ‘fast one’ on those who supported the new show by telling everyone in interview there would be news ‘soon’ about its return…and two months have slid by. C’mon CBS…
So where’s Deeks?
Best investigation NCIS
Best undercover NCIS LOS ANGELES need revival.ziva meets kensi and mane that would be awesome.