NCIS Season 24 is opening with a reunion that could change the dynamic of the entire team. Nearly a decade after Michael Weatherly left the flagship series as a regular, Tony DiNozzo is back in Washington, D.C.—but he is not returning to simply recreate the past.

The new season begins with the fallout from a deeply personal crisis involving McGee’s family and a mysterious threat aimed at the Secretary of the Navy. As the investigation unfolds, Tony finds himself unexpectedly pulled back into the world of NCIS.

When does NCIS Season 24 premiere?

NCIS Season 24 premieres Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

The flagship crime drama remains in its Tuesday-night slot, but this season starts from a very different place after the events of Season 23. The premiere is titled “Wayward Son,” and it immediately places the current NCIS team under pressure.

CBS has confirmed that the premiere will also be available to stream on Paramount+. Premium subscribers can watch through their local CBS live feed and access episodes on demand, while Essential subscribers receive new episodes on demand the day after the CBS broadcast.

Here is the key Season 24 schedule information currently confirmed:

Detail	Official information
Season	NCIS Season 24
Premiere	“Wayward Son”
Premiere date	Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
Time	8 p.m. ET/PT
Network	CBS
Streaming	Paramount+
Next episode	“Clean Slate” — Oct. 13, 2026
Third episode	“Sleeping Dogs” — Oct. 20, 2026

Another Major TV Return
Michael Weatherly’s return gives NCIS Season 24 one of its biggest television comeback stories, especially with Tony DiNozzo entering a very different version of the team. For another major TV franchise update involving a returning star and questions about a show’s future, explore our Lioness Season 4 renewal status explainer.

What happens in the NCIS Season 24 premiere, “Wayward Son”?

The Season 24 premiere does not waste time setting up the new status quo.

CBS says “Wayward Son” begins with the fallout from the shooting involving McGee’s son. While the family deals with the consequences, the NCIS team is also confronted with a “mysterious new threat to the Secretary of the Navy.”

That creates a case with both personal and national-security stakes.

And then Tony DiNozzo enters the picture.

According to the official synopsis, Tony has newly arrived in Washington, D.C., where he is preparing to open a satellite office for his private security firm. His new career puts him in the right place at the right time—or perhaps the wrong place at the wrong time—as the NCIS investigation develops.

Rather than simply appearing for a nostalgic reunion, Tony becomes an “unexpected source” of help for the team.

The episode was written by Steven D. Binder and Christopher J. Waild and directed by Diana Valentine.

Michael Weatherly is back as Tony DiNozzo

The biggest surprise of Season 24 is, without question, Michael Weatherly’s return.

Tony DiNozzo was one of the original major characters on NCIS, and Weatherly played him for 13 seasons before leaving the flagship series in 2016.

His return was announced by CBS in July, setting up one of the show’s most significant cast developments in years.

CBS welcomed the actor back with the message:

“we’ve missed this one… welcome back, old friend!”

Weatherly also appeared in the announcement video and ended it by saying:

“I’ll see you in the fall.”

That promised return has now arrived with the Season 24 premiere.

But Tony’s comeback is not simply about bringing an old favourite back for a brief appearance. Current reporting describes Weatherly’s return as a major story arc across the season, meaning Tony has a meaningful role to play in the new chapter.

Tony DiNozzo has a new career—and a new reason to be in Washington

One of the most interesting details about Tony’s return is that he is not coming back as the same NCIS agent viewers knew before.

Tony arrives in Washington to establish a satellite office for his private security firm.

That professional change gives the character a believable reason to cross paths with the current NCIS team without simply undoing the life he built after leaving the agency.

It also creates an intriguing new dynamic.

The team Tony once knew has changed significantly. The agents he encounters now are not the same group he left behind, and Tony himself has spent years outside the flagship series.

Season 24 therefore has an opportunity to explore how Tony interacts with the current agents and how much the character has changed since his original departure.

His involvement begins with the Navy Secretary investigation, but the confirmed material makes clear that Weatherly’s appearance extends beyond a single nostalgic reunion.

Tony’s return follows NCIS: Tony & Ziva

Weatherly’s return to the flagship series comes after another major chapter for Tony.

He previously appeared in the Paramount+ spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva, where he reunited with Cote de Pablo. The spinoff was cancelled after one season.

Even though that series has ended, Tony is continuing within the wider NCIS universe through Season 24 of the original show.

That makes his latest appearance particularly notable: the character is returning to the flagship series while carrying a very different professional identity into a team that has itself undergone major changes.

Who is in the NCIS Season 24 cast?

CBS and Paramount’s official Season 24 materials list the principal cast as follows:

• Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee
• Wilmer Valderrama as Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres
• Brian Dietzen as Dr. Jimmy Palmer
• Diona Reasonover as forensic scientist Kasie Hines
• Katrina Law as Special Agent Jessica Knight
• Gary Cole as Special Agent Alden Parker
• Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo

Parker continues to lead the team, while McGee remains a senior field agent. Torres is an experienced undercover specialist, and Knight brings her REACT and hostage-negotiation background to investigations.

Palmer continues to run the morgue, while Hines remains the team’s forensic scientist.

The official CBS description says the team investigates crimes involving the Navy and Marine Corps, including cases involving murder, espionage, terrorism and stolen submarines.

Why isn’t Rocky Carroll returning as Leon Vance?

Tony’s return is not the only major change waiting for viewers.

Season 24 also begins without one of the franchise’s longest-serving characters: Leon Vance, played by Rocky Carroll.

Carroll played Vance for 18 seasons, but the character was killed during Season 23. His death came after a storyline in which NCIS itself faced a serious threat, and Carroll subsequently exited the regular cast.

This was not simply a case of the actor choosing to leave the show.

Vance had been one of the defining figures in the NCIS universe for years. His absence therefore represents a major change in the agency’s leadership as Season 24 begins.

Carroll is not listed among the principal Season 24 cast. Instead, CBS identifies Gary Cole’s Alden Parker alongside McGee, Torres and Knight as part of the current team.

That change gives Tony’s return even more significance. He is stepping back into an NCIS world that looks considerably different from the one he left.

How did NCIS Season 23 end?

To understand why Season 24 starts under such intense pressure, it helps to look at where the previous season left the story.

Season 23 concluded with “Sons and Daughters,” which aired on May 12, 2026.

CBS’ official description states that, one year after a deadly coffee-shop bombing, another explosion showed that the earlier attack was not the work of a lone wolf.

The case forced the team to confront questions surrounding legacy and loyalty.

That finale followed a season packed with major crises. The Season 23 episode guide included storylines involving Parker’s family, McGee’s kidnapping, Knight’s elite mission, a national-security conspiracy and multiple threats against the NCIS team.

So Season 24 is not arriving after a simple reset. The new season has several consequences to address from the beginning.

McGee’s son is at the centre of the new crisis

The premiere’s personal storyline is closely connected to McGee.

CBS specifically confirms that the team is dealing with the fallout from the shooting involving McGee’s son while investigating the threat against the Secretary of the Navy.

That places McGee’s family crisis directly alongside a major national-security investigation.

For the premiere, those two storylines create contrasting pressures: one is deeply personal for McGee and his family, while the other threatens the Navy Department.

Tony’s unexpected involvement brings the two sides of the story into the same investigation.

When is the next NCIS Season 24 episode?

The story will continue quickly after the premiere.

The second episode, “Clean Slate,” is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

CBS’ official materials confirm that Michael Weatherly appears as Tony DiNozzo in the episode.

That detail further establishes that Tony’s return is part of a larger Season 24 storyline rather than a one-episode reunion.

CBS has also released promotional material for “Sleeping Dogs,” the third episode, which is scheduled for Oct. 20.

Where can you watch NCIS Season 24?

Viewers in the United States can watch NCIS Season 24 on CBS every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Episodes are also available through Paramount+.

Paramount+ Premium subscribers can watch the CBS broadcast live through their local CBS feed and stream episodes on demand. Essential subscribers do not receive the CBS broadcast live through the service, but can stream new episodes on demand the day after they air.

CBS is giving fans an entire NCIS night

The return of the flagship series is also part of a larger Tuesday-night franchise lineup.

CBS has built the evening around the NCIS universe:

• 8 p.m. — NCIS
• 9 p.m. — NCIS: New York
• 10 p.m. — NCIS: Origins

That gives CBS an entire night dedicated to the franchise, while the original series begins Season 24 with one of its most recognisable former stars back in the story.

NCIS Season 24 marks a major new era

Season 24 is arriving at a pivotal point for NCIS.

The agency is moving forward without Leon Vance, the team is dealing with the fallout from a crisis involving McGee’s son, and a mysterious threat against the Secretary of the Navy sets the central investigation in motion.

Then there is Tony DiNozzo.

Michael Weatherly’s return brings back one of the franchise’s most recognisable characters, but Tony is not simply stepping into his old role. He now runs a private security firm and is opening a satellite office in Washington, giving him a new professional connection to the NCIS team.

With “Wayward Son” launching Season 24 on Oct. 6 and “Clean Slate” following on Oct. 13, NCIS is moving into its next chapter with a mix of familiar history and significant change. Tony is back, the team has evolved, and the cases ahead begin with very real consequences.

Conclusion

NCIS Season 24 starts with the franchise looking familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo is returning after nearly 10 years away from the flagship series, but he is entering an NCIS team shaped by major changes, including the loss of Leon Vance.

The premiere, “Wayward Son,” combines McGee’s family crisis with a mysterious threat to the Secretary of the Navy, while Tony’s new private-security career unexpectedly brings him back into the team’s orbit. With Weatherly appearing beyond the premiere and the season already moving into “Clean Slate,” his return is clearly positioned as a substantial part of the new story.

Another TV Character’s Uncertain Future
Tony DiNozzo’s return to NCIS raises questions about how a familiar character can be brought back into a changing franchise. For another major TV character whose future remains a subject of fan speculation, explore our Moon Knight comics replacement and Oscar Isaac MCU future analysis.

Source & Research Disclaimer

This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided with the original verified material, including CBS, Paramount Press Express, Entertainment Weekly, People and Good Housekeeping. The article reflects the information available from those sources as of October 6, 2026, and does not imply independent verification beyond the material supplied. Future episode details and storylines are limited to information officially released or reported in the provided sources and should not be treated as confirmation of unannounced developments.

Sources

• CBS — NCIS official series page
• Paramount Press Express — NCIS official cast and series information
• Paramount Press Express — “Wayward Son” Season 24 premiere
• CBS — NCIS Season 23 episode guide
• Paramount Press Express — NCIS Season 24 episode and photo information
• Entertainment Weekly — Michael Weatherly’s Season 24 return and story arc
• People — Michael Weatherly returns to NCIS Season 24
• Good Housekeeping — Rocky Carroll and Leon Vance’s Season 24 absence

Featured Image Credit: CBS / Paramount Press Express