Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for NCIS Season 22, Episode 15.At the heart of a long-running police procedural series like NCISis the importance of family and how it affects us, for better or worse. While the show typically follows a formulaic case-of-the-week narrative structure throughout the season, what keeps audiences coming back is its characters. Even though beloved characters have come and gone, the main cast is always given the space to embody fleshed-out three-dimensional characters. When the lead star of the franchise, Mark Harmon‘s Leroy Jethro Gibbs departed NCIS in Season 19, fans were worried about the show’s longevity. But the series has gone on for three more seasons and has already been renewed for Season 23. In addition, Harmon made his return for a prequel show, NCIS: Origins, that focuses on Gibbs’ (Austin Stowell) start as a federal agent, which has also been renewed for another season.
