The latest spin-off of the NCIS franchise, NCIS: Hawaii, is well on its way to hitting screens. The series was created by NCIS: New Orleans producers Christopher Silber and Jan Nash, along with Matt Bosack.
Here's what we know so far about the all-new NCIS: Hawaii, including its plot, cast, trailer and release date. As a side note, CBS has tweaked the new series name to NCIS: Hawai'i to represent the state's name in Hawaiian.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated Aug. 21, 2021, to include NCIS: Hawaii's teaser trailer and promo, as well as new images from the pilot episode.
What Is NCIS: Hawaii Season 1's Plot?
Like the other NCIS shows, the NCIS: Hawaii team will investigate crimes involving military personnel and matters of national security. Based out of Pearl Harbor, Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) will lead the team. She will be the first female lead in an NCIS series, adding a fresh vibe to a role historically played by men, including NCIS' Mark Harmon, NCIS: Los Angeles' Chris O’Donnell, LL Cool J and the now-canceled NCIS: New Orleans' Scott Bakula.
In addition to naval crimes, the show will focus on the agents’ personal lives as they search for a balance between work and home. For example, Tennant is recently divorced with two kids: sixteen-year-old Alex (Kian Talan) and a nine-year-old daughter named Julie. In fact, the first episode will show Tennant coaching her daughter’s soccer team when Black Hawk helicopter arrives to take her away. She is needed because an experimental aircraft has crashed into a cliff, and her team must determine if the crash was an accident or the result of foul play.
NCIS: Hawaii will also focus on Hawaiian culture and secrets from the island. Deadline reported that the NCIS: Hawaii cast even partook in a traditional Hawaiian blessing to honor the island culture before filming.
Who Is in NCIS: Hawaii Season 1's Cast?
Vanessa Lachey plays Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant. Her work is her passion, but her children are her focus. Tennant's son, Alex, is Kian Talan, who appeared in Netflix’s Brainchild. Alex is “strong-willed and mature beyond his years,” but he will have trouble making good decisions during some of the big changes happening around him.
Noah Mills is also in the cast, playing Jessie, a big-city homicide detective who relocated to Hawaii. Jessie has worked with Tennant for the longest and is a confidant of sorts. According to Variety, he is “an expert interrogator with a knack for good old-fashioned police work." Jessie's exact opposite seems to be Jason Antoon’s Ernie. He doesn’t have a family on the island and is focused on newer methods of policing. As such, Ernie is NCIS: Hawaii’s cyber intelligence specialist. Also in the cast is Yasmine Al-Bustami who plays Lucy, the junior member of the team. Lucy is known for her enthusiasm and "is eager to be the first one to find that key piece of evidence, create a workaround in the bureaucracy, or tackle a suspect down a flight of stairs.” Al-Bustami made an appearance on CBS’ S.W.A.T. and was also on the TV series The Chosen.
Alex Tarrant will play Kai – a charming local and the newest member of Tennant’s team. Kai has recently returned to Hawaii to care for his sick father and deal with a complicated past. Tarrant has appeared in Taika Waititi’s Night Raiders, and he will be seen in Amazon Prime Vidow’s The Lord of the Rings series. Then, Tori Anderson rounds out the full-time cast as Kate Whistler, a DIA agent who “excels at her work and the politics involved in getting ahead.” Enver Gjokaj has also been tabbed to play a high-ranking Navy Captain who will be a recurring character. Gjokaj has been in multiple television shows including: Marvel’s Agent Carter, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Walking Dead.
Does NCIS: Hawaii Season 1 Have a Trailer?
Here is NCIS: Hawaii's first official trailer. It features general themes for the show, including working as a team, the values of family and the Hawaiian culture around them. It also teases the typical NCIS elements -- Blackhawk helicopters, explosions and knife fights -- so get ready because this is going to be a fun series.
Previous to the trailer, NCIS: Hawaii also released a teaser featuring lead actor Vanessa Lachey where she explains her character and her take on her ground breaking role as Special Agent in Charge of an NCIS series.
What Is NCIS: Hawaii Season 1's Release Date?
NCIS: Hawaii has already wrapped up production on its first two episodes, which were filmed on-site in Oahu, Hawaii. CBS has announced that the show’s pilot episode will premiere on September 20 at 10 p.m. ET, which is a Monday. While NCIS has always premiered on Tuesday nights, CBS is changing its lineup for the Fall. So, NCIS: Hawaii will stay in that 10 p.m. ET slot, directly following the flagship series at 9 p.m. ET.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.