NCIS Season 24 Review: Still Standing After 20+ Years

Season 24 arrives with the team firmly in its current configuration: Alden Parker (Gary Cole) running the show with that deceptively calm demeanor, Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) now the longest-serving field agent and unofficial historian of every weird case the Navy ever produced, Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) bringing the muscle and the mouth, and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) proving she can out-interrogate anyone in the building. Back at HQ, Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) keep the forensic and tech sides humming, while the return of Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) gives longtime fans a jolt of pure nostalgia.

The DNA of the show remains unchanged: murder, espionage, terrorism, stolen submarines - anything with a thread back to Navy or Marine Corps personnel, no matter the rank. This season leans into that mandate hard, and the cast chemistry is the engine that keeps it all running.

Here's the thing about a show in its twenty-fourth season: it has nothing left to prove. NCIS isn't chasing Emmys or trying to reinvent the procedural. It knows exactly what it is, and it executes with a confidence that only comes from two decades of muscle memory.

The returning cast is genuinely a pleasure. Gary Cole has settled into Parker with a wry, unflappable energy that feels distinct from the Gibbs era without trying to erase it. Sean Murray's McGee has quietly become the emotional spine of the show - the guy who remembers where all the bodies are buried, literally and figuratively. Wilmer Valderrama's Torres still gets the best one-liners, and Katrina Law's Knight remains the most watchable interrogator on network TV.

Michael Weatherly's DiNozzo return is the headline grabber, and it lands. There's an easy rhythm between him and the current team that makes you remember why this character was so beloved in the first place. It's fan service, sure, but it's good fan service.

Where the show stumbles - and it always has - is in the case-of-the-week formula. Some episodes crackle, others feel like a rerun you've already seen twice. The emotional beats occasionally get buried under exposition, and the show still hasn't figured out how to make every supporting player feel essential in every hour.

But look, nobody tunes into Season 24 of anything expecting The Wire. They tune in for the banter, the forensic montages, the last-minute twists, and the warm familiarity of a team that feels like family. On that contract, NCIS Season 24 delivers. It's not prestige. It's not trying to be. It's reliable, well-acted, and - crucially - still entertaining after all these years.

Pros

• The core cast has phenomenal chemistry built over multiple seasons
• Gary Cole's Parker has fully grown into the leadership role
• Michael Weatherly's return adds genuine nostalgic spark
• The procedural formula remains comfortingly well-oiled

Cons

• Case-of-the-week structure can feel repetitive
• Some episodes lean too hard on exposition over emotion
• Supporting characters still don't always get room to breathe
• Longtime viewers may find the formula a touch too safe

Twenty-four seasons in, NCIS knows its lane and drives it with the precision of a team that's been doing this since before streaming even existed. Season 24 won't convert skeptics, and it isn't trying to - it's a victory lap for a show that has earned every ounce of its longevity. If you've been along for the ride, you'll feel right at home. If you're brand new, well, buckle up - you've got about 500 episodes of homework. 7.6/10 - still on the case, still worth your Tuesday night.