NCIS: Hawai’i season 3 - Release date, cast and latest news

Hawai’i is the third spin-off from the NCIS franchise and launched in 2021, becoming the first instalment to be set outside the US mainland and ultimately paving the way for NCIS: Sydney.

Hawai’i was also the first NCIS series to feature a female lead. with Vanessa Lachey starring as mother-of-two Jane Tennant, the first female Supervisory Special Agent in NCIS history to be in charge of the Pearl Harbor Field Office.

Of course, fans of Lachey's may be more familiar with her current work as co-host of Love Is Blind with her husband Nick but here, she takes the lead as the formidable head of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Her team of Naval criminal investigators solve crimes on the Hawaiian islands and includes the likes of right-hand man Jesse Boone, new recruit Kai and tech whiz Ernie Malik, alongside junior field agent Lucy Tara.

And in exciting news for NCIS fans, Los Angeles regular LL Cool J is joining the cast of Hawai’i for season 3 after a surprise appearance in the season 2 finale.

Over the course of the first two seasons, the team bonded while catching murderers, hunting escaped exotic animals and even surviving being held hostage by pirates. What could be in store for them in season 3?

Read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming NCIS: Hawai’i season 3.

Has NCIS: Hawai’i been renewed for season 3?

Yes. After two hit seasons in 2021 and 2022, NCIS: Hawai’i was renewed for a third season back in February 2023.

NCIS: Hawai'i season 3: When will it air?

NCIS: Hawai’i will air in the US on Monday 12th February at 10pm EST, resuming its usual Monday night slot on CBS.

However, for UK viewers, there's currently no word on when the new season will be available to watch. We do know, though, that it's highly likely that NCIS: Hawai’i will return to its UK home on Disney Plus, with a release date yet to be confirmed.

The first two seasons premiered in September 2021 and September 2022, with season 3 originally being scheduled to start airing in September 2023. However, the US writers’ and actors’ strikes delayed production on the series.

NCIS: Hawai'i season 3 cast: Who’s returning?

Alongside Vanessa Lachey as team leader Jane, the season 3 cast includes:

• Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman
• Noah Mills as Jesse Boone
• Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara
• Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik
• Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler
• Kian Talan as Alex Tennant
• LL Cool J as Sam Hanna

There will also be a new addition to the cast for season three – NCIS: Los Angeles star LL Cool J. He made a surprise appearance as his NCIS character Sam Hanna in the season 2 finale of NCIS: Hawai’i, and it has been confirmed that he will return as a recurring guest star in season 3.

“All of us at NCIS: Hawai’i have been huge fans of LL Cool J for years and couldn’t be more thrilled or honoured to be adding his spectacular talent to our ohana for season 3,” said executive producers Matt Bosack, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber in a statement in May 2023.

On the announcement of LL Cool J joining the cast for season 3, Lachey said: “One of the most beautiful things about working on NCIS: Hawai’i is the show’s ability to bring the franchise together.

"We have had so much fun spreading the aloha to NCIS and NCIS: LA with the triple crossover. Now, we have the amazing opportunity to bring Sam Hanna to Hawai’i to help the island solve some cases and maybe have a few laughs in the process. Welcome to the ohana, Todd! It’s going to be a fun ride!”

NCIS: Hawai'i season 3 plot speculation

It is likely that the third season will follow on from the tense events of the season 2 finale.

Jane Tennant’s CIA past came back to haunt her when she became the prime suspect in the murder of a former MI6 agent, and she was forced to go to extreme lengths to track down the real killer and prove her innocence.

Her former CIA mentor, Maggie Shaw (Julie White), helped Jane in her quest, but by the end of the episode Maggie had become a fugitive, so it is possible that season 3 could focus on Jane tracking her old friend down.

And while Jane was off on her solo mission, her second-in-command Jesse Boone took over the reins at work, so it’s likely there may be tension when he has to step back on Jane’s return.

Noah Mills, who plays Boone, teased the storyline for season 3 in an interview with ET. “There are some major changes coming to season 3 and it will be a different dynamic, I’ll put it that way, in the beginning of season 3,” he said.

He added: "I’m sure there will be some uncomfortable adjustments and some new relationships that we’ll have to explore within season 3, which I think will be really fun and intense.”

Is there an NCIS: Hawai'i season 3 trailer?

There is! Exclusively revealed by TVLine, the new trailer teases a look at the team in action with them being faced with a very expert-looking team of criminals in masks and wielding machine guns. Head over there to watch it.

It looks as though the sense of family is still ever strong with this team as LL Cool J seems to slot nicely into the dynamic too.

NCIS: Hawai'i seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Disney Plus. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

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