While it’s been over a month since the NCIS spinoff show was canceled, buzz continues to surround the cancelation of NCIS: Hawai’i before season 4. The island-based police procedural was a spinoff from the original NCIS show starring Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The flagship NCIS show has seen a lot of success with spinoffs throughout the years, beginning with the launch of NCIS: Los Angeles in 2009. Unfortunately, NCIS: Hawai’i has broken a franchise record, becoming the short-lived NCIS series ever with its cancelation.
The cast of NCIS: Hawai’i included Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey), Jesse Boone (Noah Mills), Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), Kate Whistler (Tori Anderson), Lucy Tara (Yasmine Al-Bustami), Kai Holman (Alex Tarrant), and Ernie Malik (Jason Antoon). The decision to truncate these characters has been met with controversy. While CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach has said that the decision to cancel the spinoff will not be reversed, the network recently made the decision to reverse the cancelation of S.W.A.T. ahead of season 8.
One thing that’s certain is that things are rarely set in stone in the NCIS universe. For instance, there was probably a time when viewers never thought they would see the reunion of Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), who will now be appearing in their own spinoff show: NCIS: Tony & Ziva. And just when it looked like Mark Harmon would never return to the franchise as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS: Origins was launched with Harmon as the narrator and executive producer. Were NCIS: Hawai’i to one day be revived as well, it might serve as a way to rectify some of the mistakes made with its untimely cancelation.
Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant Was The First Female NCIS Team Lead
Other Team Leads Include Leroy Jethro Gibbs And Alden Parker
One reason that it was a mistake to cancel NCIS: Hawai’i is that the Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS: Hawai’i Field Office, Jane Tennant, was the first female team lead cast in NCIS. The role that Vanessa Lachey has portrayed since the show premiered in 2021 showcased a character who was a fierce lead for her team but also a capable and protecting mother. The duality of Jane Tennant’s character is one of the things that made the island-based spinoff stand out.
Furthermore, the unfinished Jane storyline worsened the season 3 cancelation. Heading into the conclusion of NCIS: Hawai’i season 3, Jane was just beginning to explore a relationship with her mother that delved into the actor’s personal life experiences. It’s clear that there is an abundance of opportunities to tell powerful stories while exploring Jane’s character, and that those stories will go untold if the show remains canceled.
Jane Tennant Was Also The First Asian American Lead On An NCIS Show
Vanessa Lachey Diversified The Central Team Leader Role
Another element that made Jane Tennant’s character special for the franchise and put NCIS: Hawai’i into a league of its own was that the Special Agent in Charge was also the first Asian American lead on an NCIS show. Other team leads within the franchise have included Leroy Jethro Gibbs, G. Callen (Chris O’Donnell), and Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula). While the characters fit the roles, Jane’s character redefined the position of power.
