The announcement of NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancellation after its third season has left both fans and the cast reeling. The final season, which premiered in February, is set to conclude with its last episode airing on May 6.
The recent episode, “Spill the Tea,” marked the beginning of the two-part finale and shocked viewers by featuring the demise of the entire NCIS elite team, except for LL Cool J. Some fans expressed frustration over the buildup to this storyline only to have key characters killed off before the final episode.
Yasmine Al-Bustami, one of the show’s stars, had teased the conclusion of Season 3 as a “two-parter” filled with action and death in an interview with TV Line in March, unaware of the impending cancellation.
The news of the cancellation hit viewers and the cast hard, particularly since three other shows in the NCIS franchise were renewed for new seasons. CBS’s decision to end NCIS: Hawai’i after just 54 episodes makes it the shortest series in the franchise.
Stars like Vanessa Lachey, who portrays Jane Tennant, expressed shock and disappointment over the cancellation, with Lachey admitting to feeling “gutted, confused, [and] blindsided.” She expressed gratitude to the fans and acknowledged the decision’s broader impact beyond just a TV show.
Fellow cast members, including Tori Anderson and Jason Antoon, also shared their reactions, with Anderson calling the cancellation a “huge loss for representation” and Antoon describing the TV business as “brutal.” Noah Mills expressed his sadness over bidding farewell to the show and the memories created during its production.
The cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i marks the end of an era for both the cast and fans, leaving behind a legacy despite its short run in the NCIS franchise.