NCIS Season 20: Release date, trailer and everything we know so far

The agents are all set to return for another season of NCIS this week on CBS, with a fan-favorite character joining them.

Created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, the series revolves around a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, combining elements of military drama and police procedural genres.

Here's everything viewers need to know about the upcoming season of the thriller series.

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What to expect from NCIS Season 20?

The upcoming season of CBS' NCIS is all set to premiere on Monday, September 19 at 9 pm ET and along with this, it is expected to bring back a fan-favorite character who hasn't been seen in a while.

The official synopsis for the premiere episode of Season 20 reads:

"Following the cliffhanger Season 19 finale, with Special Agent Alden Parker still on the run with his ex-wife Vivian, the team investigates who from his past might have a personal vendetta against him in hopes of clearing Parker’s name. Enlisting the help of Special Agent Jane Tennant and computer specialist Ernie Malick, who are in town meeting with director Leon Vance in preparation for a global military exercise, the group tracks down their prime suspect, The Raven."

The returning cast includes Sean Murray as Tim McGee, Wilmer Valderrama as Nick Torres, Katrina Law as Jessica Knight, Brian Dietzen as Jimmy Palmer, Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines, Rocky Carroll as Leon Vance, and Gary Cole as Alden Parker.

The premiere episode will involve a crossover episode with NCIS: Hawai’i and will see the return of Joe Spano as FBI agent Tobias Fornell.

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More about the crossover

Season 19 of NCIS ended with Parker being framed for murder in a case involving his ex-wife — former FBI agent Vivian Kolchak, played by Teri Polo. She will be back for season 20 as a recurring character, and the story will pick up on the season 20 premiere exactly where it left off in the previous season.

The premiere will also be a two-hour crossover event with NCIS: Hawai’i, marking the spinoff’s season 2 premiere. Harmon’s absence won’t be the only change to Season 20 of the series.

Executive producer Steven D. Binder told Parade that viewers will get to know more about the agents’ personal lives, instead of the team working cases. He explained:

"We’ll be seeing their non-work life a little more. I think one of the cores of the show is the cases. The show’s called NCIS, it’s about the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. But anyone who watches the show knows that it’s really about the people on the show."

He further stated:

"I always tell the new writers, your cases have to work, they need to be funny, they need to be interesting, they need to be in a new arena, they need to be clear, they need a twist, and they need to be exciting to the end. And nobody cares about any of it. What they care about is the people on the show and their history. So, you’ve got to get that straight so we can then dance in the realm that people care about."

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Check out the promo for the crossover

The official promo for NCIS Season 20 did not tease any plot points but instead hinted that the opening episode would pick up right with the Raven-centric cliffhanger from last season.

Additionally, the teaser featured a crossover event with NCIS: Hawai'i where special agent Tennant and computer specialist Ernie are assisting in finding the Raven. In the Hawai'i's opening episode, titled Prisoners' Dilemma, Torres and Knight were seen traveling to Oahu to stop the Raven's latest scheme.

Viewers can expect this season to focus on Parker's innocence in the early episodes, while the rest of the season also promises to focus on characters' personal lives, like the budding relationship between Jimmy Palmer and Agent Knight.

Catch Season 20 of NCIS on CBS on Friday, September 9.