Fans of the NCIS franchise are still mourning the cancellation of NCIS: Hawai‘i and the unique representation it brought to television. The spinoff, which was canceled in April 2024 after three seasons, aired its final episode in May. It was a groundbreaking installment in the NCIS franchise, being the first to feature a woman and a woman of color, Vanessa Lachey, as its lead. Lachey portrayed Jane Tennant, the Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Hawai‘i Field Office, and the series boasted a diverse main cast, including characters played by Alex Tarrant (Kai Holman), Noah Mills (Jesse Boone), Jason Antoon (Ernie Malik), and Yasmine Al-Bustami (Lucy Tara), the latter representing the LGBTQ community.
Since its cancellation, fans have expressed their disappointment, especially as its time slot was taken over by a new CBS spinoff, NCIS: Origins. This prequel, which premiered in October 2024, delves into the early career of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 1991 as a probationary NIS agent, exploring his journey following the tragic murder of his wife and daughter.
One fan recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their frustration, stating: “Middle of the night I can’t sleep randomness… I will never watch NCIS: Origins because they canceled the popular & amazing NCIS: Hawai‘i, which had a woman lead, & diversity: Black, Asian, LGBTQ & Samoan characters as main cast. And replaced it with the most white bread show.”
The sentiment resonated with others who shared similar feelings, with many declaring they are boycotting NCIS: Origins in protest. A fan wrote, “Same here, been boycotting since the cancellation and fighting every day to #SaveNCISHawaii.” Another added, “Same reason I won’t watch the Hawaii Five-0 reboot. They treated the Asian actors as subpar people.”
At an event in April 2024 celebrating the franchise’s milestone 1,000th episode, Vanessa Lachey reflected on the significance of her role. “It’s an honor to be able to add to this incredible franchise, and to do it as the first female lead has meant more to me than I can ever express,” she shared with PEOPLE. “It shows the incredible evolution and longevity that NCIS continues to give its fans.”
While NCIS: Origins focuses on familiar characters and explores the early history of the beloved franchise, its debut has been overshadowed by the loss of NCIS: Hawai‘i. For many fans, the cancellation marked not just the end of a show, but the loss of a series that celebrated diversity and representation in meaningful ways.
