NCIS season 23 has continued to prove its staying power since returning for the 2025–2026 TV season, balancing fresh stories with callbacks to its long history. The recent return of Roma Maffia’s Vera has already delighted longtime fans, especially with her connection to the franchise’s earliest crossover with NCIS: Origins. However, the show saved its biggest surprise for the fall finale.

In the final moments of “Heaven and Nature,” Emily Bishop makes her first appearance since exiting the series at the end of season 18, instantly raising the stakes and leaving viewers eager for answers.

Unfortunately, that payoff won’t come anytime soon. NCIS season 23 is now officially on winter break, a yearly hiatus that allows the cast and crew time off and gives CBS space to prepare the back half of the season. On December 23, CBS is instead airing The 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, and the network is expected to fill upcoming weeks with reruns.

CBS has confirmed that NCIS season 23, episode 10 will premiere on February 24, 2026, meaning fans will have to wait to learn why Bishop has become a target of Jessica Knight’s ELITE team. While details about the episode remain under wraps, it’s unclear whether the show will immediately resolve the cliffhanger-or save it for later.

With NCIS also approaching its historic 500th episode, Bishop’s storyline could play a major role in what’s shaping up to be a milestone moment for the long-running procedural.