CBS Properly Debuts A Missing NCIS Character After 11 Years

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After eleven seasons, the popular drama NCIS is introducing a character fans have been waiting to meet. The show’s lasting success is clear, as the NCIS franchise continues to expand. In addition to the original series, which is regaining viewers after a ratings dip, CBS is also airing two spin-offs – NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney – to bolster its programming.

Even though NCIS: Sydney and the original NCIS air at the same time, NCIS: Sydney isn’t as closely linked to the main show. That’s why CBS is concentrating on building a stronger connection between NCIS: Origins and the original series. NCIS: Origins takes place thirty years before the events at Navy Yard, but the character Leroy Jethro Gibbs provides a link between the two shows. CBS has already done a crossover event between NCIS and Origins for the 2025-2026 season, and plans to reveal more about Gibbs’ past in future episodes.

NCIS: Origins Properly Debuts Dan McLane

Sonja Flemming / ©CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection

Following the casting of a young Dwayne Pride for NCIS: Origins, CBS is assembling the renowned “Fed Five” – a team of highly skilled NIS agents from the early 1990s who handled top-secret and difficult assignments. This group first appeared in season 11, episode 18 of NCIS (“Crescent City (Part 1)”), which also served as a pilot episode for NCIS: New Orleans. The team consisted of Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula), Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Mike Franks (Muse Watson), Felix Betts (Stuart Margolin), and Dan McLane.

Unlike the other four members of the ‘Fed Five,’ McLane hadn’t been officially cast in an episode since 2014. His death actually brought Pride and Gibbs together to solve the case. Now, after 11 years, CBS has cast Mark Deklin as McLane – a respected veteran field agent based in Panama. He’ll be joining the team from Camp Pendleton to lead an investigation into a stolen weapons operation (according to Deadline).

How The Fed Five Story Shapes Gibbs’ NCIS Arc

CBS

It’s unclear how the show NCIS: Origins will fit the Fed Five team into the story. The show already has a lot going on, and focusing on this important part of Gibbs’ past could throw things off balance. Plus, it’s puzzling why Austin Stowell’s character was chosen for the elite team when more experienced members of Franks’ squad, like Lala Dominguez, were also options.

Joining the Fed Five team was crucial for establishing Gibbs’ career at NCIS. The team’s accomplishments led directly to his transfer to Navy Yard and his leadership of the MCRT. Although this period eventually had tragic consequences, including McLane’s murder years later, it undeniably brought Gibbs to the attention of the entire agency.

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2025-12-06 18:01