CBS Officially Ends NCIS’s MCRT In New Milestone Episode Details

For over two decades, the Navy Yard-based team has been solving Navy-adjacent crimes. Its existence, however, is far longer than that. Mike Franks’ squad in NCIS: Origins functions as a starter version of what would eventually be the formidable group in Washington DC. Throughout the years, the MCRT has gone through so many changes, with Gibbs’ original team no longer in existence. Soon enough, however, the current version of the squad will no longer operate as well.

The 2025-2026 TV cycle has been busy for the NCIS franchise as a whole, but specifically for the flagship. It’s no secret that the series has been dealing with some form of identity crisis in the last several years following a major MCRT revamp with Gibbs’ decision to retire. A few years later, it seems like NCIS is closer to the end of its rebrand, which is an exciting time for followers of the show, especially those who have been watching since its earliest days. Coming into its 500th episode, however, MCRT’s very existence is threatened.

Per CBS’s official synopsis for NCIS‘s upcoming milestone episode, the 500th outing will see the team fully disbanded, as Alden Parker and the rest operate on the down-low without their badges. This will see them risk not only their careers but something more important than that. Read the official episode brief titled “All Good Things”:

When the son of a Marine that Gibbs once helped comes to NCIS in desperation, the fractured team reunites off the books. But chasing justice without a badge may cost them more than their careers, on the 500th episode of the CBS Original series NCIS.

The mention of Gibbs in the aforementioned synopsis is a great way to continue keeping him relevant even though Mark Harmon has yet to make a physical appearance in the show since leaving at the start of NCIS season 19. He has made a couple of cameos in NCIS: Origins but no involvement yet with the flagship. Admittedly, his return could have been the perfect celebratory cameo for the show’s rare milestone outing, but at least CBS uses his legacy for the special episode.

Beyond the mention of Gibbs, however, what’s more interesting is the predicament that the MCRT finds itself in “All Good Things.” It’s difficult to imagine what eventually leads them to lose their badges, especially with Director Leon Vance at the helm of the agency. That said, it’s also worth noting that all throughout NCIS season 23, there has been talk about his change in demeanor. While he remains supportive, there’s something that he’s dealing with that he hasn’t shared with the team yet.

Ultimately, it’s safe to say that the MCRT will eventually be back together. That said, NCIS cannot just simply undo whatever fractures them from the agency, otherwise, it will feel like their disbandment is simply a plot twist for the sake of pulling something unexpected. There needs to be a permanent ramification for what goes down in “All Good Things,” then NCIS‘s 500th episode can be as memorable as its preceding milestone outings.

NCIS season 23 airs every Tuesday, 9 PM ET, on CBS.