What To Expect From The NCIS Franchise's 1000th Episode: Story Details, Airdate & More

The "NCIS" franchise has been around for a very long time, but even then, its fans might be surprised to find out that the combined episode count of the original "NCIS" and its various spin-off siblings is as high as it is. In fact, the franchise is very close to reaching four-digit figures, and the 1,000th episode is already in the works. It's probably not a massive surprise that such a monumental episode count warrants a celebration — and indeed, the people behind the franchise have been hard at work to create an episode for the ages. 

The exact details of the 1,000th episode of the "NCIS" franchise are still being kept under wraps, but there are certain things the showrunners have been willing to divulge. Let's take a look at the information that's out there, from the big episode's airdate to the plot details that have been made available. 

The thing to remember about the big episode is that it's the 1,000th episode of the entire franchise, not just a single "NCIS" show. Because of this, fans may wish to pay attention to the specific air date, just in case it differs from the usual schedule. Fortunately, it won't be necessary for the fans to adjust their "NCIS" viewing calendar, as the episode will simply be "NCIS" Season 21, Episode 7. As such, viewers can expect it to air on Monday, April 15. 

Before the episode airs, fans might want to refresh their memories about the franchise, because the episode will be absolutely packed to the brim with Easter eggs. During a gathering of the "NCIS" cast and crew — as well as several notable figures from the spin-off shows – showrunners Steven D. Binder and David North told TV Line about the amount of fun little references viewers can expect. 

"We're going to play plenty of homage to the past," North said. "We're hoping to put some Easter eggs for longtime fans of the show," Binder concurred. "If you're watching it in 4K, you might have to blow some things up. But they're going to be there."

Steven D. Binder and David North didn't reveal much about the specific plot points of the franchise's 1,000th episode, but they teased two rough arcs that will be included. Interestingly, they've also confirmed that the episode will bring multiple "NCIS" shows together in an as-yet-unannounced manner. 

"One of our own beloved characters is going to end up in grave danger, and you're going to see all of the different franchises brought into this in a little bit of a different way," North revealed. Binder also teased an additional plot line. "There'll be a personal storyline, and this one will circle around Director Vance [Rocky Carroll]," he said.

Carroll's Leon Vance is the director of NCIS, which means he has at least some ties with every single show. Interestingly enough, with the exception of "NCIS: Sydney," Vance has also appeared in them all. He's definitely a logical choice to focus on in an episode that features multiple "NCIS" shows in one way or another. 

Since the 1,000th episode will be a crossover of some sort, virtually any actor who's been a part of any "NCIS"-adjacent show and whose character is still alive could potentially appear in the 1,000th episode — and even deceased characters might potentially turn up via flashbacks. Until any real news of the episode's cast comes to light, this means there's a wide array of people who might show up, from the well-established Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) from the Los Angeles office to the relative newcomers of "NCIS: Sydney." 

Of particular note is the fact that "NCIS: LA" actor Chris O'Donnell, "NCIS: New Orleans" star Scott Bakula, the entire main cast of "NCIS: Hawai'i," and "NCIS: Sydney" stars Todd Lasance and Olivia Swann were all present at the event in one form or another. Whether this is a hint that these specific people will appear in the 1,000th episode, or if they were just representing their respective shows remains to be seen.

Apart from the usual suspects who are still part of the main "NCIS" show, the actor who's arguably best-positioned to return is Michael Weatherly, whose Tony DiNozzo already turned up in Season 21 as a surprise guest of Ducky Mallard's (David McCallum) memorial episode. It's probably also fair to say that many fans would love to see other seasoned, but long-absent characters make their returns, including Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), or even Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).