NCIS Is Taking A Page Out Of Law & Order's Book With Major Premiere Event

The "NCIS" universe — which itself spun off of the show "JAG" — has spawned quite the healthy group of dramas. It has given birth to four successful spin-off series since its inception. While each incarnation of the program features groups of special agents resolving crimes and trying to protect the innocent, each branch of the franchise offers up unique characters with distinct personalities. Sometimes that puts the characters in harm's way, and sometimes it results in massive, multi-episode arcs in which secrets are spilled and blood is shed. 

The show's most recent spin-off is "NCIS: Hawai'i," which takes the basic "NCIS" concept of shocking crimes plus scientific investigation to a fresh, island-centric destination. While "NCIS" has crossed over with its other franchise-mates before — specifically "NCIS: Los Angeles" and the concluded "NCIS: New Orleans" — next season will mark the first time characters from the mothership show will appear on "NCIS: Hawai'i." You could even say that they're taking pages out of the book of "Law & Order," which has a sprawling franchise with closely-intermarried storyline threads that sprawl throughout its multi-show universe.

The crossover event, which will air on September 19, will serve as the Season 20 premiere for "NCIS" and the Season 2 premiere of "NCIS: Hawai'i," and encompass a full two hours of action. The drama will flow from "NCIS" directly into "NCIS: Hawai'i." The "NCIS" episode is titled "A Family Matter" while the "NCIS: Hawai'i" episode is called "Prisoners' Dilemma."

Per Deadline, in the first episode, Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and computer specialist Ernie Malick (Jason Antoon) will cross over from "NCIS: Hawai'i" as part of a wide-ranging investigation to locate Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole), who's still on the run after the events of the Season 19 finale of "NCIS." Malick and Tennant are in town to help arrange the team's involvement in The Rim of the Pacific Exercises. The "NCIS" team is busy trying to figure out who would frame Parker for a murder, and they use Malick and Tennant's skills to get closer to their target. Some members of the team have their suspicions that the nefarious bioterrorist, The Raven, might be involved. Both teams are completely unaware that Parker's ex-wife, Vivian Kolchak (Teri Polo) seems to be in contact with The Raven and might not be as innocent as she seems.

In "Prisoner's Dilemma," Tennant and Malick take the fight to Hawaii, where they and the rest of their staff hope to track The Raven down on Oahu before they interrupt RIMPAC and cause a mass casualty event. Parker, Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), and Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) will make the move to the big island for the event.