How many crossover events has NCIS verse aired so far? A detailed overview of every episode

CBS's long-running NCIS franchise has delivered more than 1,000 episodes across its expanding universe. Along with this milestone, the show has an impressive history of crossovers linking its many shows. Since debuting as a JAG spinoff in 2003, NCIS has grown into a multi-series show. It includes NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i, and the prequel NCIS: Origins, along with special collaborations involving other CBS dramas.

Over the years, the NCIS-verse has aired more than 60 crossover episodes. It ranges from early JAG tie-ins to major franchise-wide events like the 2023 three-show crossover. There is also a recent decades-spanning 2025 crossover between NCIS and NCIS: Origins. 

Complete list of all NCIS crossover episodes

The NCIS franchise has aired more than 60 crossover episodes across its American series. It began with the backdoor pilots on JAG and continues through NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i, and recent franchise-wide specials. Below is the full chronological list of the crossovers.

2003–2005: JAG + NCIS Crossovers

JAG Season 8, Episodes 20–21 (“Ice Queen,” “Meltdown”)
NCIS Season 1, Episodes 2, 18, 22 (“Hung Out to Dry,” “UnSEALeD,” “A Weak Link”)
NCIS Season 2, Episodes 7, 21 (“Call of Silence,” “Hometown Hero”)

2009–2012: NCIS + NCIS: Los Angeles + Hawaii Five-0

Includes “Legend” Parts I & II, NCIS: LA Season 1 crossover arc, “Touch of Death,” and associated tie-ins.

2013–2017: NCIS + NCIS: New Orleans + NCIS: LA

Includes “Crescent City” Parts I & II, “Sister City” Parts I & II, “Pandora’s Box,” and additional LA/JAG connections.

2018–2020: Continued LA/JAG Crossovers

Multiple NCIS: LA episodes revisiting JAG characters and storylines.

2022–2024: NCIS + NCIS: Hawai’i + NCIS: LA Multi-Show Events

Includes “Starting Over,” “T’ N’T,” “A Family Matter,” “Too Many Cooks,” “A Long Time Coming,” “Deep Fake,” and the 1000th-episode celebratory arc (“A Thousand Yards,” “The Next Thousand”).

2025: NCIS + NCIS: Origins Time-Jump Crossover

A two-show crossover spanning the 1990s and the present day, scheduled to air on November 11, 2025.

Franchise milestones marked by crossover episodes

Crossover episodes have marked major turning points in the NCIS franchise. The first milestone came when JAG introduced Gibbs and his team. Those episodes created the world that NCIS later expanded. They also linked the new show to an existing military justice storyline.

Another milestone arrived when NCIS used multi-episode arcs to launch NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. The cases overlapped. Evidence moved between cities. Characters worked together to solve linked threats. These crossovers gave viewers a plot-driven reason to follow new teams.

A major shift came in 2012 with the NCIS: Los Angeles and Hawaii Five-0 crossover. The teams joined forces to stop a bioterror threat. The case moved from Los Angeles to Honolulu. The joint mission showed that the franchise could extend beyond its own series.

The biggest milestone came in 2023. NCIS, NCIS: Hawai‘i, and NCIS: Los Angeles united for a three-show event. A deepfake conspiracy targeted all teams. Each unit followed different leads. The plot forced them to pool resources and coordinate across states.

What the 2025 NCIS–Origins crossover means for the franchise

The recent crossover brings together NCIS and NCIS: Origins through a single case that spans two timelines. In Origins, a younger version of Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his early NIS team investigate a suspicious naval officer’s death. Their work leaves loose ends.

Those details surface decades later on NCIS, where the present-day team reopens the file. New evidence forces both timelines to move in parallel. Past actions shape current threats. The crossover shows how Gibbs’ early instincts and choices continue to influence the agency. It also gives viewers two perspectives on the same mystery.

The event brings Mark Harmon back as Gibbs in the modern timeline, adding emotional weight. The crossover expands the franchise’s storytelling range. It blends a prequel investigation with a contemporary one. It also positions Origins as a central part of the universe rather than a standalone prequel.

The star of NCIS: Origins, Austin Stowell, said this about the crossover in an interview with TVLine on November 5, 2025,

"There's something that happens that fans are going to just gush about. They're going to be upset and they're going to want vindication. Luckily, they'll get that satisfaction right away as the story continues into NCIS." 

Catch the NCIS franchise on CBS.