‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ Connects Jane Tennant to Gibbs

Meredith Jacobs January 25, 2022, 12:45 pm

Vanessa Lachey in NCIS Hawaii, Mark Harmon in NCIS — Karen Neal/CBS; Cliff Lipson/CBS

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for NCIS: Hawai’i Episode 13 “Spies, Part 2.”]

Through a series of flashbacks, starting 15 years earlier, NCIS: Hawai’i revealed Special Agent Jane Tennant’s (Vanessa Lachey) CIA past with Maggie Shaw (Julie White). Among them, was one to 11 years earlier, which led to Jane becoming a Navy cop — and a connection to none other than NCIS‘ Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon)!

As Jane returned from maternity leave, she found Maggie moving offices, to the Far East Division. “I don’t know anything about China,” Jane commented, but her mentor told her she didn’t need to. “Do you remember the NCIS agent who worked the operation in Kabul?” Maggie asked. “With the Marine haircut and that snarky sidekick?” Jane asks, referring to Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly).

“You made quite an impression on him,” Maggie continued. “He tried to steal you from me. He asked me to give you this.” She gave Jane Gibbs’ card. “‘Rule 72: Always be open to new ideas.’ What does that mean?” Jane asked, reading the back.

CBS

“I don’t know,” Maggie said. “He has dozens of them. But he’s good people, and he can get you set up with FLETC.” While Jane didn’t want to be Navy cop, Maggie encouraged her to make the move.

That NCIS reference comes about two months ahead of the crossover with Hawai’i (March 28) — and as Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), one of the agents leaving behind D.C. for the island, is dealing with Gibbs’ departure (in Episode 4). With that connection revealed, the chances seem high that Gibbs will be mentioned during Torres and Jessica Knight’s (Katrina Law) visit.

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And since the latest NCIS set this up to be an ongoing storyline for Torres, that, too, could very well come up. Maybe Torres is going to use that time away from D.C. as he processes what Gibbs leaving means for him going forward, and what better place than Hawai’i to get a new perspective?

NCIS–NCIS: Hawai’i, Crossover, Monday, March 28, CBS