While it’s been months since the series ended, there is still a buzz about the controversial cancelation of NCIS: Hawai’i. CBS launched the series in 2021 and introduced Vanessa Lachey’s Jane Tennant. Lachey’s character was the first female and Asian-American lead in the NCIS franchise, breaking ground for the police procedural that has become an institution throughout its 21 years on television. The cast included a lot of diversity, making it truly unique within the franchise. All these positive qualities made the shocking cancelation of NCIS: Hawai’i ahead of season 4 all the more devastating for its dedicated fan base.
Many fans jumped into action following the cancelation, even launching a petition to save NCIS: Hawai’i. Their efforts were hardly for naught, considering NCIS’ parent network, CBS, decided to revive Shermar Moore’s canceled S.W.A.T. series on two occasions. The news of NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation came just three weeks after filming wrapped up, and the timing significantly impacted the NCIS: Hawai’i season 3 capper, which defaulted to the series ending following the cancelation. The NCIS: Hawai’i finale wrapped up with a major cliffhanger, which was a massive blow to those already fretting about the series’ end.
NCIS: Hawai’i Could Have Cut Jane & Maggie’s Scene For A More Satisfying Ending
The Cast Of NCIS: Hawai’i Almost Had The Perfect Sendoff
When NCIS: Hawai’i season 3 came to a close, it looked like everything would be alright for the cast of NCIS: Hawai’i. After solving a case and eliminating a deadly bioweapon threat on the island, Kai, Jesse, Lucy, Kate, Jane, Sam, Carla, and Ernie raised a glass of champagne and toasted their success. It was a riveting case and a joyous end. The writers could not have given the characters a better series finale – if that was how it ended.
However, when Jane arrived home from the celebration, her former mentor, Maggie Shaw, was waiting on the couch instead of her daughter Julie. She told Jane that she needed to sit down to hear what she was about to say to her next. Then, the episode ended. It was a terrible ending for a series that would not live on to discover what the former CIA operative was about to say next.
The series could have quelled much frustration by simply cutting the final scene of NCIS: Hawai’i.
That said, the series could have quelled much frustration by simply cutting the final scene of NCIS: Hawai’i. The memory of all the beloved characters from the show raising a glass on a beautiful day, celebrating their accomplishments and their success as a team, would have been a lovely picture to leave in the hearts and minds of those who didn’t want to see it end. While cutting the scene may have been extensive logistically, it would have been the right thing to do when bringing NCIS: Hawai’i to a close.
What We Know About NCIS: Hawai’i Season 4’s Scrapped Jane & Maggie’s Storyline
Maggie Shaw Would Have Led Back To Jane Tennant’s Mother
Subsequently, producers revealed their direction for NCIS: Hawai’i’s scrapped season 4 story. While they hadn’t thoroughly flushed out the details, showrunners Jan Nash, Christopher Silber, and Matt Bosack revealed that Maggie’s story would lead back to Jane’s mother. They indicated that the story would have also intersected with “the dark work of Tennant’s spy past,” referring to her CIA background. The pair previously worked together at the CIA. Maggie was Jane’s mentor until she advised her to change careers and join NCIS to be closer to her then-husband, David, and two children, Alex and Julie.
Knowing that Maggie’s unresolved storyline would have led back to Jane’s mother makes the cancelation all the more frustrating. At the end of season 3, the beloved spinoff explored Jane’s complicated past with her mother. This unfinished NCIS: Hawai’i storyline worsened season 3’s cancelation because Lachey revealed on The Talk that the series would explore how Jane’s mother abandoned her, which reflected Lachey’s personal experience.