The twelfth season of the police procedural drama NCIS premiered on September 23, 2014, in the same time slot as in the previous seasons, Tuesdays at 8 pm. This is the first season in which NCIS: Los Angeles did not air after NCIS. This season, NCIS: New Orleans aired after NCIS.[1] The entire season eleven cast renewed their contracts and returned for the new season.[2] The premiere episode aired on September 23, 2014 and was seen by 18.23 million people.[3]
The main antagonist of the season is Sergei Mishnev, played by Alex Veadov. This character first appears in the premiere episode "Twenty Klicks".[4] In episode four, "Choke Hold", one of Sergei's associates is sent to the United States to kill a Russian scientist who refused to work with him. Anton Pavlenko (previously seen in "Twenty Klicks"), portrayed by Lev Gorn, a Russian counselor, reappears in this episode.[5] Veadov returns as Sergei in "Check" where he "gets personal" with Gibbs by killing Gibbs' ex-wife Diane in the same way that Caitlin Todd was killed, stalking Rebecca, another of Gibbs' ex-wives, and staging murders mimicking the deaths of Mike Franks and Jenny Shepard. Sergei returns again in "Cabin Fever", where he is killed by Tobias Fornell, who was also married to Diane at one point and who was dealing with intense grief and depression following Diane's murder. It is revealed that Sergei and Ari Haswari are half brothers from Ari's mother, whereas Ari and Ziva David were half brother and sister from their father, Eli David.
Cast
Main
Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) of the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) assigned to Washington's Navy Yard
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On March 13, 2014, CBS renewed NCIS for this season.[6] On June 11, 2014, at the Cannes Film Festival, NCIS was cited as being the most-watched drama in the world, with 57.6 million viewers worldwide. Gary Glasberg, the executive producer of the show, said, "As NCIS enters its 12th season, we couldn't be happier to learn we're now the #1 drama in the world. It's no secret that determination and teamwork have allowed our cast and crew to continue to deliver a show we're truly proud of. We also know we wouldn’t be here without the support and loyalty of the best fans in television. Thanks to our worldwide audience for helping us start the new season off right."[7] In the first half of July 2014, the cast was given the script for the premiere episode, "Twenty Klicks". Filming began on this episode in the last week of July.[8]
Gibbs and McGee escort an NCIS computer engineer with classified information back to the U.S. from Russia. Things go awry when their transport helicopter is shot down over the wilderness of the Kola Peninsula near the Finnish border. The team back at the NCIS field office in Washington, DC, find themselves having to navigate a diplomatic minefield when the Russian embassy keeps mum on search and rescue efforts and Abby discovers that the helicopter had been shot down with a Russian missile reportedly stolen by a dangerous group of mercenaries with a personal score to settle.
A lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy is murdered before his private meeting with the President of the United States. The team investigates to see if he was another unfortunate victim of a criminal streak or intentionally targeted for valuable information. Director Vance receives some devastating news.
Ducky returns to London after a case reveals a connection to his estranged childhood best friend. He is accompanied by Agent Bishop, who helps him interview his friend's family and coworkers. Meanwhile, Ducky recalls the choices he made in the past and the impact they've had on his adult life.
Special Agent Gibbs and CGIS Agent Borin discover the body of a man who is a missing crew member from a ship that is sixty nautical miles away. Once aboard the ship, Gibbs realizes that it has been commandeered by pirates, but all is not what it seems.
A woman whose Navy SEAL husband's name is on a jihadist hit list has been murdered, and the team must figure out if her death was the result of a terrorist attack or something much more sinister. One of Tony's old friends, ATF Special Agent Zoë Keates, is introduced.
After the murder of a retired master sergeant, NCIS uncovers a fraudulent charity that preys on those searching for missing military personnel. Meanwhile, Bishop agonizes over her probationary exam results.
Gibbs looks for a way to clear a former Navy hospital corpsman 3rd Class Anna Dillon (Laura Seay) of charges after she had illegally helped the victims of a hit and run. Abby's relationship with Burt hits the two-month mark.
While weather worsens outdoors, DiNozzo, Bishop, and her husband, Jake (Jamie Bamber), are stuck at Dulles Airport. Whilst there they end up working on a case involving a terrorist threat.
When a DDoS attack crashes the Internet in Washington, DC, NCIS asks for help from three hackers they had previously encountered: Ajay Khan ("Canary"), Kevin Hussein ("Twenty Klicks"), and Heidi Partridge ("Page Not Found"). The case makes McGee think about Gibbs' rules and his strained relationship with his dying father. McGee typewrites a letter to his father, which he places in his father's casket at the end of the episode.
The NCIS team investigate a series of crime scenes that appear to be copycats of previous cases. Surprisingly, two of Gibbs' ex-wives (Diane (Melinda McGraw) and Rebecca (Jeri Ryan)) show up at one of the crime scenes to discuss something important with him. Dire consequences follow.
NCIS hunts down a homegrown terrorist after a rescue mission in Syria reveals that an American was involved in the kidnapping of a social worker. McGee and Bishop question Tony's recent habits as ATF Special Agent Zoe Keates returns to work the case and turns out to be his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Tobias Fornell is struggling with the loss of Diane and raising Emily alone.
The team's investigation into an officer's death leads to the discovery that he was gay, and the investigation gets Hollis Mann involved when the victim was being considered for the Medal of Honor. Meanwhile, Breena goes into labor and gives birth to a daughter: Victoria Elizabeth Palmer.
When a Marine private is found dead, the investigation leads Tony and Bishop to the private's former school (and also Tony's), where they discover some dark secrets lurking in the academy. Bishop and Jake ask Gibbs, Tony, and McGee to dinner.
When an explosion at a summit for global terror results in the death of a Navy petty officer, the NCIS team investigates. Gibbs later opts to sit out for the duration of the case to help Fornell, who is on the verge of self-destruction following the death of his wife. Eventually, the NCIS team discovers that Sergei Mishnev is the half-brother of deceased terrorist, Ari Haswari. Sergei's regime of terror eventually comes to an end when he is shot dead, this time at Fornell's hands.
When a murder victim is discovered to have an ID that Gibbs used for undercover operations twenty years earlier, the investigation leads to the discovery that several former undercover IDs have been leaked for use by Serbian intelligence.
Following the murder of a lieutenant in an admiral's office, the team's investigation leads them to tracking down a painting that contains a listening device planted by terrorists. Tony's father returns after his fiancee left him and soon joins the case.
When a supposed petty officer and a woman he is transporting are murdered, the team's investigation leads Gibbs and Tony to bring in McGee and Bishop on a cold case they have been working years on — an unsolved bombing from 1979, and the current case may help them not only prove who was responsible, but where the bomber is.
When a Marine is discovered to have been shot with a weapon gone missing from an ATF sting, NCIS discovers the victim had been pursuing a woman abducted by a rogue ATF informant. Meanwhile, things get complicated with Tony when his father comes back down to meet Zoë.
After a Marine captain is found tortured and killed, the team's investigation leads them to an Afghani citizen who worked as a translator for the deceased, and his brother who is a ruthless Taliban operative. Bishop's past comes to light when she and Gibbs travel to Afghanistan.
When a Navy computer tech officer working for ONI is found dead, her throat having been cut, the team reunites with Ned Dorneget to investigate her computer activity and their investigation soon leads them to a rough intersection with NSA and then to something even bigger.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attack that killed Special Agent Ned Dorneget, NCIS and CIA Officer Teague (Ned's mother) continue searching for members of the Calling, a terrorist organization that recruits teenagers through the Internet. However, this results in an emotional and shocking loss for the team.
Note: This was the last appearance of Matt Jones as Agent Ned Dorneget.
The season airs simultaneously on Global in Canada.[80] It began airing on September 30, 2014 on Network Ten in Australia.[81] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered on January 9, 2015 on Fox.[82]