NCIS: Hawai’i Stars React to Cancellation: ‘This Is a Huge Loss for Representation’

The NCIS-verse is down one show at CBS, following NCIS: Hawai’i‘s cancellation at the network on Friday.

Several of the procedural’s cast members have mourned the axing on social media, including Tori Anderson (aka FBI agent Kate Whistler), who lamented: “Having a really hard time processing this one. Thank you to our incredible crew who made every single day feel like I was living a dream. I want to say thank you to all the fans. My heart breaks for you as well.

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“This is a huge loss for representation,” Anderson pointed out. “Love you all so much.”

NCIS: Hawai’i made franchise history as the first NCIS series to launch with an LGBTQ agent: Lucy Tara (played by Yasmine Al-Bustami). Lucy, with Anderson’s Kate, formed the ‘ship that quickly was dubbed “Kacy,” and which got meaningful screentime — especially during Season 2.

NCIS: Hawai’i was also the first program in the franchise to boast a female lead, in Vanessa Lachey’s Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant. (Lachey shared her own cancellation thoughts here.)

Anderson followed up her initial reaction with a longer, Saturday post that said, “Goodbyes are never easy and this one definitely hurts. What a privilege to be able to work alongside the incredible cast and crew of NCIS: Hawai’i for three seasons. This show changed my life. Hawai’i changed my life. I wish it wasn’t ending but I’m grateful for every single moment. We had quite the beautiful ride.

“Thank you to the creators Chris Silber, Jan Nash and Matt Bosack for trusting me with Kate,” she continued. “Thank you for creating a show where representation genuinely mattered. And thank you to our fearless leader Vanessa Lachey for building a work environment most people only dream of.”

Noah Mills, who plays Jesse Boone on the CBS procedural, also reacted to the news on social media. “It was soooo much damn fun while it lasted!” he wrote in an Instagram story. “I will miss so many and so much about making this show. Incredibly grateful for the memories and to the AMAZING people on the great island of Oahu Hawaii, I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to visit, live, play, work and grow in such a special place.”

Jason Antoon, who plays cyber intelligence specialist Ernie (an ally of the aforementioned #Kacy), shared his own cancellation thoughts on Instagram: “This business is brutal and makes no sense. But we had soooo much fun. Love you all and mahalo.”

Of note, Antoon’s real-life wife, Seana Kofoed, plays NCIS: Hawai’i‘s resident M.E., Dr. Carla Chase. “So much ❤️ to our #ncishawaii fans,” she write on Instagram. “We continue to believe in the power of creating great entertainment while representing the world in which we live.”

Series co-creator Christopher Silber offered this tribute: “Four years ago, [Jan Nash], [Matt Bosack] and I started something very special. We joined with an incredible cast, amazing writers and crew… and gathered in Hawai’i to make a show. But ended up creating an ohana. I’m so grateful to you all.”

Co-creator Matt Bosack added: “[NCIS: Hawaii] was a dream. And while it’s ended, I am forever grateful to my partners, [Christopher Silber] and [Jan Nash], our amazing cast, led by [Vanessa Lachey], the entire crew, and this wonderful island I call home. I’m proud of the stories we were able to tell over these 3 seasons. To tell fun Navy crime mysteries but also dig into ideas about family, life, love, identity… To all the fans, especially those who saw themselves in these characters, mahalo nui loa. A hui hou.”

For a hot minute this week, NCIS: Hawai’i was the only scripted CBS series still awaiting word on its fate for the 2024-25 season; its cancellation came two weeks after NCIS scored a Season 22 renewal and more than a month after the franchise’s first international offshoot, NCIS: Sydney, was picked up for Season 2. (TVLine hears that at this time, there’s no information regarding NCIS: Hawai’i being shopped elsewhere.)

Season-to-date, NCIS: Hawai’i is averaging 7.8 million total viewers and a 0.5 demo rating (with Live+7 playback data). Out of the 14 drama series that CBS has aired this TV season, it ranks No. 6 in total audience (behind Tracker, NCIS, FBI, Blue Bloods and The Equalizer) and eighth in the demo.

The show now joins fellow CBS casualties CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd. Meanwhile, the NCIS franchise will continue to expand via the “Young Gibbs” prequel NCIS: Origins, claiming a spot on CBS’ 2024-25 schedule, and a Tony/Ziva-centric offshoot that is bound for Paramount+.

How are you feeling about NCIS: Hawai’i‘s cancellation? Tell us in a comment below.

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