Why is 'NCIS' Season 18 Episode 8 not airing on CBS? Maria Bello's final appearance delayed
'NCIS' fans, we've got some bad news for you. There's no new episode of the CBS crime drama tonight, and before you start booing and complaining that the show had just returned from a two-week-long break, let us assure you – we get it. The entire franchise with its sister shows has been notorious throughout its 2020-2021 seasons with random hiatus every now and then, leaving us prominently teased and a little frustrated too. But for everyone wondering why there's no new episode tonight, or even in the coming weeks, we have some probable explanations in store.
Why is NCIS not airing?
Tonight was supposed to be the ongoing Season 18's Episode 8, but instead, CBS is airing the epic 400th episode of the show, aka this season's Episode 2 'Everything Starts Somewhere' at its usual 8 pm time slot. The reason behind a repeat is most likely the show taking time off to film newer episodes. With Covid-19 guidelines being adhered to, it's not possible to film bulk episodes in advance and several TV shows are taking an unusual number of hiatus and breaks throughout the season to pan out its 22-24 episode arc for a solid time of the year.
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When will NCIS air next?
Season 18's Episode 8 titled 'True Believer' is scheduled to air two weeks from now, on Tuesday, March 2, at 8 pm only on CBS. The official synopsis for the episode reveals "When Sloane's name is discovered in Afghanistan at the site of an abandoned bus with a dead driver, Gibbs accompanies her on a trip to find a group of girls who were kidnapped from the bus. Also, McGee, Bishop and Torres track down a hacker who emailed compromising information to the Taliban."
The very mention of Jaqueline Sloane rings in the haunting reminder of actor Maria Bello's exit from the show. She allegedly had only a half-season arc this time, following which her journey as Sloane will come to an end after three long years. As her romance with Gibbs remains incomplete, one can't help but wonder just how Sloane's arc will be written off or will she die? Will Sloane move up the ladder to find success elsewhere?
Which episodes are airing during the break?
Tonight, NCIS airs Season 18's Episode 2, which follows the beginning of Gibbs and his beloved Ducky's friendship. "Flashbacks reveal the murder case that first introduced young Gibbs (Sean Harmon) to NCIS and his introduction to young, new-to-America Ducky (Adam Campbell)," reveals the official synopsis. As for next week's Tuesday, February 23, CBS will air Season 18's Episode 3, 'Blood and Treasure', which sees Gibbs' reunion with his other good friend, Tobias Fornell when "The discovery of two dead bodies in a forest leads the NCIS team into the wild world of modern-day treasure hunting. Gibbs and Fornell get deeper into their search for the opioid kingpin."
'NCIS' Season 18 airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm only on CBS.
