TV Vanessa Lachey, franchise's first female lead, 'gutted, confused, blindsided' by NCIS: Hawai'i cancellation The series was canceled after three seasons and its finale will air May 6. By Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where he covers breaking news, all things Real Housewives, and a rich cornucopia of popular culture. Formerly a senior editor at Out magazine, his work has appeared on NewNowNext, Queerty, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker. He was also the first author signed to Phoebe Robinson's Tiny Reparations imprint. He met Oprah once. EW's editorial guidelines Published on April 28, 2024 10:47PM EDT It seems like Vanessa Lachey is just as shocked as fans of NCIS: Hawai'i over the show's sudden cancellation. Lachey, the first female lead in the long-running NCIS franchise, expressed her surprise on Instagram. Vanessa Lachey in 'NCIS: Hawai'i'. Karen Neal/CBS "Gutted, confused, blindsided," Lachey wrote on her since-deleted Instagram Stories on April 27. "Grateful, confident, beloved fans! Processing this news and still being present with my family. I love you all!" She added, "Mahalo Nui Loa," which translates to "Thank you very much." Lachey starred as Jane Tennant, Special Agent in Charge at NCIS Pearl Harbor, as she and her team attempted to balance their duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security, and the mysteries of Hawai'i itself. A spinoff of NCIS and the fourth series in that franchise, NCIS: Hawai'i premiered in the fall of 2021. In the season 2 finale, NCIS: Los Angeles star and noted hip hop legend LL Cool J made a surprise cameo in Hawai'i, eventually becoming a recurring character the following season. The news of Hawai'i's cancellation comes after the NCIS-verse celebrated its 1,000th episode with a special April 15 crossover event on the flagship series that included characters from NCIS: Hawai'i and NCIS: Los Angeles. Meanwhile, CBS still has two new NCIS shows coming down the pipeline: NCIS: Origins, which will follow a young version of Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and an as-yet-untitled show for Paramount+ starring Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly as their NCIS characters Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo. The season 3 finale of NCIS: Hawai'i, which will now serve as the series' final episode, will air Monday, May 6, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Related content: NCIS: Hawai'i canceled after 3 seasons at CBS NCIS recap: The 1,000th NCIS-verse outing explores why our agents do what they do NCIS’ Brian Dietzen talks franchise’s 1,000-episode legacy and teases jaw-dropping season finale