NCIS: Hawai’i is coming this fall, and CBS has finally given fans their first look at the new spinoff. The series stars Vanessa Lachey as Jane Tennant — the special agent in charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor. When dropping the first 30-second trailer on social media, the network warned that fans should “know her name.”
‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ features the first female lead in the franchise
For nearly 20 years, all of the teams in the NCIS universe have been led by male agents. The flagship series features Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles stars Chris O’Donnell’s G Callen, and the team from the now-canceled NCIS: New Orleans was led by Scott Bakula’s Dwayne Pride.
Lachey’s Jane Tennant is changing the game as the first female lead in the franchise. She’s the head agent at NCIS Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. And she’s a divorced mom of two who is struggling to balance her career and personal life.
Who is Jane Tennant?
Lachey describes her character as a “badass with a warm heart” who is “making it work in a man’s world. And, she doesn’t take no for an answer.” She leads a team of 40 NCIS agents, and is also the single mom of 16-year-old Alex (Kian Talan) and 10-year-old Julie (Mahina Anne Marie Napoleon).
“She finds her way into every opportunity she gets and comes out on the other end unscathed. At the same time, she’s human and she’s learning how to juggle her emotions and being a mother,” Lachey explained.
The first ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ trailer warns ‘know her name’
Less than one month before the premiere of NCIS: Hawai’i, CBS dropped the first trailer for the series. In the caption, the network told fans,”Know her name.” The 30-second clip opens with stunning views of the Hawaiian islands before Lachey pops on the screen as Tennant showing her badge and introducing herself.
After watching the trailer for the first time, Lachey admits she cried. However, she clarified that they were “happy tough kick ass tears.”
Vanessa Lachey reveals the spinoff’s opening scene
How will NCIS fans meet Jane? According to Lachey, the spinoff’s opening scene will feature a typical day in the character’s life. Jane is on a soccer field coaching her daughter when a Black Hawk helicopter suddenly shows up to take her to work.
Executive producer Christopher Silber explains that Jane’s “brilliance and compassion are on full display” when fans first meet her. She’s needed at a crash site on the North Shore where an experimental aircraft from a top-secret Navy program has gone down, possibly due to foul play.
“Day 1, Hour 1, I’m in a Black Hawk. I’m going up, I’m landing, I’m walking off, standing tall and proud, [heading] toward a crime scene,” Lachey told TV Guide Magazine. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”
The ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ star wants to highlight Hawaiian culture
In a teaser video released earlier this year, Lachey explained that her character is dealing with “real life.” Which she described as “juggling life, and love, and work.” The 40-year-old believes the Hawaiian Islands are the “perfect setting” for the latest NCIS spinoff. And she wants to show viewers something they haven’t seen before.
Lachey pointed out that many people know about Hawaii’s beautiful waters and beaches. But what she’s interested in showing is “the depth to the people of Hawaii.”
“There’s so much beauty there, there’s so much culture there,” Lachey explained. “Hopefully I can portray to everyone and show the beautiful side of Hawaii.”
NCIS: Hawai’i premieres Monday, September 20 on CBS after the season 19 premiere of NCIS.
