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NCIS · Season 23 · Episode 5

NCIS Season 23 Episode 5: Now and Then

Aired Nov 11, 2025 66 min CBS
A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s, and enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia). A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s, and enlist the help of retired special agent…
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A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s. Enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia). Also, the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event.

Quick Answer

NCIS Season 23 Episode 5, "Now and Then," aired 2025-11-11 on CBS. A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s, and enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia). Also, the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event

Quick Facts

Episode Information

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Episode
Season 23, Episode 5 of 20
Title
Now and Then
Air Date
Nov 11, 2025
Runtime
66 min
Director
TBA
Writers
TBA

Overview

Episode Summary

A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s, and enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia). Also, the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event

Gallery

Episode Stills

NCIS Season 23 Episode 5 still

Full Recap

NCIS Season 23 Episode 5 Recap

A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s.

Enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia).

Also, the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event.

At a Glance

Key Moments

  1. A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s (F01).
  2. Enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia) (F02).
  3. Also, the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event (F03).

Analysis

Character Development

The NCIS team

the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event Interpretation: the synopsis flags this as the episode's personal beat; no development beyond the synopsis text is asserted.

Cast

Main Cast

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Gary Cole
as Alden Parker
Sean Murray
as Timothy McGee
Wilmer Valderrama
as Nick Torres
Katrina Law
as Jessica Knight
Brian Dietzen
as Jimmy Palmer
Diona Reasonover
as Kasie Hines
Rocky Carroll
as Leon Vance

Cast

Guest Stars

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Roma Maffia
as NCIS Special Agent Vera Strickland

NCIS Special Agent Vera Strickland

Bobby Moynihan
as Woodrow "Woody" Browne

Woodrow "Woody" Browne
Lori Alan
as Warden Diana Tully

Warden Diana Tully
Larry Joe Campbell
as Congressman James Wallace

Congressman James Wallace
Stephen Graybill
as Sheriff Corey Jones

Sheriff Corey Jones

Randy Crowder
as Mac Sims

Mac Sims
Ely Henry
as Philip Elertson

Philip Elertson
Michael Lowry
as Thomas Mulligan

Thomas Mulligan
Justin Cuomo
as Prison Guard
Michael Bonini
as Jason Cross

Analysis

NCIS Season 23 Episode 5 Ending Explained

Spoilers below

This section discusses the ending of "Now and Then" in detail. Stop here if you haven't watched the episode.

The official synopsis establishes the episode's case and personal beats as summarized above; it does not describe the investigation's conclusion (see source_inventory.failed for the full source situation).

the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in NCIS Season 23 Episode 5?

A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s, and enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia). Also, the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event.

What is the main case in "Now and Then"?

A prison break by an inmate who had just three weeks left on a sentence compels the team to reopen the case of a naval officer’s death that was originally investigated by Gibbs and Franks in the ‘90s.

What else happens in "Now and Then"?

Enlist the help of retired special agent Vera Strickland (Roma Maffia).

Is there a personal storyline in this episode?

the team has different views on what to include in a special Navy time capsule, on the thrilling conclusion to the decades-spanning crossover event.

How does the case end?

The official synopsis does not describe the outcome, and no independent recap was retrievable for this episode; the document therefore does not state one.

People

Characters in This Episode

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