Say Aloha to Season 3 of 'NCIS: Hawaii' and Its Newest Cast Member

LL Cool J, Vanessa Lachey

NCIS: Hawai’i kicked off the production of its third season with a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony in acknowledgement of the culture of the islands where it films. Series stars Vanessa Lachey, Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Jason Antoon, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Tori Anderson and special guest star LL COOL J all turned out at the blessing ceremony, along with the series’ producers and crew.

Kahu (officiant) Aukai Kekoa officiated the ceremony, which includes traditional royal maile leis, Oli Aloha (welcoming chant) and Pule Ho’oku’u (closing prayer). For Season 3, the ceremony centered around the connections that the number three represents with the past, present and future, as well as togetherness, completeness as a team and moving forward as a family.

Here's everything we know about Season 3 of NCIS: Hawaii as Jane Tennant (Lachey) leads her team of special agents through high-stake investigations into military crimes in the 50th state.

Related: Vanessa Lachey on Why Jane Tennant Is Her Dream Role

When does NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 premiere?

NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 will premiere on Monday, Feb. 12.

What time is NCIS: Hawaii on?

NCIS: Hawaii will air at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

What day is NCIS: Hawaii on?

NCIS: Hawaii will air Mondays on CBS.

Which NCIS: Hawaii cast members will return for season 3?

Vanessa Lachey as Jane Tennant

Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman

Noah Mills as Jesse Boone

Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik

Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara

Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler

Kian Talan as Alex Tennant

Is there a trailer for NCIS: Hawaii Season 3?

Production began on Monday, Dec. 6, so check back when the series has some film in the can because the show needs new footage to produce a trailer for Season 3.

Is LL Cool J in the NCIS: Hawaii cast in Season 3?

Now that he has wrapped up his role as Sam Hanna on NCIS: Los Angeles, LL Cool J has signed on as a recurring guest star for Season 3 of NCIS: Hawaii. The  actor/rapper is no stranger to the islands having taken part last season in the three-way NCIS crossover episodes.

“One of the most beautiful things about working on NCIS: Hawaii is the show’s ability to bring the franchise together,” said Lachey when the news broke. “We have had so much fun spreading the aloha to NCIS and NCIS:LA with the triple crossover. Now, we have the amazing opportunity to bring Sam Hanna to Hawaii to help the island solve some cases and maybe have a few laughs in the process. Welcome to the ohana, Todd! It’s going to be a fun ride!????.”

Related: Guess Which NCIS: Los Angeles Cast Member is Joining NCIS: Hawaii Next Season?

Will there be a crossover with NCIS?

It’s too soon to say. As a result of the strike, the season will be truncated to most likely between 10 and 13 episodes, so the likelihood of a crossover, which can be involved and take extra planning isn’t likely.

How did NCIS: Hawaii Season 2 end?

Season 2 of NCIS: Hawai’i ended with a bang when Jane and Kate were in an intense gunfight in Venezuela after learning that a man—Adrian Creel (Jay Ali)— thought to be long dead—killed by a car bomb set by Jane and her CIA boss Maggie Shaw (Julie White)—was actually alive and coming after Maggie by kidnapping Jane. He wants two things: the money he had been promised years before and Maggie’s location because he wants revenge for Maggie’s betrayal and all the years he’s had to live in hiding.

Jane and Kate’s lives were saved by a sniper’s bullet from the gun of none other than Sam Hanna, who jetted in from Morocco to come to their rescue, but the women sent him off, saying this isn’t his fight.

Then, Jane and Maggie came up with a plan to lure Adrian out of hiding, so that Jane could arrest him. But that wasn’t Maggie's plan. She shoots Adrian to keep him mum about what he knows and so he won’t keep coming after her and then she disappears while Jane is trying to save his life.

This will definitely have repercussions on Jane when Season 3 premieres.

Related: Vanessa Lachey Posts Heartfelt Tribute to NCIS Hawaii Cast to Commemorate Milestone Moment

How many episodes is NCIS: Hawaii Season 3?

Again, due to work stoppage due to both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 will be shortened from 22 episodes to somewhere between 10-13 episodes.

Where is NCIS: Hawaii filmed?

The majority of the filming for NCIS: Hawaii is the island of Oahu with the Hawaii Film Studio in Honolulu, which was home to Hawaii Five-0, as home base. But the point of setting a series in the Hawaiian Islands is to capture the beauty of the 50th state, so there are a lot of location shoots, such as filming at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Waikiki Beach and the North Shore, among others.

Where to watch and live stream NCIS: Hawai’i on TV and online

New episodes of NCIS: Hawai’i will air on CBS and be available for streaming on the CBS app and Paramount+, which also has all the episodes from the first two seasons.

Next, CBS Announces Post-Strike Return Dates for NCIS, Blue Bloods, Ghosts, FBI and More Faves