I’m not a hater of procedurals like NCIS or anything, but I’ve never watched anything from the franchise. With the debut of NCIS: New York starring LL Cool J on the 2026 TV schedule, and being a former New Yorker who still loves visiting the city all the time, I decided to give this one a go, and there are some things I really like about it, and some other things that I think feel too formulaic. Here are my initial thoughts after watching the latest pilot episode, available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, in the long-running franchise. First, The Things I LikedAs a Gen Xer, LL Cool J will always be an icon to me. He might not be rapping about big ol' butts or knocking me out anymore, but he’ll always be one of the GOATs of the New York rap hip hop scene. I’ve never really watched him act, but I really liked him as Sam Hanna, a role he first played on NCIS: LA. Seeing him run around the streets of New York (and playing a character from Queens, like LL is in real life) is really fun. I like the way they brought him into the spin-offs with a personal case, as well. I also really like Scott Caan as Sam’s new partner, Nick Schaeffer. Even though Caan grew up in LA as the son of the legendary James Caan, he really has NYC vibes, especially here. He seems way more New York than LA to me (and I don’t mean as a slight to LA). Watching the two of them build a really quick rapport in just 40 or so minutes in this pilot was encouraging. I think their chemistry really works, as there is no tension in the new partnership, which I find refreshing. Too often, shows like this portray new partners as slightly (or more) antagonistic towards each other, but not here. They like and respect each other right away. I also really like the rest of the cast, also. It’s always good to see another Gen X legend, Jennifer Beals, in any role, and here she’s playing one I’ve never seen from her before. She’s the no-nonsense boss, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, Robyn Wells, orchestrating the murder investigation from the NCIS field office at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The cast also includes Jacqueline Byers and Shane Harper as Addy and Wyatt, respectively, two other members of the team working with Sam and Nick. David Druid plays Sean, the tech wizard assisting. NCIS vet Brian Dietzen also has a cameo.(Image credit: Michael Greenberg/CBS)Now, What I’m Nervous AboutShows like NCIS: New York really live or die by that chemistry between the leads. If that holds here, I think the show has a good future. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There were some things I didn’t like about the show, but no fatal flaws. First, though, I think Druid is great as Sean; the character is pretty paint-by-numbers. The computer nerd reminded me a little too much of Christopher Chung’s character, Roddy Ho, in Slow Horses. He’s not as abrasive as Ho, but he’s there under duress and not happy about his role. Then there is just the nature of procedurals. As I said at the top, I’m not a hater, but there is a reason that the early 2000s ushered in “peak TV” by avoiding them. I like shows that start and end stories in a brisk 43 minutes, like NCIS: New York does here (and presumably will for the duration of its run), but the shows can get formulaic, of course. That’s why the characters matter so much. That’s true for other favorites of mine like the OG Law & Order and the OG CSI as well. So far, I like the characters and think there is real potential here. Plus, I get to watch New York City on screen, something I always love to do. I wonder if long-time fans of the NCIS franchise will be as excited.