The "NCIS" franchise has said goodbye to some beloved shows in recent years. In 2023, "NCIS: Los Angeles" ended after 14 seasons and 322 episodeswhich is a great series for any tv show. Unfortunately, "NCIS: Hawaii" didn't experience the same longevity, being sent to the chopping block after three seasons in 2024. What's more, it never got a chance to deliver Great series finale of all time because no one expected to be cancelled, so he bowed out with a frustrating rock. So why did CBS decide to cancel the series?

As documented by DiversityCBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach revealed that "NCIS: Hawaii" was canceled for a variety of reasons, with factors such as Hollywood SAG-AFTRA Strike and a desire to freshen things up between them. Here's what she had to say:

"Everything came back (from the Hollywood strikes) really strong, but ultimately we have to look at the cohesiveness of the flow of the schedule. We have to assess the financials and performance as a whole, and make tough decisions."

The third season of "NCIS: Hawaii" boasted strong ratings, with the series averaging over 5 million viewers most weeks. Unfortunately, solid ratings weren't enough to save it, and other hit shows were sent packing along with the popular procedural.

As previously mentioned, NCIS: Hawaii was canceled because CBS executives wanted to add new shows to the network's schedule. Fortunately for fans of the procedural franchise, some of those shows are part of the "NCIS" universe, including "NCIS: Sydney," "NCIS: Origins" and the upcoming spin-off series "NCIS: Tony & Ziva."

By comparison, CBS also made the shocking decision to cancel Tom Selleck's Blue Bloods at the same time fans learned that "NCIS: Hawaii" would not be renewed. The cop show has been one of the network's biggest hits for more than a decade, and there was a desire among the cast and crew to keep making new episodes. However, CBS felt a change was needed and made the call to cut it. Similarly, "CSI: Vegas" was canceled after three seasons in 2024, despite garnering strong ratings and being part of one of the network's franchises.

Unlike "Blue Bloods," however, "NCIS: Hawaii" never got a chance to end on its own terms. That's a shame, too, because the season three finale raised some interesting questions ahead of the ever-planned fourth installment.

The latest episode of "NCIS: Hawaii" ends with Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) arriving home expecting her daughter waiting for her. Instead, she sees Maggie Shaw (Julie White), her mentor, waiting in the living room. Shaw tells Tennant to get a drink after a worried mother inquires about her daughter's whereabouts and the screen fades to black. It's a strong way to end the season and build anticipation for the next one, but showrunners Jan Nash, Christopher Silber and Matt Bosack said TVLine that now they will act differently.

"If we knew it was coming, we probably wouldn't have ended the streak on a cliffhanger." The fact that the studio and network didn't stop us, it looks like maybe they didn't see it coming either. We loved our show and I know other people loved it too, but the TV business is a fickle mistress and you can't make business decisions personally.

The creators teased that Tennant's daughter's disappearance is connected to the agent's history as a spy, and her mother would also be involved. Unfortunately, fans will likely never see that story unfold on screen, as the decision to cancel "NCIS: Hawaii" appears to be final.