NCIS season 15 spoilers: Maria Bello is Jackie Sloane; Gibbs news

Let’s begin this CarterMatt NCIS season 15 piece with some breaking and much-needed news: Maria Bello is officially playing Jackie Sloane!

Ever since the Prime Suspect actress was first cast for a series-regular role on the show, we knew that she would be playing a foil for Mark Harmon’s Agent Gibbs. However, there was no word at that time, on what her name would be. There were some rumored ones out there, but often the names listed on call sheets/in the press don’t end up being the ones that make it in the end.

The name Jackie Sloane was first confirmed over at TVLine, and we’re grateful since we now know precisely what to call this character — something that’s been a little bit of a mystery to date. She’s going to be a big part of the show beginning in episode 4, so our advice is to go ahead and prepare for that.

Meanwhile, how about CarterMatt gives you a little more Gibbs-related news while we’re at it? As you likely remember the season 14 finale left Harmon’s character and McGee (Sean Murray) in a desperate state in Paraguay. Months will have passed since then and the season 15 premiere will have them still there. They are eventually going to make it back home, but that will likely bring some other twists and turns — and they certainly may not be the characters that they were when they left. Something like this changes a person.

In speaking out even more about this — and how much Gibbs has changed — (via the aforementioned website), co-showrunner Frank Cardea had the following to say:

“Gibbs has evolved over the 15 years, and he’s going to take another, slight turn … He’s still the Gibbs we know and love, but he’ll have a new outlook on life.”

Could this new outlook on life end up having a massive impact on things that are coming up with Jackie Sloane? We’d like to think so in the form of a possible friendship or a romance. While Gibbs does have some people who are close to him (think Fornell as a great example), he also struggles with opening up and often undergoes the same routine time and time again. For NCIS season 15, he may have a chance to shake things up and explore some different things in life. The ball is ultimately going to be in his court, but we do hope that this is something that he does consider given that it’s going to make him a far more unpredictable character in the end. We like the old Gibbs, but a little augmentation here and there never hurt anyone so long as they keep their original soul.

What do you think about the Jackie Sloane name?

Also, what sort of impact do you want her to have on Gibbs’ life? Share some of your thoughts on that now in the comments section below!

Meanwhile, be sure to visit this link to get some additional NCIS – CarterMatt news, including some of the latest on Nick Torres. NCIS season 15 premieres later this September on CBS. (Photo: CBS.)