NCIS: Los Angeles will kick off season 8 with tonight's explosive two-hour premiere.

The search for the OSP's elusive mole will come to a head during "High Value Target" and "Bely of the Beast," but even as Hetty's (Linda Hunt) team faces an uncertain future at HQ, a mission in Syria will leave a fan favorite in critical condition.

"After NCIS fails to locate a mole in the department, Under Secretary of Defense Corbin Duggan (Jackson Hurst) insists on new leadership and takes over the Los Angeles unit from Hetty and Granger," CBS teased. "Also, the team travels to Syria to apprehend a High Value Target where one team member is severely injured when the mission goes awry."

You can expect the first three episodes of the season to barrel along at top speed, throwing viewers into a nail-biting arc that will inform the entire fall run.

"The first three episodes are like a freight train, and the mole is the catalyst for all of that," Eric Christian Olsen (Deeks) teased at San Diego Comic-Con. The state department intervenes and brings in a team to essentially go after everyone to take down the mole. Hetty's involved; she has to go to Washington. They take over headquarters. The mole gets very real, very quickly. They brought in a guest star who's playing this corporate drone who comes in to screw with our team, and our team is in Syria."

Meanwhile, expect to see Deeks pick out an engagement ring for Kensi (Daniela Ruah). The Densi relationship took center stage in terms of romance last season, but Nell (Renee Felice Smith) and Eric (Barrett Foa) will also get their chance to shine in season 8.

NCIS: LA will air tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET after CBS' NFL coverage. Click here to find out how to watch the premiere online.