NCIS has paved the way for several successful spinoffs, but the mothership series is still going strong as it heads into season 22.
“We don’t have a slogan yet but ‘take it to the limit’ I would say is what I want to do with the characters for Season 22,” showrunner Steven D. Binder told Parade following the season 21 finale, which aired in May.
Binder noted that there was “some closure and some cliff[hangers]” during the last season, teasing that fans will have to tune in to see what happens next.
“A lot of things were resolved, and some new things were opened up, some character cliffhangers, but we wanted to resolve the case,” he added. “Cliffhangers are titillating but also aggravating. We were less aggravating and gave the audience some peace.”
The biggest cliffhanger included Special Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and her future with the NCIS team after a massive job offer outside Washington, D.C. Luckily, viewers will get their answers beginning in October.
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How Did Season 21 of ‘NCIS’ End?
During the May finale, Knight and Agent Aldean Parker (Gary Cole) got trapped on a ship that was scheduled to sink and become part of the natural ocean habitat. After getting injured on board, Parker started to see glimpses of a young girl named Lily, but viewers were left without any real context of their connection.
Knight managed to swim for help — and her team showed up to assist — before Parker died from his injuries. Once Knight was back on her feet, Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) pressed her for an answer for a job she was offered earlier in the episode. Knight said “Hell, yeah” to the position as Chief React Training Officer at Camp Pendleton. The decision will most likely affect her rocky relationship with Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), but before she could inform him of her choice the ending credits began to roll.
What’s Next for Jessica Knight?
“Well, you know, we’ve set something up there,” showrunner Binder teased during an interview with TVLine published in June, hinting that it might not be the last we’ve seen of Knight. “And I will point you toward our track record where, ‘You never know.’”
Binder played coy about Knight’s future, instead pointing to past character arcs as what could transpire. “We’ve had people look like they were going away and then it’s found out they weren’t going away, and then people who just disappear like Gibbs [Mark Harmon],” he said.
He noted that Knight’s relationship being “in flux” was one of many factors that helped her decide to take the job. Binder remained cryptic about season 22’s Knight story line, but said, “We think the audience will be satisfied with where they see this go. Sometimes that satisfaction is bittersweet and sometimes it’s just pure joy. You’ll have to wait to find out which one it’s going to be.”
Which Actors Are Returning for Season 22?
Law, Cole, Carroll and Dietzen are set to return for season 22 alongside Sean Murray (as Timothy McGee), Wilmer Valderrama (as Nick Torres) and Diona Reasonover (as Kasie Hines).
Will Mark Harmon Return?
Harmon will narrate NCIS: Origins, a prequel to the NCIS series, while working as an executive producer on both shows. When it comes to playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs again on the OG show, he played coy.
“I have been asked that a lot.” Harmon told reporters in July at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. “[But] I’ve always let the writers do what they want to do.”
Wilmer Valderrama Teases Season 22
“The big conversation is how can we light some s–t on fire this season? That’s what I want to do,” Valderrama told People in July. “I think it’s not going to be your casual, like, ‘Oh, your favorite team is in trouble.’ It’s going to be more personal, more soul-shattering. There’ll be some [tragedy] this season.”
The actor teased that a romance could be in the cards for Torres after previously dating coworker Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham), which fizzled out on season 18. “There will be perhaps some new flames,” Valderrama added. “Perhaps Torres might be ready for love this season. Who knows? That might be a conversation or may not be a conversation.”
Will Parker Learn More About Lily?
After being introduced to the vision of Lily during the NCIS season 21 finale, viewers want to know who this person is — and why Parker dreamt of her during his hour of need. “I will say this, it’s not entirely clear to him who this girl [seen in flashback/hallucination] was,” Binder explained to TVLine in August. “There’s something in his past that even he’s not aware of that’s bubbling to the surface.”
When Did Season 22 Begin Filming?
Dietzen confirmed on July 17 that he was back on set as everyone’s favorite medical examiner. “These are going on my face now,” he captioned an Instagram photo of his glasses. “Hello Jimmy Palmer. Welcome back everyone! #NCIS #Season22.”
Guest Stars Are Coming
Showrunner Binder told TVLine in August that there will be a juicy guest star role this season. “We’ve got a fun episode about what happens when a guy like Jason Bourne or James Bond — one of these really serious, high-end people who are involved in espionage — ends up in a retirement home, suffering from the things that all of our parents and grandparents suffer,” he explained. “What do you do when you have those sort of skills, and that sort of knowledge, and you’re starting to lose your s–t?”
When Does ‘NCIS’ Season 22 Premiere?
NCIS premieres on CBS Monday, October 14, at 8 p.m. ET. The prequel series NCIS: Origins will follow at 9 p.m. ET.
