Katrina Law shared some intriguing behind-the-scenes details about the NCIS Season 21 finale, including how they filmed the water scenes and who helped her stay warm between shots.
In the final episode, Law’s character, Special Agent Jessica Knight, undertakes an underwater mission to provide medical care for the wounded Alden Parker. While Knight appeared to be suffering in cold water, Law revealed that she was actually in a warm pool. “Obviously we were acting like the water was really cold, but the best part about it was that they made it [like] bath water for me, 85 degrees,” Law told TVLine. “It was actually nicer to stay in the water than it was to get out, because it was a really cold day [on-set]. Whenever we got out, it was absolutely freezing.”
However, after shooting her scene submerged in the water, Law had to remain wet for later shots. While the crew tried to keep her warm, her on-screen lover Brian Dietzen (Dr. Jimmy Palmer) was the most helpful. “They did their best to keep me warm but the person who was the best at it was Brian Dietzen,” Law said. “Because I just had my wet socks on, Brian let me stand on top of his shoes [between takes] to keep me off of the cold, concrete floor — and it was such a help. He sacrificed his toes for me.”
Despite the water being warm, the tank they used was quite small, making it cramped once everyone was in place. “We were told pretty early on that we wouldn’t have access to a full tank, so NCIS ended up building this ‘mini version’ in our studio,” Law said. “And there were so many people jam-packed into this tank.”
In addition to the action, Knight faces a significant personal decision in this episode. Vance (Rocky Carroll) offers her father’s old position in the Far East office, which she accepts. The showrunners promise fans will be satisfied with this development, even though it introduces uncertainty about Knight’s future on the show.
“Well, we set something up there,” NCIS co-showrunner Steven D. Binder told TVLine. “And I will point you to our track record where you just never know. We’ve had people look like they were going away and then it turned out they weren’t, and then we had people who just disappeared, like Gibbs. So I will say this: We do aim to please and we think the audience will be satisfied with where they see this go.”
While Binder’s response leaves Knight’s future ambiguous, Law remains optimistic about her character’s journey. Fans don’t think Law is leaving either. According to Soaps, “many [are] speculating that the series will use Knight’s new job as a way to create drama between her, Palmer, and other characters in Season 22, which they believe will open with a time jump of Knight returning to the NCIS.”
