The NCIS Season 21 finale left fans with plenty to look forward to, especially with the mystery surrounding Alden Parker and Jessica Knight’s decision to leave the team to become a REACT instructor at Camp Pendleton. However, fans of Katrina Law can relax—she’ll still be around when NCIS Season 22 kicks off on the 2024 TV schedule next month. But according to showrunner Steven D. Binder, Jessica’s departure triggers a “chain reaction” that shakes up the core team dynamics heading into the new season.
When NCIS Season 22 picks up six months after the Season 21 finale, the team is no longer together. Timothy McGee is eyeing a deputy director role, and Nick Torres is off on another undercover mission. Binder teased in an interview with EW, “The team kind of separates, so picture Parker [Gary Cole] walking into the bullpen and the kids aren’t home.”
While the NCIS team has seen its fair share of changes over the years, it’s hard not to feel for Parker as he starts Season 22 solo, without any new agents to assist him. But he won’t be alone for long—he’ll soon head to California for a case and cross paths with Jessica Knight again. Though Jessica was confident in taking the REACT job at the end of Season 21, she may be having second thoughts, especially after leaving her boyfriend, Jimmy Palmer, behind. Binder hinted that their relationship will face a serious conversation “under the worst circumstances possible.”
Given that Katrina Law is still a series regular, it seems likely that Jessica will eventually find her way back to Washington, D.C., and the NCIS team. But for the season premiere, and possibly a few episodes afterward, the characters will be off on their own paths. Rest assured, though, the team will eventually reunite—after all, NCIS thrives on returning to its familiar dynamic.
In addition to these shakeups, Steven Binder also confirmed that Parker still doesn’t know who Lily is, the little girl he hallucinated about in “Reef of Madness.” This is just one of many mysteries Season 22 will explore, along with teases of romance and “fun and unusual” character pairings. Also notable is that Sean Murray will become the actor with the most appearances in the entire NCIS franchise.
NCIS Season 22 premieres Monday, October 14, followed by NCIS: Origins, a prequel series about Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 1991. After airing on TV, new episodes will be available for streaming on Paramount+.
