NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) will continue a 19-year franchise legacy when she departs the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) in NCIS season 22. Agent Knight went through some pretty big changes in the NCIS season 21 finale when she accepted a position as REACT Chief Training Officer at Camp Pendleton on the other side of the country with a “hell yeah.” Her decision means that she will be breaking up her current team.
NCIS has seen a rotating cast of characters since its first seasons. The show has a way of adding characters, as well as sending them off, in a way that allows for the show to continue without them. Although the show has said goodbye to some of its most significant characters, after 21 seasons, the character rotation is now one of the things that makes NCIS great and adds to its intrigue. The legacy that Jessica Knight will continue in NCIS season 22 has introduced some of the show’s most valuable cast members, like Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David.
Jessica Knight Will Continue A Legacy Started In NCIS Season 3 When Kate Todd’s Role Was Passed To Ziva David
NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight accepting the promotion to REACT Chief Training Officer in the NCIS season 21 finale means she will depart the MCRT. Although it’s unclear whether Knight is departing the show completely, the NCIS season 21 finale set Knight up to leave an open spot on the team. The role she leaves open has been passed down between iconic core cast members in the past. The role being handed down between strong female leads is a 19-year-old franchise legacy.
The role first passed hands in NCIS season 3, episode 1, when Ziva David joined the team in the wake of the shocking death of special agent Caitlin “Kate” Todd (Sasha Alexander), who joined the team in its pilot episode. Todd was shot in the back of the head by Mossad double-agent Ari Haswari in NCIS season 2, episode 23, “Twilight,” (the season 2 finale). Ziva was introduced in season 3, episode 1, “Kill Ari Part 1,” ultimately taking down Kate’s killer and her half-brother, protecting Gibbs, and making an impression on the team that eventually gained her Kate’s spot.
The storyline that facilitated the transition between Kate and Ziva added to the development of the NCISverse. The role was passed down again with the departure of Ziva David from NCIS, switching hands to Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham). When Wickersham ultimately left the show in the season 18 finale, Jessica Knight was there to take her place in season 19. After Knight’s three-year stay on the show, the iconic role is destined to change hands yet again. The role could see a completely new character introduced into the NCIS franchise, or it could center an already familiar character in the lead role.
Exciting Possibilities For Filling Special Agent Knight’s Role In The MCRT
One of the most exciting opportunities coming off the NCIS season 21 finale is that the MCRT will see a replacement for Jessica Knight. Naturally, the transition has massive implications for the NCIS franchise. The role change has traditionally shaken up the team’s dynamic and added new elements into the mix that will change the way the team interacts and investigates cases. Although Jessica Knight has been good for the role, her leaving the MCRT will provide new opportunities to add another character to the mix.
The team could take a fun direction to bring in new viewers and add a musician to the cast of characters, upholding a trend for the NCIS franchise that has worked for it in the past. It could also introduce a team member from the Pearl Harbor Field Office, now that NCIS: Hawai’i has been canceled after season 3 and its characters will not be returning for season 4. The flagship series could also introduce another LGBTQ+ character to the franchise, since the cancelation of NCIS: Hawai’i was a massive loss for the franchise in that regard.
What Prompted Jess To Leave The MCRT Explained
A big promotion for Agent Knight prompted her to break up her team, and it was obviously a major decision for the character. Jess had previously turned down the opportunity to fill her dad’s old job post, and when her REACT colleague (nicknamed “Moondog”) took her dad’s old post, she was at the top of the candidate list for Moondog’s former position as REACT Chief Training Officer. She had applied for the position after losing her REACT team, making the decision an emotional one for Knight’s character, who has since bonded with a new team. Ultimately, Knight accepted the position.
Knight stepping away from her role in the MCRT opens up an iconic role in the NCIS franchise, and it’s a role that has been passed down for 19 years. The role changing hands has introduced some iconic characters to the series, most notably Ziva David, who was so popular within the franchise that she will now be reprising her role in the spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Whoever fills the role could be a mainstay on the CBS police procedural, which has seen other characters in their roles for over 20 years.
