After the shocking NCIS season 21 finale twist ending that suggested Jessica Knight would depart the MCRT, there was a lot of buzz about how her departure would be resolved in the coming season. In the finale, Katrina Law’s Jess was offered her dream job as the Chief REACT Training Officer at Camp Pendleton. She accepted NCIS Director Leon Vance’s offer with a definite “hell yeah,” setting up an uncertain future for the character.
Knight accepting the position has major ramifications for the current Major Care Response Team. As Jess acknowledged in the NCIS season 21 finale, taking the job means breaking up her current team. It’s also clear from the reaction of her boyfriend, Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), that the decision could also break up Jess’s current relationship. That said, there’s one solution to Jessica Knight’s NCIS season 22 departure that’s being widely overlooked.
Jimmy Could Move With Jess To Camp Pendleton In NCIS
In an unexpected turn of events, the pair could stay together, and they could both move to Camp Pendleton in California. Jess could pursue her dream job, and Jimmy could take on a new medical examiner role at the Marine Corps base. The conversation surrounding Jess and Jimmy’s relationship has revolved solely around whether Knight stays or goes, but Jimmy following Jess to her new office is another alternative. With the Knight actor reflecting that Jess will prioritize her career when explaining the Jess & Jimmy NCIS conflict, it’s worth considering an option where Jess doesn’t have to give up anything.
While the transition could be difficult for Jimmy to manage with his teenage daughter, it could be that they both need a change of scene after the devastating loss of their wife and mother, respectively. Jimmy has experienced unimaginable loss throughout the last few years on NCIS, and it could be that a fresh start is exactly what his character needs. After losing his wife Breena Palmer (Michelle Pierce) to COVID-related complications in season 19 – alongside the loss of team lead Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) – Jimmy may realize that the love he has left is worth fighting for.
How Jimmy And Jess Could Expand The NCIS Franchise
While it’s an unconventional solution, the idea that the series follows them to Camp Pendleton isn’t completely implausible. It’s clear that Jessica Knight is committed to her promotion, but it hasn’t been confirmed that Knight actor Katrina Law is leaving the show. In fact, the actor has teased that her fate won’t be revealed until the arrival of NCIS season 22. If it’s true that Jessica Knight isn’t leaving NCIS, and if her character is still set to take on her dream job, then maybe the solution in the upcoming season is to expand the NCIS narrative to include bits of Jessica’s experience on the West Coast.
The expansion of Jimmy and Jess’ relationship could lead to exciting opportunities for the team in the show’s upcoming season. When the show began, there was more inclusion of different military bases and operations, and including Camp Pendleton in the narrative could be a way to get a larger scope of what’s going on in the NCISverse while incorporating more tactical elements of the Marine Corps that worked for the show at its onset. The show already films in California, so it would feel realistic to incorporate storylines that were set at the training base.
Since it hasn’t officially been confirmed that Katrina Law is leaving NCIS,it could be that all the hype about Jessica Knight is just a cliffhanger to keep viewers on the line until the premiere of NCIS season 22 this fall. That said, Jess’ career isn’t something she takes lightly, and it’s hard to visualize her character simply walking back her decision. Whatever the case may be, one option that could certainly be explored – that would maintain some of the best aspects of the show and reintroduce others – would be Jimmy joining Jess on-location for her next NCIS chapter.
