Katrina Law shares some behind-the-scenes details about the NCIS Season 21 finale including how they shot the water scenes and who helped her keep warm in between shots.
The final episode saw Law’s character, Special Agent Jessica Knight, undertake an underwater mission to provide proper medical care for the wounded Alden Parker. While Knight was suffering in cold water, Law revealed she was in a toasty 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.”
Unfortunately for Law, after shooting her scene submerged in the water, she had to keep wet for later shots. While the crew did their best to keep her warm, the person who helped the most was her on-screen lover Brian Dietzen (Dr. Jimmy Palmer).
“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.”
Although the water they were in was warmer than they let on, the tank itself was quite small, making it a squeeze 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,” she said. “And there were so many people jam-packed into this tank.”
While the action of this episode was quite intense, Law’s character also faced a major personal decision that could impact her future on the show. Vance (Rocky Carroll) offers Knight her father’s old position in the Far East office, which she accepts. While it is unclear where her character will go from here, the showrunners promise fans will be satisfied.
Movieguide® previously reported:
NCIS Season 21 ended with a twist when Katrina Law’s character, Special Agent Jessica Knight, accepted a job offer at a different branch of the agency, and fans are now wondering what that means for her future on the show.
“Well, we put something up there,” NCIS co-showrunner Steven D. Binder told TVLine. “And I will point you to our track record where you just never knew. 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 just as ambiguous as before, it remains to be seen how taking a job across the country could leave fans feeling satisfied. Law, however, reinforced the message, assuring fans she is optimistic about her character’s future.
Fans don’t think Law is leaving. 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.”