NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder shared that Season 22 will explore some of the biggest questions raised by Season 21’s finale.
Season 21 ended with a bang as an intense showdown with a perp was overshadowed when Special Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) was asked to fill the role of Camp Pendleton’s new REACT teacher. Though this role meant saying goodbye to the NCIS team she has grown to love, along with putting her relationship with Jimmy Palmer in danger, she had to say yes for personal reasons.
“It’s a legacy offer, her dad’s position that she was interested in at some point,” Rocky Carroll, who plays Director Vance, told TV Insider. “I also think Vance knows that Agent Knight is at a crossroads personally and professionally, and a change of venue, a change of scenery might do her good.”
Binder shared that other questions raised during the finale will also be addressed in the upcoming season, including a mystery from Agent Parker’s past. While his legs were pinned behind a massive pipe, Parker had a flashback to his childhood where he saw a young girl. While the audience had no idea who she was, Binder shared that Parker was just as confused.
“It’s not entirely clear to him who this girl was. There’s something in his past that even he’s not aware of that is bubbling to the surface,” Binder told TV Line.
This unknown person from Parker’s past will be explored and investigated by the agent when Season 22 picks back up. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a little bit longer than normal for the new season of NCIS to air, as CBS recently announced it would delay its fall season by roughly two weeks so newcomers can premiere at the same time as returning shows.
NCIS Season 22 kicks off Monday, Oct. 14.
Movieguide® previously reported:
CBS is taking a gamble and releasing its new and renewed scripted shows in October, making fans wait an extra month before they can enjoy the shows they love.
The move stems from a strategy to generate hype for new shows through sneak peeks following NFL games. The upcoming MATLOCK reboot will air a sneak peek episode on Sunday, Sept. 22, while THE SUMMIT sneak peek will come a week later.
Networks often capitalize on the high viewership enjoyed by live sports to air new series to the fans who don’t change the channel. While this strategy has not impacted syndicated shows in the past, CBS has decided it wants to air the new seasons of its scripted shows at the same time, rather than allow the familiar series to have a head start.
The result is that the network’s primetime shows like NCIS and BLUE BLOODS will begin their seasons in October, rather than in September — the normal beginning of the fall season. CBS’s fall season will begin on Monday, Oct. 14 with the airing of NCIS Season 22, followed by the new NCIS: ORIGINS, which will premiere with a two-hour special.