NCIS Season 21 Ending Explained: What Happens & How It Sets Up Season 22

The NCIS season 21 finale had massive repercussions for the Major Case Response Team and their season 22 story. In the NCIS season 21 finale (episode 10, “Reef Madness”), the team is investigating the discovery of three bodies on a decommissioned Navy ship that’s scheduled to be sunk. When NCIS Supervisory Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and Special Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) get locked inside the ship, it sets the course for NCIS season 22.

Jess is processing the job offer from NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) and how her potential role as REACT Chief will affect her relationship with Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). She and Parker get locked inside the ship’s engine room, and as Parker is losing blood after a metal support pillar falls on his leg, conversations between Parker and Knight seemingly set up major shifts in the NCISverse. It’s been a pivotal season for the flagship series, which has paid tribute to David McCallum’s Dr. Mallard character and celebrated NCIS’ 1000th episode despite a shortened season.

Is Jessica Knight Really Leaving NCIS?

Jessica Agrees To Lead REACT

Agent Knight walked in on Director Leon Vance conversing with someone called Moondog, Mr. Brian Mooney, who Knight knows from REACT and Camp Pendleton. Vance remarked that Moondog will be “kicking butts at the Far East office,” revealing that Mooney has accepted the position of Knight’s dad’s old post after she turned the position down. When Knight asks who is taking over Mooney’s job as Chief REACT Training Officer (a job she applied to the candidate list a couple of years ago), Vance revealed that she is now the top candidate, and offered her the job – which she ultimately accepted.

It looked like Jessica Knight was leaving the MCRT after agreeing to accept the Chief REACT Training Officer post at Camp Pendleton. Knight agrees to the promotion because it’s a position she has envisioned herself in since losing her former REACT team. When Parker asks Knight why she didn’t take over her father’s job the way he wanted her to, she reveals that she felt programmed to rebel but eludes that there is more to the explanation. During the finale, Knight shows that she’s capable of the position she’s been chosen for when she goes swimming to attempt to rescue Parker.

Jessica Knight’s NCIS Departure Wasn’t Confirmed

Jessica Knight Did Return In Season 22

It wasn’t confirmed that Katrina Law was leaving the show. To the contrary, Law shared an Instagram post following the season finale with the caption, “Guess we gotta wait for CBS FALL.” The caption, which accompanies three press photos (two of Law and one of the NCIS cast), suggests that there is more to come for Law’s character. The post is accompanied by Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” song, which states, “Schools out for summer. School’s out forever.” The song choice propagates the mystery surrounding whether Law is out of NCIS forever, or just for the summer.

While it was unclear whether Jess will be permanently leaving the show, the character made the decision stay with NCIS in Season 22. That said, in an interview with TVLine, Law advised fans to “tune in for that season opener!” to see if her character would be back for season 22. The interview even quoted showrunner Steven D. Binder seeming to tease that Law could return in season 22: “We’ve had people look like they were going away and then it turned out they weren’t.”

What Jess Leaving Means For Her & Jimmy

The Couple Chose To Move On In Season 22

When Jess shares the news with her boyfriend, Dr. Jimmy Palmer, things get rocky. What Jess’ departure meant for her and Jimmy was unclear, but hints in the season 21 finale give context to what will happen next. When Jimmy points out to Jess that Pendleton is on another coast, Jess suggests that she’s open to a long-distance relationship, saying that “it’s not like a long-distance relationship is the worst thing that could happen.” Jimmy is clearly upset, and when Jess attempts to reason with him, he cuts her off, saying that he’s lost everyone.

The concluding conversation between the pair suggests that Jess and Jimmy can both see the point that the other has made and reveals that, at worst, the pair will end the relationship on good terms. That is what happened, even with Jessica staying with NCIS in Season 22. The amicable separation means that Jimmy and Jess can keep working together, but only as friends in NCIS season 22. Even though the couple’s conversation was conclusive, it felt open-ended for their relationship. Regardless of the future, a door for a relationship of mutual care and respect has been left open.

Who Is Lily? Parker’s Childhood Memory Explained

Lily Could Be Parker’s Sister In A Repressed Memory

During the NCIS season 21 finale, Parker has a mysterious hallucination of a girl running around the engine room of the ship he is trapped on, who he refers to as “Lilly.” His vision becomes a flashback that eerily crosses over into his future. In the vision, Parker is playing hide and seek with Lilly as a young boy on the deck of a Navy ship. The vision gives the impression that Lilly is Alden’s deceased sister and that something fatal happens to her on the ship, which could be why Parker dislikes being on them.

When Jess stays behind to talk to Parker as he recovers, she asks him who Lilly is. Parker says he doesn’t remember. His response could have a few explanations. It’s most likely Parker has repressed a traumatic childhood memory of his sister’s death and that he doesn’t remember the details of her passing. It could also be that Parker is simply lying to Knight to avoid the subject, but Parker doesn’t have a history of hiding things from his team. Another explanation could be that, in the wake of his injury, Parker has temporarily lost some of his memories.

The Importance Of Parker Surviving His Leg Injury

Parker Remains An Important Part Of NCIS

In the NCIS season 21 finale, it looked like Parker might not make it, but despite his dire situation, his story looks set to continue in season 22. Parker was hospitalized at the end of the episode, making a recovery. With the development of Parker’s character throughout the finale, it looks like Parker will be centered in the coming season. NCIS season 22 will also likely see further development of Parker’s character after it was revealed that Parker had a traumatic childhood, and that he potentially experienced or had something to do with the death of his kid sister.

This NCIS season 21 finale storyline suggests that the franchise is beginning to delve into Parker’s past, and that there will likely be more to his character revealed in the coming season. The finale also alludes to Parker’s mother, but he declines to go into detail, although it’s clear from Parker’s tone that there is more to the story. Further development of Parker’s character is crucial following the departure of Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Between the exploration of Parker’s past and a potential relationship in his future, NCIS is giving Parker the storyline he needs.

Leon Vance Remains Director Of NCIS

Vance Isn’t Leaving NCIS

At times throughout season 21, there were signs that Leon Vance could be stepping down as NCIS director. He experienced a shocking twist in the NCIS 1000th episode when he was shot in the back in front of his son, Jared Vance (Spence Moore II). When visiting his wife’s grave and had to put Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) in charge as temporary NCIS Director. It seemed likely that after 15 seasons on NCIS, Leon Vance could be stepping down as the longest-running NCIS director and passing on the role to someone like McGee or Parker.

The NCIS season 21 finale showed Vance working in full capacity – recruiting Knight for REACT Chief and appearing prominently at the beginning and the end of the episode to prompt the major decision. Although Vance appeared with his arm in a sling cast in season 21, episode 8 – suggesting that the director’s recovery and future were still pending – the season finale showed him having seemingly made a full rebound. Vance has no reason not to stick around as NCIS director for the upcoming season, most likely disproving the theory that Vance was given the perfect exit.

What To Expect From NCIS Season 22

The NCIS season 21 ending sets up big changes for the upcoming season. NCIS season 22 can revisit the storyline from episode 6, “Strange Invaders,” which almost broke the entire NCIS universe and left the team on a cliffhanger with their mysterious extraterrestrial killer. It could see the return of Parker’s ex-wife, Vivian Kolchak (Teri Polo), Head of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force.

NCIS season 22 could incorporate a cast member of NCIS: Hawai’i, now that the show has been canceled after its third season. It’s not uncommon for the franchise to move cast members around, even moving them between different shows. Most notably, LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna character joined the cast of NCIS: Hawai’i after being a series regular on NCIS: Los Angeles. Sam Hanna was made a part of the Pearl Harbor Field Office after NCIS: Los Angeles was canceled in 2023 after 14 seasons. The franchise could similarly reintroduce characters following the cancelation of NCIS: Hawai’i.

In NCIS season 22, core cast members Timothy McGee, Jimmy Palmer, Leon Vance, Nick Torres, Alden Parker, and Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) will keep their current roles in the NCISverse. With core characters in place, the paramount thing to look forward to in the upcoming season will be any changes following Jessica Knight’s ultimate decision to stay. It would be interesting to see the team incorporate someone with profiling experience that could enhance their investigative prowess and add depth to investigations moving forward.

How The NCIS Season 21 Ending Was Received

Fans Didn’t Believe Jessica Was Leaving & The Change Wouldn’t Stick

It seems that most of the fan response to the NCIS Season 21 finale was about Jimmy and Jessica’s romantic relationship and Parker’s past trauma. Parker seemed to be the lesser of those, with many fans worried that the show would go in the same direction it did with Gibbs losing his daughter. RedditorMonkGlonk wrote, “The first time that girl appeared I feared that the writers pulled a Gibbs on us and implied Parker had lost a child. Personally, I liked this revelation better and I can’t imagine what it would feel like to lose a sister like that.“

There were also fans who didn’t think that Jimmy’s meltdown with Jessica was in character for him. However, RedditorDry_Cable_1389 said that it was more than overdue. “I think the meltdown was a long time coming. With the way Jess handled things with her father and all the unresolved issues in their relationship. Boom.” However, the biggest concern was not just the relationship issues but the idea that Jessica Knight might be leaving the show completely. ChrisF1987 wrote:

“Michael Weatherly and Mark Harmon’s exits were announced well in advance and when Emily Wickersham left it was confirmed via social media the night the episode aired.”

When it comes to the main shakeup at the ending, many long-time NCIS fans were not sold on the changes sticking, though. As RedditorProtomanBn wrote, this is nothing new for the show to bait and switch fans. “I wouldn’t take this as Knight leaving, a lot of seasons ended with the team breaking up and then getting back together at the beginning of the next season. Look at when Vance took over and McGee became a troll, Dinozzo became Agent Aboard and Ziva got sent back to Mossad.” That comment proved to be correct.

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Special Agent Alden Parker, a quirky former FBI agent who solves his cases with calm professionalism and sharp, sarcastic charm, leads the NCIS team, which includes NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate with a knack for computers who has now graduated to senior field agent; the charismatic, unpredictable and resilient NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres, who has spent most of his career on solo undercover assignments; and sharp, athletic and tough NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight, a formidable REACT agent who specializes in hostage negotiations and high-risk operations. The naïve Jimmy Palmer is assisting the team, who graduated from assistant to fully licensed medical examiner and now runs the morgue; and forensic scientist Kasie Hines, Ducky’s former graduate assistant. Overseeing operations is NCIS Director Leon Vance, an intelligent, highly trained agent who can always be counted on to shake up the status quo. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Cast

Sean Murray , Wilmer Valderrama , Katrina Law , Brian Dietzen , David McCallum , Mark Harmon , Rocky Carroll , Gary Cole , Joe Spano

Release Date

September 23, 2003

Seasons

22

Showrunner

Donald P. Bellisario