Katrina Law is confirmed to return as Jessica Knight in NCIS season 22, which is great, but I’m bummed about how this impacts a three-season storyline. Admittedly, the NCIS season 21 finale didn’t have the most memorable case. What it lacked in procedural excitement was made up by the personal storyline that it kicked off. While Alden Parker was confronted by the identity of Lily, Knight was forced to make a life-changing decision when she was offered her dream that would take her away from the squad she grew to love at Navy Yard — a compelling conundrum for MCRT’s newest member.
While we all continue to wait for what happens to Parker, Knight’s fate in DC has already been confirmed before NCIS season 22 even premieres. As revealed by the official marketing materials for the upcoming return of the police procedural, Law isn’t leaving the CBS series. As someone who had followed this matter since the idea that she was leaving started back in May, I looked for all kinds of clues to figure out what was next for her. Lo and behold, my hunch was right: Knight will remain with MCRT in NCIS season 22. However, it has a downside.
Katrina Law’s NCIS Season 22 Fate Makes Palmer & Knight’s Split Useless
Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled that Knight will continue to be a part of Parker’s MCRT team. After so many exits in the last several seasons, we need some kind of stability in NCIS. Granted that cast reshuffles have always been part of any long-running show, including the CBS hit, it would still be a shame if we lost Knight; she’s a great addition to the show and Law is fantastic in the role. That being said, I cannot help but be bummed out when thinking about how Knight’s fake exit impacted her relationship with Jimmy Palmer.
The pair started dating in season 19 — not long after Law officially joined the show and on the heels of Mark Harmon leaving NCIS. After a series of slow-burn and almost romances in the series, Knight and Palmer’s attraction was quick and easy. So it was heartbreaking when they were essentially forced to break up in the NCIS season 21 finale. Despite that, I was relieved that we weren’t going to be subjected to the painful aftermath of their split because Knight was leaving. Now that she is coming back, I could argue that the break-up plot was totally useless.
Palmer & Knight’s Break-Up Creates An Unnecessary Problem For NCIS Season 22
While NCIS isn’t a romantic show, it has had several love stories throughout its run. Tony DiNozzo Jr. and Ziva David’s will-they/won’t-they dynamic has been very popular — so much so that Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are starring in a new spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva on Paramount+. Aside from them, there were also other in-office pairings in the procedural. Admittedly, none of them really worked out, but we’ve never seen the aftermath of that because, typically, one character was leaving.
This was initially the case with Palmer and Knight’s situation. Law’s impending return in NCIS season 22, however, will subject us to the awkwardness of their post-split office dynamic. Since the pair only broke up because she was supposed to leave for Camp Pendleton, seeing her back feels like all this heartbreak, not to mention the stress from their impending reunion is useless. It’s extra frustrating because Knight and Palmer is the first NCIS couple to engage in a proper romance. Instead of focusing on the work, the team will now have to deal with its impact as well.
Will Palmer & Knight Still Get Back Together In NCIS?
Considering everything that led to their split, I am quite sure that Knight and Palmer will find their way back to each other. For what it’s worth, I always thought that breaking up just because she had to move away from Navy Yard was such an absurd idea. In this day and age of technology, it would be fairly easy to do a long-distance set-up. Granted that it isn’t ideal, but it is certainly doable.
Somehow, this adds to my frustrations about this whole fake exit for Knight. It creates so many unnecessary issues for NCIS. I understand that the writers want to shake things up for the couple, but there are other ways to do that without having them go through a breakup. Now, instead of exploring other aspects of their relationships, NCIS season 22 will have to devote time to building back their dynamic
