NCIS season 22 is in full swing, and the premiere contained compelling reveals that will set up the whole season. While NCIS season 21 delivered a shortened set of episodes due to the writer’s strikes, it packed a punch and set up numerous cliffhangers that NCIS season 22 needed to address. The series officially returned on Monday, October 14. It began to answer what was next for Parker (Gary Cole), Knight (Katrina Law), McGee (Sean Murray), and the rest of the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) in NCIS season 22.
In the NCIS season 21 ending, the team faced several personal challenges that would shape the next chapter of NCIS. Jessica Knight accepted a promotion to Chief REACT Training Officer, and Alden Parker had a near-death experience on a Navy ship. The moments caused flux for the entire MCRT, and NCIS season 22 will deliver a more robust season to follow up on what happened to the returning cast of NCIS season 22.
10 NCIS Season 22 Picks Up 6 Months Later
The opening scene of NCIS season 22 revealed how long it’s been since season 21 ended: six months. The timeline pretty accurately reflects how long it’s been since the NCIS season 21 ending, which aired in May 2024. In reality, it’s been just short of six months since NCIS season 21 concluded.
Since the same amount of time has passed in the shared NCIS universe as outside the show, viewers can relate to the characters’ timelines. Also, flashing six months into the future, versus picking up where the MCRT picked up, strategically allowed time for new storylines to brew. As such, it’s been six months since Jessica Knight was promoted and moved to California’s Camp Pendleton.
9 After The Season 21 Finale Knight Holds Up A Priest As Hostage
NCIS season 22’s shocking opener revealed a hostage situation and that Jessica Knight was the perpetrator. This was a confusing opening for Jessica Knight, who was used to being on the other side of hostage negotiations. After the season 21 finale teased Katrina Law’s exit from the series, Jessica Knight’s NCIS fate was an open book, but a Knight criminal streak wasn’t on anyone’s bingo cards.
What’s even more bizarre is that Knight’s hostage was a priest. As the episode opened, Knight tied a gag around the priest’s mouth and appeared to be the perpetrator. What’s even more compelling was that, for whatever reason, Gary Cole’s Alden Parker was also in California at Camp Pendleton. Parker seemed to be at the other end of the hold-up, with Knight shutting him out of the room.
8 Alden Parker Finds The Bullpen Empty
Another shocking revelation in the NCIS season 22 opener is that Parker was in the bullpen alone. It was an isolating moment for Parker, who stood in the bullpen without his teammates and answered their phones while receiving messages. One couldn’t help but wonder how Parker planned to hold the fort by himself, especially since McGee sped past him when he appeared momentarily.
Knight, McGee, and Torres had pressing endeavors keeping them from NCIS Headquarters.
The NCIS season 22 opener revealed that Knight, McGee, and Torres had pressing endeavors keeping them from NCIS Headquarters. Knight was at California’s Camp Pendleton in her new position, and Parker had not hired anyone else to fill her place. Nick was also missing from the bullpen on a deep undercover mission. McGee, too, was coming and going without much contact since he was interviewing for the NCIS Deputy Director position.
7 Nick Torres Is In Trouble As An Undercover
Nick ran into trouble on his deep undercover mission in the NCIS season 22 premiere. When he called the office, Nick told Parker that he was in trouble. Parker immediately hushed everyone in the room to answer Nick’s call. Torres asked Parker if he could take care of his dog, “Roscoe,” which was their code for danger.
It’s frightening to learn Nick is in danger, especially since the office is short-staffed. Parker needed to investigate, but he didn’t have McGee or Knight with him to help. The case had a striking connection to Jessica Knight at California’s Camp Pendleton.
6 Parker Seeks Out Knight’s Help To Find Torres
After following a lead to California, Parker sought Knight’s help to find Torres. Parker walked in on Knight, conducting a training exercise as Chief REACT Training Officer. It was a special moment for the agents, and Parker could see his former team member in her new environment. Parker and Knight then investigated together, and Parker commented on Knight’s new car, which she bought in California.
It was great to see Knight and Parker together again while working together to find Nick. While Jess isn’t technically on Parker’s team anymore, she remained connected to NCIS, so it was uncomplicated for her to hop onto an adjacent case. Knight’s instincts and investigative skills while helping Parker are reminiscent of Gibbs. The special agent was willing to bend the rules to protect her colleague and see justice carried out.
5 Victoria Struggles With Palmer & Knight’s Break-Up
The NCIS season 22 premiere revealed that Jimmy’s daughter Victoria was struggling with Knight and Palmer’s NCIS break-up. When Vance offered Knight the promotion to Chief REACT Training Officer in the NCIS season 21 finale, Jimmy (Brian Dietzen) was unreceptive to adapting to Knight’s new career, and the couple seemed to part ways. The NCIS season 22 debut confirmed Knight and Palmer had separated.
Jimmy revealed that he had been counting the days since he and Jess broke up at the beginning of the episode. Knight admitted to Parker in California that Jimmy’s daughter had been counting the days, too, and texted her a daily tally of the time she had been gone. It was an unfortunate revelation since Jess had proposed that they could continue their romance long-distance, but the father refused.
4 NCIS Has A Mole (Again!)
One of the biggest reveals from NCIS season 22 is that the agency came up against a mole, and as such, the series may repeat a riveting mole storyline from Gibbs’ best NCIS team. If later NCIS season 22 episodes confirm this, it would be the second time that NCIS had a mole among them. In NCIS seasons 5 and 6, the agency dealt with another informant who was leaking information, having to take out their Special Agent Michelle Lee (Liza Lapira).
The only way [Torres’] cover could have been blown was if information had leaked.
The agency suspected a mole in NCIS after agent Torres’ deep cover was blown. Torres claimed that his undercover work in the operation was flawless and that the only way his cover could have been blown was if information had leaked. Since a small group knew about Nick’s mission, the team narrowed down their potential suspect list to one: the newly minted NCIS Deputy Director. The team needs to investigate further to confirm their suspicions.
3 Knight’s Hostage Situation Is A Set-Up
One of the most shocking reveals in the NCIS season 22 opener was that Knight’s hostage situation was a set-up. Knight worked in tandem with Parker on the operation, holding a priest hostage because they believed that he was “El Padre,” the head of the Nexus cartel. Knight holds up El Padre, but she also requests a lawyer who has a previous connection to one of her REACT trainees.
When time appeared to be running out for Knight, she convinced the lawyer to stay, despite REACT threatening to break down the doors and arrest her. When Parker and the other officers knocked on the door, Knight answered, but they arrested her lawyer instead. It turned out that the hostage situation was genuine but Knight had called the lawyer in to keep her until they had evidence to hold her. The lawyer had been working with the cartel, feeding NCIS intel from one of her clients, Jess’ trainee, to El Padre.
2 Knight Turns Down Another Promotion & Returns To NCIS
After Knight’s brave efforts to hold El Padre and save Torres, she anticipated that she might lose her job since she bent some rules. Instead, Knight faced another opportunity for promotion to the Office of Strategic Support. Parker was there with Knight when she got the news; he could hear her decision first-hand.
Knight told Parker that while the career advancement had been great, and she thought it was what she wanted, she was wrong. Knight decided to return to her post on Parker’s team, and the episode concluded with Jimmy dusting off her desk in preparation for her return. While there is no confirmation that Knight and Jimmy will get back together, her return to the bullpen makes it more likely that the romance will continue.
1 McGee Fails To Secure His Deputy Director Promotion
Despite grueling interviews, McGee failed to secure a new job in the NCIS season 22 premiere. While McGee was interviewing for the Deputy Director position, NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) personally delivered McGee the news that he was not successful in securing the position. Instead, NCIS awarded the NCIS Deputy Director position to the suspected mole.
The revelation sets the team up for an exciting case that will continue throughout season 22. It’s exciting that, especially since there are no major character exits, the team will be able to investigate a series villain together. NCIS doesn’t always have a villain that connects the individual episodes of a season, but when it does, it makes for some of the best seasons of NCIS.
