NCIS Finale Recap: What’d Jess Decide About Her Future? And Who Is ‘Lily’?
It appears that the NCIS team will look a bit different when the long-running CBS drama returns in the fall with Season 22.
Heading into this year’s season finale, we knew that Director Vance would present Special Agent Knight with a unique opportunity — to be the REACT team’s chief training officer, based out of Camp Pendleton in Southern California. And while Jess was quick to tell Vance she’d mull the offer, she dragged her heels telling colleague and partner Dr. Jimmy Palmer about the decision before her. As such, when Jimmy got wind of his girlfriend’s possible new “chief” title via fellow team members, words were had.
Jimmy came to regret that “eruption,” but was unable to apologize to Jess, given that she and Parker had gotten locked aboard a decommissioned, and soon-to-be-sunk Navy ship. During said crisis, Parker — who will be the first to tell you, repeatedly, that he is not one to be offering relationship advice — counseled Jess that we only get “one shot to make a difference, or make mistakes,” and there’s “no sense being afraid of making either one.” He said that if it were up to him, he’d “fight like hell” to keep her on his team, but he also acknowledged that “birds gotta fly.”
After hallucinating and then having a childhood memory about a young girl named Lily (whom a young Alden was playing hide-and-seek with aboard a ship), Parker made it out of that harrowing ordeal, thanks in part to a bold bit of swimming by Jess. Once the dust settled and the Case of the Week solved, Vance reminded Knight that she owed him an answer. Though Jess took a moment to regard the hospitalized Parker… and fellow “family” members Torres, McGee and Kasie… and, lastly, Jimmy, who’d just gotten the chance to apologize… she did not choose to keep this team intact, but instead accepted the new gig across the country.
“Hell yeah, sir,” is how she exactly responded to Vance. “Let’s do it.”
Were you surprised at all (or a lot!) by Jessica’s decision? Read what Katrina Law and one of the showrunners have to say about the twist. Also, what is your knee-jerk theory on Lily, the little girl Alden imagined seeing? A childhood bestie who slipped off that ship railing and (gulp) met a tragic fate?
I don’t think Katrina’s leaving, at least I hope not. But no clue as to how they’re going to resolve this cliffhanger.
Parker has mentioned having a living sister before, but this could be another sister or a friend. Also, seems like there’s something happening with his mother. Lots to unpack in the next season.
Was a great episode except Jess is going to leave. Not happy about that but assume it will be reaolved. Really unhappy that NCIS may be done after next season. There are SO FEW good shows on TV now that we can watch as an older couple, has a little humor and excitement and wonderful relationships within the show. Love this show!! We have been watching from the beginning!
The REACT team could be a separate NCIS show eventually.
Amazing finale and clifhanger.
Is Katerina Law really leaving? I love her and Jimmy. Kate, Ziva, Bishop , Knight, No, Not another female agent change please!!! Hopefully She’ll do the stint over there summer and return.
I believe Lilly is Alden’s sister who met in an accident while playing oh his dads ship, and his mom accused him of alwayings playing
Wasn’t sure about Jess when she started but she grew on us. And we love Jimmy and want to see him happy. Hope the show bigwigs change and Jess comes back. We’ve lost too many on that show. We need stability. I’ve watched since NCIS began and hope to go on.
Then you remember the very first episode where one of the guest stars messed up saying that they were in Wichita county when in actuality they were in the city of Wichita which meant they were in Sedgwick county?
It was an amazing finale, but I so hate to see Knight leave!! I love her!!
I get Jimmy’s freak out because Jess has struggled with communication since the start of their relationship and it finally came back around to bite her in the arse here. The fact that she hadn’t told her father anything about him before he showed up and she didn’t have a choice really triggered Jimmy’s insecurities and the feeling like Jess was constantly keeping one foot out the door with him, which wasn’t fair. Then once again Jimmy is the one setting his feelings aside to be understanding of what Jess wants.
At this point, I think a break between is good because Jimmy needs someone willing to go all in with him and Jess needs to really determine what she wants in her life because always having one foot out the door isn’t fair to either of them.
I don’t want Katrina to leave NCIS stop braking the family up Are you bring Bishop back?
Jess needs to stay. I love Parker’s character! He needs to stay
I really don’t like “good” couples not being able to work & have a good relationship. I think Jimmy has had enough loss in his life & he & Knight make a nice couple.
It was a great episode but I don’t want Jess to leave I’m sad about that. I hope she really doesn’t leave.
I was heartbroken when Knight said YEAH . I loved her character and the romance with Palmer.
Only to make this better is have Palmer go West also… maybe lead to another series!! Meanwhile in DC we had another agent AND a coroner bring Vanessa Lachey and the Doc from Hawaii
What happened to Dr Parker’s wife and child?
His wife died of Covid. His daughter Victoria is still with him. Just not on show very often
I hope she stays on ncis.
Keep NCIS Hawaii
Already cancelled. This writer cannot make decisions about shows.
Jimmy..could have been a little more happy for her to build on her career, and wish her well!
Just don’t replace her with LL Cool J. He is the main reason NCIS Hawaii got cancelled. He is NOT an actor.
Actually LL Cool J is a really good actor. The writing for him just wasn’t up to par on Hawaii.
Agree, Hawaii really wasted Sam Hanna’s character in season 3. The writing became really boring, there was too little teamwork. Too bad because Season 2 made me hope that Hawaii was going to keep improving.
They should keep HAWAII and the crossover they did with NCIS this past season was great!! Sydney isn’t good. Get rid of Sydney & put Hawaii there!!
NO NO NO JESS DON’T LEAVE
CBS sucks. You cancelled Bluebloods and NCIS Hawaii two best shows on Television.
Also … Magnum, PI and Code Black! It’s painfully obvious these decisions are all about money (they have to be, to a point), but these shows were some of the best ones on TV. I hope they replace them with something worth watching… hasn’t happened for me, yet, but there’s always NBC and ABC, as well as the streaming services. The justification statement from CBS was, in my opinion, lame!
But we are getting another awful fake reality show about people climbing a mountain. So sick of the trash fake reality replacing actual tv shows.
The very short preview for the next season has Jess with the team – I don’t think she’s leaving. Great episode. I really like Gary Cole/Alden Parker. I think the little girl could have been his sister? Maybe they were playing and she had a fatal accident.
I don’t think you should be so fast to cancel other shows just to make room for other shows that probably won’t make it.
I’m killed that Knight is leaving Jimmy.
Lily – most likely a sister of parkers why he hates ships and if jess leaves I will stop watching all cbs
Ncis Hawaii and the og were my faves until Hawaii got canceled
Good ending, now a spinoff with REACT would be nice. Dropping silly NCIS Sydney, & Hawaii
Unlikely there will be an NCIS-REACT spinoff. Remember a decade or so ago NCIS-Red was slated to be a back door spinoff from NCIS-LA. Never happened.
Myself along with hundreds of viewers may watch the new season Epidode 1, if Agent Knight is written off & Jimmy is left out in limbo again, we won’t continue watching. The show has been going down hill for a while.
Then we would leave ALL the NCISs for ever. I hate that NCIS loses a female lead every couple of years.
I’ll not watch the two new ones for sure. I’m betting I’ll not be alone with this.
Who in there right mind would cancel the number 1 TV show of the world?
I am so tired of these cliff hangers. They are not what make me continue watching a series, but they sure make me want to stop watching any series that has them. Was a good episode until the end and the fact that Jimmy and Jess were fighting.