‘NCIS’: Is Bishop Leaving the Show?

NCIS agent Ellie Bishop’s (Emily Wickersham) relationship with Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) has been on shaky grounds as of late, but the upcoming episode has fans thinking Bishop might be preparing to walk away from the long-running series. With another female agent scheduled to join the crew before Season 18 comes to an end, it’s widely speculated that the new woman could be Bishop’s replacement.

Newcomer Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) will make her debut in the semi-finale episode “Blown Away,” but rumors have circulated of Bishop’s goodbye throughout the latest season. Law was recently announced as a recurring cast member despite the fact that there are just two episodes left in the season, so it’s very likely that she’ll be making a number of appearances in the future. She’ll also be seen in the season finale, titled “Rule 91.”

Described as a hostage negotiation specialist, Law’s character is supposed to be someone who handles extremely high-risk operations and keeps her cool under immense pressure. Her stay-at-home husband watches over their son, so (as of now) there are no signs of a potential romance between her and Torres.

Valderrama previously gave fans some insight into the Torres and Bishop dynamic, telling them that the two’s relationship could take a major twist in this current installment. “They can trust each other. They know they’re not emotionally available to one another or to the world. I mean, they’ve been through too much for them to break their own rules and figure out how you make that work,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “I think that’s why it’s so slow. They just don’t really know how to be in a relationship.”

“They’re playing Tetris with their minds and they don’t really know where they fit with one another. But I will tell you, this is the season you’ll find out,” Valderrama added. “There’s something exciting that you can explore the psychology of both of them or where they come from. Whatever the fans have been wondering about — what it really is, what it isn’t, they’re going to get their answers this season… It’s vague but it’s incredibly loaded. That’s all I can tell you.”

“In the last couple of years, you’ve seen Torres softening up a little bit and being more of a positive team member, and about his teammates, and about having each other’s backs. In this episode, you really see it come to a dramatic halt,” the actor shared. “It confirmed that he shouldn’t trust anyone anymore. That is going to do a number on him, and something fractured and broke in Torres. You’re going to see that play out.”

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