NCIS already has the perfect replacement for Jessica Knight, but it would have to happen under a specific condition. Knight’s position on the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) hangs in the balance after she accepted a promotion at the end of the NCIS season 21 finale. The promotion would award Knight the title of REACT Chief Training Officer at Camp Pendleton, sending Jess to the other side of the country, far away from the rest of the cast of NCIS at the Washington D.C. office.
If Jess does decide to go, her decision will break up her current team, comprised of Alden Parker (Gary Cole), Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderamma), Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover), Dr. Jimmy Palmer, and NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll). It could also break up her current relationship, considering that the news has caused conflict between Jess & Jimmy. If Jessica Knight does depart the Washington D.C. office, her role will naturally require a suitable replacement in NCIS season 22.
Sam Hanna Would Need To Come As A Package Deal With Special Agent In Charge Jane Tennant
A lot of names have been thrown around to replace Jessica Knight if she commits to the REACT Chief Training Officer position offered to her by Vance, including Sam Hanna. It wouldn’t be the first time that rapper, record producer, and actor LL Cool J took on a new NCIS series. The character was originally part of the cast of NCIS: Los Angeles, staring opposite characters like G Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen).
If Sam Hanna joined the Washington D.C. office, it would be important that he came as a package deal with Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey). Not only do the agents have excellent professional chemistry, but Tennant would also bring a balance to the team if Hanna, another male agent, was brought in. After the cancelation of NCIS: Hawai’i, this dream duo could take on the flagship MCRT together.
Why It’s Complicated For Sam Hanna To Fill Jessica Knight’s Role Alone (& Why Tennant Helps)
It’s complicated for Sam Hanna to fill Jessica Knight’s role, because the role changing hands continues a 19-year legacy for the NCIS franchise, which has been passed down between strong female characters since its onset. The special agent position was originally filled by former Secret Service Agent Caitlin “Kate” Todd (Sasha Alexander), who joined the team in the first episode of NCIS. She filled the role until the end of season 2 when she was shot in the forehead by Mossad Agent Ari Haswari (Rudolph Martin).
After Caitlin Todd’s shocking death, season 3 opened with a continuation of the case, and saw the introduction of Ari’s half-sister, Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), who would ultimately kill Ari. After avenging Kate’s death in an effort to save Gibbs, Ziva earned the trust of the team and officially took Todd’s place. Then, when Ziva David left NCIS, Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham) took over for David, and although she wasn’t the instant spark that Ziva was for the team, she became her official replacement. The role passed hands again when Knight took over for Bishop in season 19.
Although Hanna is certainly qualified for the job, Jane Tennant would need to come along with Sam in order to balance out the lack of a strong female lead that would otherwise replace Knight. Jane Tennant can’t take over the role herself despite being the best Jessica Knight replacement, because it would cause her character to be demoted, and the Agent in Charge deserves better than that, especially after the cancelation of her show.
How The NCIS Season 21 Finale Set Up The Perfect Way For Tennant To Join The Show
Instead of Jane taking over Jessica Knight’s role, she could temporarily take over for Alden Parker as he recovers from the incident in the season 21 finale that saw Parker suffer a leg injury, as a result of which he started having visions of a mystery girl named Lily. Jane Tennant could step in while Parker is on the mends, and it would be the perfect opportunity to resolve the NCIS: Hawai’i season finale cliffhanger, with Maggie Shaw (Julie White) showing up unexpectedly to talk to Jane.
While Jane was temporarily taking over for Parker, LL Cool J could also fill Knight’s position in a temporary capacity. Rather than taking over permanently, the character could onboard with Tennant in a temporary setting to resolve some of their unresolved business. It would be the perfect amount of time, maybe a couple of weeks, for Parker to heal, and maybe even for Knight to decide that she was more at home on the East coast. The short story arch could see Jane and Sam continue their characters, and provide a perfect return plot twist for the main team.
Jane wouldn’t have to manage Maggie by herself either, if Sam Hanna was one call away. It would be a wonderful continuation of their characters, even if it was just temporary. That said, if Jane wasn’t willing to relocate even temporarily from Hawai’i, or the opportunity didn’t line up, it wouldn’t make sense for Hanna to join the MCRT by himself (not yet anyway). Someday, Hanna would be the perfect replacement for Nick Torres’ character if he had plans to step away from the show. Torres was Tony’s replacement when Michael Weatherly left NCIS.
Other NCIS Characters Who Could Fill Jessica Knight’s MCRT Role
If that didn’t work out, there are other NCIS characters who could fill Jessica Knight’s MCRT role. If the showrunners wanted to choose a familiar NCIS agent for the role, they could send Special Agent Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) to the flagship office to pick up where Jess left off. The agent has already appeared in three episodes of NCIS, with an established connection to the team and to the audience.
Ruah has been taking on more director roles lately within the franchise. She’s directed an episode of both NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i, as well as six episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles. She has directed episodes for Los Angeles, where she was a series regular, and so there could be incentive for Ruah to join the flagship cast in some capacity. Her evolution within the franchise follows other series regulars who expanded their NCIS roles into the production of the show. For instance, Jimmy actor Brian Dietzen writes for the flagship series.
Regarding other familiar NCIS characters who could step into the role, there’s Eleanor Bishop, who departed the series after season 18 but for whom a door was left open. Another fantastic option for the role would be Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito) from NCIS: New Orleans. Gregorio has FBI profiler training, and her skills would make for an awesome addition to the team that would be reminiscent of Kate Todd, who had profiling experience from her time in the Secret Service. Tammy is also a trained sniper. She would add a hardcore element to the team, evoking both Ziva and Knight’s best qualities.
Of course, it could be that Jessica Knight’s departure is just another cliffhanger for the upcoming NCIS season 22. That said, although it’s clear that Jess isn’t overly concerned with following her father’s ambitions for her future (which he refers to as “the plan”), she is concerned with her own. Jess applied for the candidate list for REACT Chief Training Officer years earlier when she had just lost her REACT team, so not only is the position something that Jess wants for her career, but it’s a role with personal connections and emotional weight for Knight on NCIS.
