Is It Time for a Real Romance on ‘NCIS’? (POLL)

Meredith Jacobs July 20, 2021, 2:30 pm

NCIS Season 18 McGee Bishop Knight Torres — Sonja Flemming/CBS

NCIS is entering its 19th season this fall, and one thing it has yet to do is show a real, successful, on-screen romance between two series regulars.

Instead, it seems like it’s been one tragedy, “what if?” or will they/won’t they after another. After losing his wife and daughter, Gibbs (Mark Harmon) hasn’t been able to make a marriage or relationship last. McGee (Sean Murray) was involved with Abby (Pauley Perrette) before he officially joined the team, but he is happily married — with twins — to Delilah (Margo Harshman, who recurs). Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) is now a single father after his wife Breena (Michelle Pierce, who recurred) died from COVID.

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There was the possibility of something happening between Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Kate (Sasha Alexander), but then she was killed. (The two were married in the “what if?” of Episode 200 “Life Before His Eyes.”) Then began the (very) slow burn of Tony and Ziva (Cote de Pablo). Their first non-undercover kiss came in what was, at the time, her last episode. Then as he exited the series, he learned Ziva died … and they had a kid she never told him about. It turned out Ziva had faked her death and was last seen going to join her family off-screen.

And that kiss seemed to set a precedent for the will they/won’t they couples to come. Gibbs and Jack (Maria Bello) kissed as he left her in Afghanistan after she realized her next steps away from NCIS. Bishop (Emily Wickersham) and Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) kissed as she left him and everyone else behind for an undercover operation.

On the other hand, both spinoffs, Los Angeles and New Orleans have shown successful relationships amongst their series regulars. On the former, Kensi (Daniela Ruah) and Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) went from partners to spouses talking about having kids, while Nell (Renée Felice Smith) and Eric (Barrett Foa) were together for a time (and may have a future since they left together). New Orleans ended its seven-season run with Pride (Scott Bakula) marrying Rita (Chelsea Field, promoted to series regular for the final season), as well as Hannah (Necar Zadegan) and Carter (Charles Michael Davis) together.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

Is it time for this to change for NCIS? If not now, when? Never? Let’s be realistic: The long-running procedural drama is closer to its end than its beginning, especially with Harmon’s future with the show unclear. If something’s going to happen, it has to be soon, to give the audience enough time to watch a relationship play out on-screen.

But if that happens, who would be involved? McGee is obviously out (because we don’t want anything to touch his and Delilah’s relationship). With Harmon likely only around in a limited capacity, we’ll rule him out as well. Let’s assume that NCIS won’t stick Torres in a new relationship so soon after Bishop’s exit, especially considering how that relationship was handled. That leaves Jimmy, Kasie (Diona Reasonover), Vance (Rocky Carroll), Ducky (David McCallum), FBI Agent Alden Park (new series regular Gary Cole), and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law, upped to series regular).

What do you think? Vote in our poll below.

NCIS, Season 19, Fall 2021, CBS