Even though fans said goodbye to Emily Wickersham’s character during the “NCIS” finale, she may not be gone for good. Over the years, fans of the show have seen more than a few cast members come and go, but things could play out differently for Special Agent Ellie Bishop.
In the season 18 finale, fans saw Bishop’s storyline come to an end that began in season 17. In that season, ex-CIA instructor Odette (Elayn J. Taylor) offered her “specialized training.”
Since that season, her teammates had noticed a change in her behavior. In Season 17’s “In a Nutshell,” fans saw Bishop’s “major urge to purge” instead of regular spring cleaning. In Season 18, the team observed how much Bishop had changed, culminating when her teammates saw her sliding across the floor and taking out two arms dealers in the finale.
Then, Bishop confessed to leaking NSA files, arguing that she disagreed with a program ten years ago. However, it became blatantly apparent that something else was going on when the arms dealer who reportedly possessed the files could not locate them.
However, Special Agent Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) put it all together for Odette. She was the one to plant the files to establish Bishop’s cover as a dishonorable NCIS agent.
‘NCIS’ Fans Theorize Bishop’s Return
Although Wickersham confirmed her “NCIS” departure via Instagram, viewers could still see her make a return. “Hangin’ this hat and jacket up. What a great ride it’s been,” she captioned a photo of herself in her “NCIS” garb.
She continued: “This cast, this crew, are top notch. I can’t say enough kind words about this group that I’ve had the pleasure of working with for close to 8 years now and 172 episodes later. This business is finicky and weird and consistency is a rarity. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a show where I got to show up and act and laugh and learn with wonderful people. A moment in time I surely won’t forget.”
Now, fans are already theorizing about how Bishop might pop up in the next season. Her undercover work could bring her back with one of the cases. She could finish her assignment, decide not to return to NCIS, but the team needs her expertise.
However, fans might see “NCIS” kill her off-screen on this assignment. Yet, even if that happens, as proven with Ziva, the show could always undo that decision.
