Is NCIS setting up a Torres/Knight romance? One of the actors involved is speaking up about it!
Fans of NCIS have noted a growing attraction forming between Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama). The pair have always been good working together in the field with fun banter between them. That seemed to be on the back burner due to Knight’s romance with Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen).
But with that couple broken up, the question if Nick and Jessica hook up has grown. Speaking to TV Line, Valderrama was asked about the hinted-at romance and how it might unfold.
“[Laughs] It would get too complicated. We don't know what that writers' room has got on that board. I think that if you watch the episode, you realize that there were energies in there that could be interpreted in different [ways], you know? But I will say that, with [Nick and Jess], if we do pull that lever, it's a lever you can't come back from, right? And I think that's kind of something to consider. We're not shy to pull levers. We actually shuffle the emotional blueprint that the show has. And by the way, this is a show that can actually pull that lever and work it out over time, because we get to have enough episodes to figure it out. But I will tell you they have a great shorthand. They do great work together, and there is a major understanding beyond the job for them, too. But we'll see, you know. I'm not in that conversation yet. [The writers] normally bring me in early into those. So I would say that's not in the kitchen yet.”
Valderrama’s comments come after the episode where Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham) returned to the show after a long absence. It confirmed Bishop and Torres had hooked up before her departure, and Torres was tempted to join Bishop on her ongoing job but elected to stay with his NCIS family. That means Torres is open to a new romance, and Knight fits the bill.
The idea of Torres and Knight as a couple is fun to imagine. The pair get along great; they're both top action fighters with humor and get along fine as partners. The question is whether that could equal a romantic relationship, as it may be that the pair are better off just as good friends without the benefits.
There’s also how fans are still hopeful that Jessica and Jimmy can reunite. Jimmy himself seemed to notice Torres and Knight close after a case, looking disappointed at this growing relationship. While Knight and Torres get along nicely as agents, Jessica and Jimmy have a rapport that feels much better.
This is up in the air and more a fan-shipping romance than canon. It may be that the writers note the great chemistry between Torres and Valderrama and act on it, but they may also decide it’s best not to push the romance too soon. Either way, it shows how close the NCIS cast is that two good partners may somehow become something more.
NCIS season 23 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.