NCIS season 22 has revealed that it is finally moving on from Ellie Bishop after her controversial exit in season 18. The NCIS season 18 finale marked the official last appearance of Emily Wickersham's Bishop on the series, but hope remained that she would return one day. She and Torres also had an ongoing will-they-won't-they relationship which made her departure even more disappointing.
However, despite the continued hope that she would return to the series, NCIS season 22, episode 3, "The Trouble With Hal," revealed that Torres is finally ready to date again, which means that he has officially moved on from Bishop. Bishop and Torres shared a casual, flirty relationship throughout Bishop's time on NCIS, but it was clear that her abrupt departure impacted Torres' trust. As a result, his statement that he is ready to put himself out there again means that NCIS is finally moving on from Bishop's storyline.
Ellie Bishop's Controversial NCIS Exit Explained
Bishop Betrayed Her Team For Her Own Gain
Bishop left NCIS after she was recruited by a former CIA instructor, Odette Malone. Odette had previously worked with Ziva and had a history of working undercover by the time she had met Bishop. However, to work undercover for Odette, Bishop had to leave NCIS as a burned agent to make her seem more trustworthy to the people she would be working with. As a result, NCIS season 18 revealed that Bishop had leaked NSA files, which forced her to either face trial for her crimes or escape with Odette, and she chose the latter.
Bishop's exit was so controversial because it went against everything that she had represented as a member of the Major Case Response Team. She betrayed her team and Torres' trust. What made matters worse was that she planned to leave without saying goodbye and giving anyone any formal closure. The only solace was that Bishop had a last moment with Torres before she disappeared where the two shared a kiss, thus revealing their true feelings for one another.
Nick Torres' Decision To Date Again In NCIS Season 22 Ends Bishop's Final MCRT Connection
Both Torres And NCIS Have Moved On
The only thing that connected Bishop to the current NCIS team was Torres' ongoing feelings for her. While the two shared some closure in Bishop's last moments on the show, their kiss likely made things worse because it meant that their relationship might have been different under different circumstances. Torres' sentiment towards Bishop, his betrayed trust, and his stressful career likely all impacted his decision to delay dating after Bishop's exit. However, Torres' statement that he is ready to try again means that Bishop's last connection to NCIS has been cut.
Bishop is one of several NCIS characters who left, but her return has always been a possibility through her connection to Nick and her value as an NCIS teammate. NCIS has also been known to bring characters back, even characters that had previously been pronounced dead, so her return was a strong possibility. Knight has acted as Bishop's replacement ever since Bishop left, but the team's ongoing loyalty and strength meant that Bishop could return and nothing would have to be different in terms of the team's dynamics.
Can Ellie Bishop Still Return To The NCIS Franchise?
She Could Return In A Spinoff Or In NCIS With A Twist
While a return for Bishop is unlikely at this point, it is possible. NCIS spinoffs have featured returning characters with fresh storylines and Bishop could appear in the upcoming NCIS: Tony & Ziva as an undercover agent in Europe. In fact, Ellie is one of several NCIS characters that has a strong possibility of returning to the franchise through the latest offhoost, especially since her experience as an NSA analyst and undercover operative could be useful. Ellie was also the one to discover evidence that Ziva was alive, so her skills could be beneficial to both Ziva and Tony.
Bishop could also return to NCIS through a liaison between NCIS and Odette's undercover team. NCIS has worked with other agencies before, so a collaboration between both teams is not entirely impossible. Having the two teams interact under official pretenses could also act as a loophole for escaping Bishop's punishment for leaking the documents. Her return would be questionable, but there are ways for NCIS' Ellie Bishop to return legally while also maintaining her cover as an undercover operative. Having Bishop return to the NCIS franchise would be a huge shock, but it is within the realm of possibility.
