Katrina Law shared some behind-the-scenes details about the NCIS Season 21 finale, including how they shot the water scenes and who helped her stay warm between takes.
In the final episode, Law’s character, Special Agent Jessica Knight, undertakes an underwater mission to provide medical care for the wounded Alden Parker. Despite the on-screen portrayal of freezing water, Law revealed the reality was quite the opposite. “Obviously, we were acting like the water was really cold, but the best part about it was that they made it [like] bath water for me, 85 degrees,” Law told TVLine. “It was actually nicer to stay in the water than it was to get out, because it was a really cold day [on set]. Whenever we got out, it was absolutely freezing.”
Law had to remain wet for subsequent shots after her underwater scenes. While the crew tried to keep her warm, Brian Dietzen (Dr. Jimmy Palmer), her on-screen lover, was especially helpful. “They did their best to keep me warm, but the person who was the best at it was Brian Dietzen,” Law said. “Because I just had my wet socks on, Brian let me stand on top of his shoes [between takes] to keep me off the cold, concrete floor—and it was such a help. He sacrificed his toes for me.”
The water they filmed in was warm, but the tank itself was quite small, making the shoot cramped once everyone was in place. “We were told pretty early on that we wouldn’t have access to a full tank, so NCIS ended up building this ‘mini version’ in our studio,” Law said. “And there were so many people jam-packed into this tank.”
In addition to the intense action, Law’s character faced a significant personal decision that could impact her future on the show. Vance (Rocky Carroll) offers Knight her father’s old position in the Far East office, which she accepts. Although her character’s future remains uncertain, the showrunners promise fans will be satisfied.
NCIS Season 21 ended with a twist when Special Agent Jessica Knight accepted a job offer at a different branch of the agency, leaving fans wondering about her future on the show. “Well, we set something up there,” NCIS co-showrunner Steven D. Binder told TVLine. “And I will point you to our track record where you just never know. We’ve had people look like they were going away and then it turned out they weren’t, and then we had people who just disappeared, like Gibbs. So I will say this: We do aim to please and we think the audience will be satisfied with where they see this go.”
While Binder’s response leaves Knight’s future ambiguous, Law remains optimistic about her character’s future, reassuring fans that they will be pleased with the developments. Fans don’t think Law is leaving. According to Soaps, “many [are] speculating that the series will use Knight’s new job as a way to create drama between her, Palmer, and other characters in Season 22, which they believe will open with a time jump of Knight returning to the NCIS.”