The NCIS fall finale (aired Tuesday, December 16) ended with a major twist: NCIS: Elite’s new target is Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop (Emily Wickersham), who was last seen in the Season 18 finale. The episode ends with Bishop watching the team from a cemetery – and Agent Knight (Katrina Law) realizing Bishop is her assignment.

Elsewhere in the episode, Parker (Gary Cole) finally learns the truth about his mother’s death. He discovers she was k1lled by an abusive cop while protecting Lily, the cop’s daughter. Parker finds closure after meeting Lily as an adult and giving his mother a proper burial.

Executive producer Steven D. Binder says Bishop’s return happened once it became clear Wickersham was open to coming back. The timing, he explains, allows the show to revisit unresolved storylines – especially Bishop’s abrupt exit and her unfinished emotional arc with Torres (Wilmer Valderrama).

Binder confirms Bishop is back for one episode for now, but her story is far from over. She’s no longer the same person viewers remember. After years in high-risk, covert work, Bishop has changed, and her loyalties are less clear. She’s operating in a dangerous world where allies and enemies often blur.

Her return deeply affects Torres, who never got closure after she left. It also complicates Knight and Torres’ growing bond. Knight is the only one who initially knows Bishop is being targeted, but that secret won’t last long. Bishop herself will force the situation into the open, leading to new team dynamics and emotional tension – possibly even a “love quadrangle.”

Binder also teased future surprises, including returning characters for Episode 500, packed with Easter eggs and nods to the show’s history. Another major character from NCIS’s past will appear later in the season during a two-part storyline.

According to Binder, the biggest episodes are still ahead, including Bishop’s full return, life-changing news for McGee, and a milestone 500th episode that will “change everything.”