‘NCIS’ Has a Growing Problem – and It’s Starting to Hurt the Franchise

Despite running for 23 seasons with a large ensemble, NCIS has never been a particularly romantic show. While fan-favorite pairings like Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David eventually inspired a romance-centered spin-off, their relationship on the flagship series remained mostly restrained.

Gibbs’ (Mark Harmon) love interests were fleeting, and other relationships – such as Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres or Jessica Knight/Jimmy Palmer – unfolded quietly, without overwhelming the procedural tone. For the most part, NCIS has kept romance firmly in the background.

As the franchise has expanded, however, romance has taken on a larger role – and not always comfortably. While NCIS: Origins builds its premise around Gibbs’ unresolved feelings for Lala Dominguez and his complicated marriage to Diane, the flagship series now appears to be flirting with something far more out of character: a love triangle.

Season 23, Episode 8 ends with Jimmy Palmer seemingly realizing that Knight and Torres might be romantically involved after witnessing a brief, ambiguous moment between them. The implication is clear enough to deflate Jimmy’s hopes of reconciling with Knight – but it’s also a jarring turn for a show that has long avoided soapier tropes. Unlike other procedurals, NCIS has rarely relied on romantic misunderstandings for tension, and introducing a love triangle feels unnecessary and tonally off.

What makes the situation more confusing is that Knight and Torres’ relationship has never been clearly romantic. They share a strong bond as partners and friends, and while they’ve had flirt-adjacent moments – including a marriage-of-convenience undercover – recent episodes explicitly framed their connection as professional rather than emotional. Jimmy immediately reading romance into a casual gesture feels like a leap better suited to a melodrama than NCIS.

There’s still time for the show to course-correct, especially with Ellie Bishop’s unexpected return on the horizon and Torres’ unresolved feelings for her. Adding another romantic complication risks muddying character dynamics and straining established relationships, particularly Jimmy and Torres’ easygoing friendship.

By contrast, NCIS: Origins handles romance more naturally. Its love triangle is baked into the narrative and constrained by established canon, making the emotional conflict feel earned rather than forced. The flagship series doesn’t need to follow suit. Romance can work on NCIS, but only when it serves the story – not when it distracts from it.