44 Episodes Later, Jessica Knight’s Best NCIS Line Is Still A Top 5 Franchise Quote

NCIS’ run has been long enough that several cast members have left the show with others joining in their place, and though Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) has only been part of the show for a few seasons, her best line thus far is a franchise best. With Knight joining NCIS during season 18 and becoming a full-time member of the MCRT shortly thereafter, her character became part of a massive transition for the long-running series. With Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) leaving the show during NCIS season 19, Knight was a part of the new NCIS including Alden Parker (Gary Cole).

As NCIS worked to redefine its dynamic with Parker, Knight, and existing cast members Wilmer Valderrama as Nick Torres and Sean Murray as Tim McGee, the series moved in a fun new direction that, while leaving viewers uncertain, shifted the trajectory of the show as a whole. Over the past several seasons, Knight has become an important piece of NCIS, both with her ability to move through cases with ease and her past, which involves work as a REACT training agent. Knight has also been known to stand firm in her beliefs on NCIS, always unafraid to speak up.

Knight’s growth throughout her few seasons of NCIS has made her a character that works well within the franchise’s scope, and in that, one of her best lines was quick to resonate with the show’s audience. Knight’s biggest line, even seasons later, quickly became one of the franchise’s best quotes.

Jessica Knight’s Best Line Is An NCIS All-Time Great

Although Knight has many great moments throughout her short time on NCIS (at least in the grand scheme of the show’s run), her best line comes from one of her early episodes. During NCIS season 20, the show’s Thanksgiving episode gave Knight a chance to shine in a way she hadn’t before on the series. Knight’s time as a REACT agent is a huge part of who she is, but as someone who’s lost her team before, the trauma she’s burdened with is often seen in how she handles and responds to others. Knight’s family, especially, is a sore point.

During a winding plot where Knight and Kasie (Diona Reasonover) head to Jessica’s sister’s rental for a Thanksgiving lunch together, Knight ultimately uncovers that her sister’s new fiancé isn’t exactly who he says he is. When it becomes clear that Jessica’s sister’s new beau is actually targeting her, holding her responsible for the death of his brother back in her NCIS REACT days, Knight has to use her crisis management skills to make sure everyone stays safe. As things begin to unravel, Jessica reveals that her fallen team’s initials are engraved on her watch as a reminder.

Knight then goes on to deliver her best line of NCIS’ run to Charlie (David Blue), her sister’s duplicitous boyfriend, saying, “Believe what you want. Say I failed, I was bad at my job, and it’s all my fault. But don’t ever accuse me of not caring. Or forgetting. Nothing I do could ever make me forget these people.” Knight’s ability to articulate that she is able to both admit her wrongdoings and preserve the memory of her fallen team makes it clear that she’s a multidimensional NCIS character with a sense of perspective.

Knight Has Been Part Of A Crucial Shift For NCIS’ Identity

As Knight has become a bigger part of the MCRT and NCIS has shifted away from its original setup, the series has been able to utilize its newer faces in order to carve out its new identity. After Gibbs’ departure, NCIS had to change course in some major ways. While the show itself wasn’t going to change on a molecular level, with cases of the week still coming to the MCRT and their investigative skills keeping things going, NCIS had to shift in the way its stories and its characters connected. Without the same long-standing bonds, things moved differently.

Thankfully, as a character who’s been able to bring both experience and a sense of humor into the mix, Knight has been great at creating the new era of NCIS along with Parker, Torres, and McGee. While McGee is still a vestige of the show’s older ways, and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) will be in his NCIS return, the newer cast members will outnumber the old as the show moves forward. In creating a new lane with stories that stem from her past and fit better into her wheelhouse, Knight’s time on the show has only helped cement NCIS’ identity.

Release Date

September 23, 2003

Showrunner

Donald P. Bellisario

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  Sean Murray

  Timothy McGee

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  David McCallum

  Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard