Emily Wickersham Returns to NCIS: Origins as Ellie Bishop in Surprise Reunion

Emily Wickersham Returns to NCIS: Origins as Ellie Bishop in Surprise Reunion

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Emily Wickersham Returns to the Franchise in Multi-Episode NCIS: Origins Arc

In a surprise television return, Emily Wickersham has reprised her role as Ellie Bishop on the CBS prequel series NCIS: Origins, TVLine reported. After stepping away from the flagship series in Season 18 following an eight-season run, the actor found herself back in the universe, staging a reunion with Mark Harmon’s Jethro Gibbs in his familiar basement setting.

The latest episode bridges timelines by placing Bishop in the present-day narrative to aid Gibbs as he investigates who targeted him in the season premiere. Operating entirely off the books, Bishop extracts a sniper bullet from Gibbs’ chest and digs into the CIA tracker who previously hunted him down in Alaska. Along the way, the storyline drops a major revelation for viewers: Lala died years earlier in a plane crash, a detail that leaves Bishop questioning what else remains hidden.

Stepping Back Into the Basement With Mark Harmon

Speaking about returning to the set alongside Harmon—who serves as a producer on the prequel series—Wickersham told TVLine that she was initially caught off guard by the offer given the show’s 1990s setting. However, once on set, the working relationship picked up right where it left off.

NCIS: Origins Brings Bishop Back — Emily Wickersham Reveals Her Reunion With Gibbs!

“It was so fun,” Wickersham told TVLine, noting that they spent every day for 10 months out of the year together for close to eight years. “It was as if no time had passed. We’ve both done all these other things in our lives, but I’ve kept in contact with him, and so… I mean, it kind of sounds cheesy, but it was literally like we worked together yesterday.”

Yahoo noted that Wickersham also shared behind-the-scenes photographs on Instagram following the broadcast, highlighting a clean-shaven Harmon on set and capturing her enthusiasm for rejoining the franchise.

Mark Harmon as Gibbs and Emily Wickersham as Bishop — 'NCIS: Origins' Season 3 Episode 4 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya'
Photo: TV Insider

Unresolved Dynamics and Future Surprises

Regarding the open-ended dynamic between Bishop and Nick left behind when she went deep undercover, Wickersham told TVLine she believes the door is always open between them as work partners.

TV Insider noted that Bishop’s role brings to mind tactical series like Lioness, reflecting a character who has accessed new parts of herself. With more episodes left in the current arc, Wickersham teased that fans can expect additional familiar faces to emerge from the woodwork.

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NCIS: Origins Season 3: Emily Wickersham Shares New Clip of Gibbs & Bishop!
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