Emily Wickersham joins NCIS as NSA Analyst Ellie Bishop
Emily Wickersham joins NCIS as NSA Analyst Ellie Bishop (Photo: NCIS/facebook)

The last episode of NCIS, Gut Check saw a new member, Elli Bishop (Emily Wichersham) join the team. The addition of this series regular raised questions whether she is a replacement for the character Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) who recently ended her long stint in the show.

A report in Zap2it clearly states that Wickersham is not actually a replacement Ziva and she's just the show's newest female regular following the departure of Cote de Pablo.

All We Know About Ellie Bishop

Bishop was called in after the SecNav discovered a bug hidden in a pen, a scenario similar to one she had once written about in a report for NSA.

Her co-worker in the episode calls her a 'reclusive data freak,' but Entertainment Weekly calls her unconventional. She sits on the floor to work, remembers things using food associations, and can retain almost everything she reads.

It was also established pretty early on that she's a bit of a lone wolf, a quality that would come back and bite her in the butt later on, when she went after a lead on her own and almost made them lose the suspect.

Bishop is now on a joint duty assignment, she is from Oklahoma, has three brothers, and has got a ring on her finger (which might just eliminate possibilities of introducing new romantic angle).

What New Turn Will The Show Take Post Bishop's Inclusion

"NCIS is still NCIS. All of the dynamics are there. ... The vibe of the show is the same, the chemistry is the same, the tone is the same. It's just that we've got this new character and she brings something new to the party," NCIS showrunner Gary Glasberg told TV Guide.

"This was a big change for Tony DiNozzo, to not have Ziva there and have to rely even more on McGee than he has in the past. ... But we'll get back to the Tony DiNozzo that people know and love. Just like real life, it takes time to get there," Glasberg added.

Preview of Next Episode Devil's Triad

Complications arise when the NCIS team discovers a link between a murder victim and the current boyfriend of Gibbs and Agent Fornell's ex-wife. Meanwhile, NSA Analyst Ellie Bishop adjusts to joining the NCIS team.

Joe Spano ("Hill Street Blues") returns as Senior FBI Agent T.C. Fornell and Melinda McGraw ("Men of a Certain Age") returns as Diane Sterling, Gibbs' ex-wife, according to a press release on Spoiler TV.

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