Introduced during Season 11 of the long-running series, Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop (Emily Wickersham) soon became a regular cast member on the CBS procedural “NCIS.” Intended to replace the recently departed Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) on the team roster, Ellie Bishop was originally an NSA analyst with some serious skills. Bishop not only has an uncommonly strong memory, but she also speaks multiple languages and is known for her obsessive quests to get the job done right. Although some find her single-mindedness a bit off-putting, her methods do get results, and she impresses Gibbs (Mark Harmon) enough to become a permanent member of his team.
Bishop’s storylines on the series were often quite dramatic. She discovered evidence that Ziva had faked her own death, weathered the breakdown of her marriage to NSA agent Jake Malloy (Jamie Bamber), and eventually left the team in Season 18 after leaking state secrets. But there is one moment, in particular, that likely had even the hardest “NCIS” fans grabbing for the tissues.
Ellie lost the man who could have been her fiance
After her divorce, Bishop dated NCIS translator Qasim Naasir (Rafi Silver), but their relationship ended with his death after an attack by a wanted criminal. Bishop becomes set on avenging Qasim’s murder, much to the concerns of her coworkers, who fear that the driven woman will “go rogue” to get her way.
A flashback then reveals why Bishop is so driven: Qasim had proposed to her after 104 dates. She had initially told him that she needed more time, but she was planning to say yes the night that he died, making his death even more tragic. The agent does get her extrajudicial vengeance on the terrorist responsible for Qasim’s death, Chen (Bruce Locke), yet it also doesn’t bring Qasim back either.
Many of the “NCIS” agents have suffered losses during the series, including Gibbs and Ziva, but Bishop’s grief is a bit different. Qasim’s death was so sudden, and thanks to a quirk of fate, Bishop also has to grieve the future she could have had with Qasim, as well. It takes her some time before she eventually finds mutual attraction again in Agent Torres (Wilmer Valderrama).
