NCIS season 22 just reiterated the real reason why Nick and Ellie’s relationship failed back in season 18. Since Wilmer Valderrama’s Nick Torres joined NCIS in season 14, he and Emily Wickersham’s Ellie Bishop developed vibrant chemistry, hinting at a possible relationship between them. Up until Ellie’s exit in season 18, the two shared a will-they-won’t-they relationship, neither wanting to cross the line.
When Ellie left, Nick was devastated. The two characters had some closure but with a high cost of heartbreak attached to it. Over time, he has moved on and NCIS season 22 has even revealed that he has started dating again. However, it seems as though Nick and Ellie’s problems from four years ago are creeping into his current relationship with Robin in season 22, and no one is summing it up better than Parker.
Parker and Nick at a bakery in NCIS season 22 episode 10
While Nick and McGee are discussing the dynamics of their respective relationships in NCIS season 22, episode 16, Nick shares that Robin expects him to be able to stop working while he is with her, which he feels he can not do. In contrast, McGee explains that he is lucky that his wife, Delilah, understands the requirements of an NCIS job. While listening in, Parker adds potentially the most wise comment regarding why Nick’s NCIS romances have all failed, saying:
“Tough call. All the chemistry in the world ain’t worth a dime if you don’t value the same things.”
Robin and Nick have different expectations of what it should look like to be in a relationship. Robin wants a partner who can prioritize her over work. In contrast, Nick wants a partner who understands the demands of his job. The issue of differing values was also present in Nick’s relationship with Ellie. They both wanted other things, which is why they were never able to make it official. Ellie wanted to pursue and advance her career whereas Nick wanted a partner.
They were never able to become an official couple because Ellie wanted to advance her career more than she wanted to be in a relationship with Nick. One of the reasons is that her past of leaking NSA documents could result in jail time for her, or at the very least, a public trial, which would damage her career. If she does not value Nick and their relationship enough, the stress she would receive while facing the consequences would only lead to resentment.
However, Ellie could have also chosen her career over Nick because she did not want to be tied to a relationship. Her first marriage had failed, which had likely given her ill feelings towards relationships because she could see the pain that they could cause. As a result, she might not have wanted to be in a relationship because of her poor history with them. Either way, she placed her career above Nick and NCIS, which is further proof that they were not right for each other.
