The following contains spoilers from NCIS Season 20, Episode 8, "Turkey Trot," which debuted Monday, Nov. 21 on CBS.
NCIS Season 20 has been very family-centric, with cases that affect the characters personally. One episode had McGee investigating his daughter's parent-teacher association. Another installment had Torres being shot and abducted. The season also had Director Vance face a home invasion. Everyone seems to have some kind of personal stake in the action.
But Jessica Knight's personal life has been at the forefront. NCIS fans have responded positively to Knight's relationship with Jimmy Palmer. But her ex-boyfriend showed up to make her life more complicated. And in Season 20, Episode 8, "Turkey Trot," Knight's sister Robin caused quite a bit of trouble.
NCIS Made Jessica Knight the Star of 'Turkey Trot'
As one might expect, "Turkey Trot" was a Thanksgiving-themed episode. The NCIS team was acting as a semi-undercover security detail for an Admiral hosting a turkey trot. When someone tried to kill the admiral, they started an official investigation. But because it was a holiday, the case was moving slowly. When Knight said that she had lunch plans with her sister, Parker told her to go ahead.
Knight was hoping to avoid the luncheon because she and her sister didn't really get along. Kasie -- who'd already set an NCIS record in Season 20 -- decided to go along and play peacemaker. However, that attempt failed as Knight and Robin argued early and often. The rest of the NCIS squad found out that the Admiral wasn't the target at the turkey trot -- it was Knight. To make matters worse, Robin's fiancé was the shooter.
The situation resulted in a hostage scene, after which Knight reconciled with her sister and became closer with Kasie. But the most remarkable part of the episode was what viewers didn't see. That missing element is thanks to actor Diona Reasonover, who portrays Kasie.
NCIS' Diona Reasonover Co-Wrote 'Turkey Trot' - And Left Out Something Specific
Knight might have been the star of "Turkey Trot," but Kasie was an important character -- and Diona Reasonover was important behind the scenes. Reasonover co-wrote the episode with Scott Williams and did an excellent job delivering some of her self-aware lines. However, she included one curious element that eagle-eyed NCIS fans may have noticed: there was no need for an autopsy because there were no dead bodies.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Reasonover revealed that she has a major problem with blood and gore. That means NCIS' excellent effects get the better of her sometimes. Her creative solution is to just remove her contacts while filming; that way, she doesn't have to see the fake bodies and blood. However, being the co-writer for "Turkey Trot," she just conveniently avoided having any dead bodies on set.
Reasonover isn't the only NCIS actor to co-write an episode. Brian Dietzen -- who plays Knight's love interest Jimmy -- co-wrote Season 19, Episode 13, "The Helpers" alongside Williams. Writing is a great way for the actors to take ownership of their characters, so hopefully NCIS will continue the trend and allow its stars to showcase their creativity.
NCIS airs Mondays at 9:00 p.m. on CBS and streams on Paramount+.