Spoilers below for those who haven't yet watched the latest episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, so be warned!
NCIS: Los Angeles delivered a double-header episode on Sunday night and is now just one week away from the CBS drama's winter hiatus, which probably means something hectic and potentially dangerous is going down during Episode 6, titled "If the Fates Allow." Of course, the fifth episode (titled "Raising the Dead") already did a good job at causing fans to worry, as it featured Eric Christian Olsen's Deeks totally losing his job as liaison between the NCIS and the LAPD. Understandably, that reveal inspired many audience members to think that Olsen is officially exiting NCIS: Los Angeles during the shortened Season 12, but that's not the case.
Series star Daniela Ruah portrays Special Agent Kensi Blye, who married Deeks back in Season 10, so she would likely have a better idea about what to expect from Eric Christian Olsen's future on NCIS: Los Angeles than many other people. Below, fans can read the reassuring words she shared with TVLine that should inspire Deeks' biggest fans to sigh largely with relief. In her words:
I don’t know if I’m allowed to reveal anything… Listen, if Eric were leaving the show permanently, we would know about that by now, and that’s obviously not the case. So, somewhere and somehow, things happen that change the course of where the story is going.
It's a relatively rare occasion when a TV star readily comes out and speaks candidly against a particular notion being proposed by an episode's plotline. If a Walking Dead or a Yellowstone character appears to be a goner in one episode, you can bet that the those dramas' respective casts and crews aren't going to share with the public whether or not death is imminent. So in that sense, it's kind of wild that Daniela Ruah was so honest in sharing that NCIS: Los Angeles is going to soon explain a way for Deeks to remain part of the show potentially without retaining his old job, and while he's also now being too old to go through the process of becoming an official NCIS agent.
Had Eric Christian Olsen been known to have behind-the-scenes issues with showrunner R. Scott Gemmill or some of the executive producers, there would probably be a lot more nervousness embedded in Deeks' current joblessness. But no such reports have come up, and the way Daniela Ruah puts it, fans would already be well aware if the plan actually was to remove Olsen from the action in the remainder of Season 12 and beyond. So for now, we can take comfort in knowing Deeks is the one up for a job change, and not Olsen himself.
It would be interesting to see Deeks settle into the role of stay-home husband for some episodes in Season 12, just to see how that lifestyle would treat him. It's unclear if we'll find out more about Deeks' situation in the next episode, or if we'll have to wait for NCIS: Los Angeles to return in 2021 before more answers are available. We're hoping Linda Hunt's Hetty has some kind of secret plan no one could have expected.
With more to see from Caleb Castille's Agent Devin Roundtree this season, NCIS: Los Angeles airs Sunday nights on CBS at 9:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to keep tuning in to see how Deeks' prolonged stay gets figured out. While waiting to learn more, head to our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring TV guide to see what new and returning shows will be popping up soon.
