Making good on star Sean Murray's (Agent Timothy McGee) promise to fans, the Fall finale of NCIS Season 23 titled 'Heaven and Nature' brought back a familiar face after four years. Former NCIS Special Agent Eleanor Bishop (played by ex-cast member Emily Wickersham) made a shocking return to CBS' long-running military procedural, four years after her exit in the NCIS Season 18 finale.While the latest season of NCIS was building up on Jessica Knight's mission with the NCIS: Elite, Episode 9 finally saw her first assignment, to track her predecessor and former NCIS Agent Eleanor Bishop.Bishop, who was a former National Security Agency (NSA) analyst, joined NCIS back in Season 11 after Ziva's shocking departure. Bishop continued to be an integral part of the team until the Season 18 finale, which marked her controversial exit from the show.With NCIS Season 23 teasing Bishop’s return in the upcoming winter premiere, it’ll be intriguing to see how her reappearance shakes up the team, especially how Agent Nick Torres reacts to coming face-to-face with his ex-partner again.More on Bishop's return in NCIS Season 23 Fall finale in our story.NCIS Season 23 Fall finale: What is Agent Eleanor Bishop's backstory? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostCBS' long-running procedural certainly knows how to keep its audience hooked. While the Fall finale of NCIS Season 23 gave much-needed closure to Agent Parker, it teased the return of a familiar face who left the team in the NCIS Season 18 finale. Seasoned fans might remember how Agent Jessica Knight replaced Eleanor Bishop on the team, who exited after being disgraced for leaking confidential NSA documents. In a turntable moment, Knight's first Elite mission is revealed to track none other than her predecessor, Bishop. While Knight never worked in proximity with Bishop, she is certainly aware of her dynamics with the team, especially Tores, who harboured romantic feelings for her.Bishop's return in NCIS Season 23 Episode 9 is not random, as her exit from the team was quite controversial. While Bishop resigned after being disgraced, it was an elaborate setup for her to join Ziva's former ally, Odette Malone, on a covert CIA mission. To go undercover with Odette, Bishop needed a solid reason to quit NCIS and cut off ties with her old team and Torres. Bishop's NCIS Season 18 exit was hard but the agent left Torres with a goodbye kiss, confirming her feelings for her partner and that their will-they-won't-they romance stood a chance.Bishop's return will stir the team dynamics in NCIS Season 23 View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWhile Bishop was a fan-favorite character and her exit left a permanent hole in the team, Jessica Knight impressively stepped up and filled in her shoes. Additionally, NCIS Season 23 is also hinting at a potential relationship between Knight and Torres, which will only get more complicated with Bishop's return. Bishop had good intentions at heart, but her abrupt exit in NCIS Season 18 did not sit right with McGee and Torres, as the two members shared a close bond with her. Now that the Fall finale has teased Bishop's return, it will surely affect the team dynamics.The NCIS Season 23 Fall finale saw Bishop secretly watching her former team while they attended Parker's mother's funeral. In an interview with TV Insider, executive producer Steven D. Binder breaks down the motive behind Bishop's return:''She’s in the thick of things. She’s in a very active, very high-pressure, very tense situation. So she’s not on a beach in Tulum pontificating whether or not it’s time to return, she is forced to return by circumstance to the only people that, — well, the only people that she trusts or the only people that she’s going to screw over. We’ll see what happens.''Bishop's return is already creating buzz within the NCIS fandom and the audience is excited to see her in action again. While Binder was tight-lipped about how many episodes Bishop will be back for, the Winter premiere will likely give some much-needed answers about her time away from the team.Binder also teased how Bishop's return will possibly change Knight and Torres's dynamics in the upcoming episodes:''Knight and Torres are going to find themselves teaming up in some new and exciting ways that challenge their bond, but also deepen it. And having Bishop show up right in the middle of that is also an interesting nuance.''While Director Vance has ordered Knight to keep the details about her Elite mission a secret from the team, she will naturally team up with Torres and uncover the reason behind Bishop's return.Catch NCIS Season 23 Episode 10 (winter premiere) on CBS on February 24 at 8 p.m. ET.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.