Dr. Samantha Ryan, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, was a recurring character in the show's ninth season. A psychologist and criminal profiler, she first appeared in the episode "Psych Out" when a patient of a colleague was murdered and Gibbs' team was put on the case. With a young child of her own, she and Gibbs soon began a relationship. But unfortunately, just like all the others, their relationship wasn't meant to last. Dr. Ryan's last appearance came in the Season 9 finale.
"I must say, I like them," wrote Reddit user shanlordal of the coupling of Gibbs and Dr. Ryan. "I know they don't last ... but it would've been nice. They have a lot in common and I think they would've been great. Actually wish [the writers] kept them together."
"It would've been nice to see Gibbs in a proper relationship, one that doesn't end after a few episodes," they continued, noting that Gibbs and Dr. Ryan looked good together and that Gibbs' thing for redheads had been getting a bit old. "I just really wish I could've seen what they could've become."
U/Draano agreed they were a fun couple, largely because Harmon and Curtis had played a couple in the 2003 remake of "Freaky Friday." But not everyone loved Dr. Ryan.
A Reddit user known as oylaura found the character annoying. "She was so manipulative," they wrote. "She had an answer for everything, and had to crow about it when she knew something ahead of everybody else. She did more talking than listening. I don't know how she and Gibbs could possibly have made it work for any length of time."
Meanwhile, u/ptazdba, noted that Gibbs and Dr. Ryan were both Type A personalities and that a long-term relationship probably wouldn't have worked. Still, there is something to be said about committing to a real romantic storyline for your lead, and it's a shame "NCIS" never allowed Gibbs to find love again after the death of his first wife.
