NCIS is certainly not what it used to be, and that may not be a good thing. For a cop procedural running over 22 years, NCIS was bound to change and evolve over its seasons, but its most recent one may have taken a turn for the worse. What made the show appealing at the beginning was its ability to strike a balance between compelling cases and comedic levity, but Season 22 leans too much to the latter side. However, one of the major outcomes of the Season 22 finale can act as a launch pad to a much more balanced, nuanced Season 23, all depending on one character’s arc. The leader of the team, Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole), faces a devastating loss in the finale that could finally revamp the tonal trajectory of the show, hinting at grittier future seasons that NCIS needs.
Parker Faces a Devastating Loss in ‘NCIS’ Season 22
During Season 22, one of the major storylines revolved around the Nexus cartel, which proved to be a formidable antagonist, causing paranoia within the bureau and desperation to hunt down the leader. By the end of the season, the leader of the cartel is revealed to be Carla Marino (Rebecca de Mornay), who also shares a history with Parker. She was “the one who got away,” but in criminal sense, for Parker, as he could never convict her of any crime. In turn, she reveals that she blames him for her son’s death, which leads to the closing scenes where Marino takes away someone Parker dearly loved: his father. He finds Roman Parker’s (Francis X. McCarthy) lifeless body at home, with two wine glasses set out next to him, one with a red lipstick mark.
Aside from the devastating personal cost, Roman’s death also stole away Parker’s most straightforward chance at finding out who Lily was, the mysterious little girl whom Parker had hallucinated since the Season 21 finale. She was connected to his mother’s death and thus, probably represents some psychological conflict about his past. Between the two losses, it does seem like there is a personal vendetta against Marino on the horizon, or at least some psychological darkness. Thus far, Parker’s characterization has been fairly relaxed and amicable, so this catalyst is bound to make a huge change to his personality. And as the leader of the team, this will trickle down to the rest of the characters, changing what Season 23 could look like.
‘NCIS’ Season 23 Needs Darker Undertones To Refresh Itself
A shift as dark as this in Parker’s personal life might be exactly what NCIS needs to get its edge back. Compared to previous seasons, the latest one has been far more frivolous in its tone, which undermines some of the more serious storylines in the show. Looking more directly into Parker, his arc included seeing hallucinations of a little girl and trying to dig up his traumatic past. This has the makings of a darker storyline, but between Parker’s generally easy-going attitude and even the subplot of trying to evade the therapist, the arc was too light. Every time Parker reached an emotional moment, we were rudely tugged out by a goofy or sarcastic comment that was unrelated to the arc, dragging us back into light-hearted fun. Frivolity was running rampant in the office, and it impacted the entire show, not just Parker’s plot.
But the finale actually leans into Parker’s grief, letting the entire narrative beat play out with all the pain and heart it deserves, making us hope the future season will follow suit. As the leader of the team, Parker’s mental health and personality will greatly impact his leadership style. As such, if he is armed with a personal vendetta, this darkness should logically impact the rest of the team and how they handle the weekly cases, giving the show a macabre tonal shift. NCIS doesn’t need to plunge itself into vengeance and melancholy, but adding a healthy dose of them may ground the show. So, even though the plot point in question, Roman’s death, is technically only within Parker’s personal storyline, it has enough indirect implications that it could change the very fabric of the show.
Parker and Gibbs’ Leadership Styles May Collide in ‘NCIS’
Our speculations on how Parker’s characterization could affect NCIS are reminiscent of another character who practically defined the show. The idea of a leader seeking revenge isn’t alien to NCIS, as Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) often proves himself to be vengeful when required. From killing Pedro Hernandez, who murdered his wife and daughter, to hunting down a criminal who killed a team member, Gibbs eagerly steps in when the law doesn’t feel like enough. During these periods, the show still strikes that balance between levity and depth, but there was a grittier, more dangerous edge that drove the respective seasons forward. And this is exactly what NCIS Season 23 needs to re-capture again.
When the torch was passed from Gibbs to Parker, the latter had unthinkable shoes to fill. But by adopting his own leadership style, marked by openness and warmth, Parker was actually a refreshing and likable descendant. As such, we don’t need Parker to fully regress into some latent version of Gibbs, where he is cold, mean, and ruthless, but this character development could give Parker darker nuances that would shake up his character and, through him, the show. NCIS needs to find its balance again, but we can tentatively raise our hopes for this if Parker’s gut-wrenching loss in the Season 22 finale is any indication of the show’s future tonal shift.
