After four years, Timothy McGee is being haunted by a major mistake that might even force him to leave the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) in NCIS season 23. While not part of the Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ original JAG team, McGee is regarded as one of the best agents of the Navy Yard squad.
McGee only joined Gibbs’ MCRT gang several episodes in NCIS season 1. Even then, he was only a recurring character. That was until he boarded the team and became the new “probie.” It has been over two decades since then, and now, McGee is arguably Gibbs’ best protégé. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like NCIS know what to do with him.
Since Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo Jr. left NCIS to raise Tali, McGee became Gibbs’ second-in-command. It has been several years since Mark Harmon’s character retired in Alaska, and yet, his best agent remains in the same position that he left the agent in. McGee wants to move up, but has no one else to blame but himself regarding his predicament.
Timothy McGee Is Stuck In His MCRT Role In NCIS
McGee Has No More Upward Mobility In The Agency
All members of the MCRT bring something integral to the team. This is why they remain to be effective in their job despite the many challenges, both professional and personal, thrown their way. Besides being in Navy Yard the longest, however, McGee is perhaps the most experienced in terms of the job that they do at the headquarters.
In NCIS season 22, however, McGee’s personal issue, which had been bubbling on the surface for a few years, finally boiled over. While Alden Parker and the rest of the team were dealing with their respective woes, Sean Murray’s character was seeking a major promotion to be the new NCIS Deputy Director.
Admittedly, the position has barely been focused on. NCIS keeps a small ensemble that is composed mainly of the MCRT members, the medical examiner and forensic scientist, and the director, which has been Leon Vance for a couple of decades now. Regardless, McGee being a Deputy Director would have moved his story forward — a welcome development after years of stagnation.
It’s also worth noting that it was the only position that McGee could realistically be promoted within the organization. Despite rumors of Vance’s retirement, it doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere. Meanwhile, Parker is firmly MCRT’s lead. Unfortunately, McGee failed to secure the promotion, leaving him stuck as a Senior Field Agent if he wanted to stay in the agency.
McGee Refused The Promotion To Replace Gibbs In NCIS Season 19
Gibbs’ Vacated Position Was The Perfect Next Step For McGee
Somehow, it feels like NCIS backed itself into a corner when it comes to McGee’s current status. The show could have simply given him the Deputy Director role and made it more relevant. Unfortunately, McGee’s seemingly unsolvable issue is actually his own fault.
On the heels of Gibbs’ retirement in NCIS season 19, the position to be MCRT’s Supervisory Special Agent was offered to McGee. It seemed fitting, both in front and behind the camera, for Murray to step into that role, considering his ties to the show and Harmon. However, McGee turned it down, arguing that it wasn’t the job he wanted.
Nick Torres was livid about his choice, knowing full well that no one else was more deserving of the role. However, McGee was firm in his decision to pass on the promotion, paving the way for Parker to be brought in.
Having worked with Gibbs, McGee didn’t want to do more desk work on top of his existing responsibilities. Nick Torres was livid about his choice, knowing full well that no one else was more deserving of the role. However, McGee was firm in his decision to pass on the promotion, paving the way for Parker to be brought in.
Had McGee accepted the role of Supervisory Special Agent back in NCIS season 19, he would have been in a position that he could stay in for years to come. He wouldn’t have to wonder if he has outgrown his time in Navy Yard and if it’s better to just move on from the agency.
Now, McGee is forced to make a decision: stay in his current role even though he can do more or leave MCRT in pursuit of a higher job. NCIS has already kept his career arc in limbo, it cannot continue doing that for much longer. The CBS show needs to make a definitive choice about McGee’s future soon.
McGee Would Have Been The Best MCRT Agent To Take Over MCRT After Gibbs
Parker Is Great, But McGee Is Gibbs’ Mentee
Because he worked with Gibbs’ the longest, there wasn’t any doubt that McGee was the perfect person to fill the void that the beloved character left. Harmon’s character even said it himself during their last goodbye in Alaska — he couldn’t have a better person to have his back in almost two decades.
Beyond that, McGee is also a homegrown NCIS employee. He started as a probie and climbed his way up. From a storytelling perspective, he’s the type of lead that is so easy to root for. Not that Parker is not doing a great job, but McGee and the rest of NCIS’ best team just have a special place in people’s hearts.
How NCIS season 23 resolves its glaring McGee issue is anyone’s guess at this point. Regardless, however, 1 thing is for sure: the show can’t simply ignore it.
