For fans of the long-running procedural NCIS, the season finale is always a high-stakes event, often filled with cliffhangers, shocking twists, and emotional goodbyes. But the build-up to the Season 22 finale was different. A pre-finale tease from actor Wilmer Valderrama (Special Agent Nick Torres) had fans on edge, as he promised a “heartbreaking” and “earth-shattering” character death that would shake the team to its core. This was not just a “murder of the week,” he warned, but a death that was “very close to us.” The show’s loyal fanbase braced for the worst, preparing themselves for the potential loss of a beloved core team member.
When the finale, titled “Nexus,” finally aired, the long-awaited death was indeed a major turning point for the series, but the identity of the victim was, for many, a surprise. The character who died was not a member of the main team, but rather Roman Parker (Francis X. McCarthy), the father of Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker. The death, while tragic and deeply impactful for the show’s new leader, was a bit of a letdown for some fans who had been led to believe a main character was on the chopping block.
The decision to kill off Roman Parker, rather than a more central character, was a calculated one by the show’s writers. It was a move designed to raise the stakes and to give Alden Parker a deeply personal and compelling motivation for Season 23. While the death may not have been “earth-shattering” for the entire team, it was absolutely “heartbreaking” for Alden Parker, and it sets the stage for a new and darker chapter for his character.
Throughout Season 22, the show had been building a long-running storyline involving a dangerous mob boss named Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay), who had a vendetta against Parker. The finale brought this storyline to a head, with Marino revealing that she holds Parker responsible for the death of her son, a direct result of Parker’s actions during his FBI days. In a final, vindictive act of revenge, Marino murders Parker’s father, Roman, as a way to get back at Parker for the pain she believes he caused her.
This shocking twist serves as a narrative turning point for Alden Parker. His character, since joining the team, has been a departure from the stoic, rule-breaking Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Parker is more of a balanced, by-the-book leader who values communication and empathy. But the death of his father throws that balance into complete disarray. This tragedy puts him on a path of revenge, transforming the character from a calm, collected leader into a “man on fire,” as showrunner Steven D. Binder put it. The move is a clever way for the show to give Parker the kind of personal stakes and moral complexity that defined the character of Gibbs for two decades.
The death of Roman Parker also sets up a compelling storyline for Season 23. Parker’s personal vendetta against Carla Marino will likely be the central theme of the new season. His drive for justice will be clouded by revenge, and his pursuit of Marino will likely push him and his team to go rogue in ways we haven’t seen before. The emotional fallout from Roman’s death is expected to have a ripple effect on the entire team, as they rally around their leader in his time of grief and rage.
While the death of Roman Parker may not have met the hype of an “earth-shattering” event for the entire audience, its impact on the show’s narrative is undeniable. It was a necessary and brutal way to give Alden Parker’s character a new and compelling direction. The show’s producers and actors have defended the choice, arguing that the death was indeed “heartbreaking” for the one person who mattered most: Parker. The show is now set to explore the darker side of its new leader, and fans can expect a much more intense and personal journey for the team in the seasons to come.
In the end, the Season 22 finale of NCIS was a powerful and emotional conclusion. It may not have killed off a main character, but it did something more impactful: it killed off a part of Alden Parker’s old self and set him on a new and dangerous path. The “heartbreaking” death of his father was not just an end; it was a beginning, and it has set the stage for a compelling new era for the show.
