NCIS Season 23 Review: Parker’s Tragic Arc Breathes New Life Into the Long-Running Series

After a lengthy hiatus, NCIS season 23 comes back with the fallout from the murder of Alden Parker’s dad, and despite the tragedy, it’s an indication that the show still has good stories to tell. It’s no secret that the last couple of years have been a struggle for the procedural. Ratings are dropping, with Justin Hartley’s Tracker dethroning it as the most-watched offering on network TV. This opened up conversations about whether it’s time for NCIS to end.

That being said, CBS greenlighting a few spinoffs in NCIS: Sydney, NCIS: Origins, and most recently, NCIS: Tony & Ziva on Paramount+ is proof of its confidence in the IP. The network even launched what’s dubbed as “Super Tuesday” — a three-hour primetime block for the flagship, its prequel, and its international installment.

NCIS season 22 was a bit unstable in a way that there were a lot things going on, but ultimately, its main story ended up being Parker’s relationship with mob boss, Carla Marino. The pair’s rivalry reached into brand new heights when Parker Sr. was murdered. Now, the procedural opens with arguably 1 of the most intense premieres in a while.

NCIS Season 23, Episode 1 Brings Back Stakes Into The Show

Picking up not long after the NCIS season 22 finale, “Prodigal Son Part 1” sees the team learning about what happened to Parker Sr. Understandably, everyone is worried about the MCRT leader, who doesn’t waste time setting his plan to catch Carla in motion. After years of leading the team in a friendlier demeanor than Gibbs did, it’s easy to forget that Parker has a serious and scary side.

Before Gibbs’ retirement in NCIS season 19, Parker was tasked by the FBI to hunt him down. Since then, however, he has dropped his more brutal side, especially as he developed bonds with the rest of the people over at Navy Yard. The murder of his father, however, brings back this darker side of the character, which is both scary and exciting, especially in light of criticisms that NCIS has become too silly.

In connection to Parker’s more serious narrative, NCIS season 23 also effectively increases its stakes. Major deaths have become very rare in its recent years, which is a major shift for a show that killed prominent players like Kate Todd, Jenny Shephard, Mike Franks, and even Eli David and Jackie Vance in its first decade. Admittedly, Parker Sr. isn’t as big of a character, but as Knight said, the loss is still profound because it’s personal.

NCIS Season 23 Premiere Suggests The Final Evolution Of The Show After Gibbs’ Departure

Credit: CBS

With over two decades under its belt, NCIS has had to reinvent itself multiple times in the past. That being said, losing Gibbs and the rest of the original characters forced it to do a total make-over. The changes, however, have been made in increments. For starters, MCRT is now run very differently from when Gibbs was at the helm.

The facelift all starts at the top with Parker. Replacing Harmon as the team lead was always going to be very difficult, but Gary Cole has done a great job of that. Now, with his character’s tragedy, Parker can fully solidify himself as the MCRT’s face, the same way that Gibbs’ 2-part “Hiatus” storyline did for him.

NCIS season 23’s premiere is also a 2-part special, so the case continues in episode 2 of its run. The show hasn’t done this massive of an opener since “Kill Ari,” which is one of the best narratives in the show ever. Hopefully, the conclusion to this Carla Marino plot is as good as its set-up. Beyond that, NCIS needs to look at this opener as a good barometer for the tone that they want in their episodes moving forward.