In NCIS season 22, episode 4, the show finally resolves the last loose ends left by Leroy Jethro Gibbs, three years after Mark Harmon exited the CBS procedural. After nearly two decades leading the team, Gibbs retired in season 19, having finally found peace in Alaska. Though NCIS: Origins might bring new stories related to Gibbs, in the flagship series, Tim McGee left his former boss behind in Naktok Bay. Gibbs’ departure left a significant gap for the Major Case Response Team (MCRT), as he had served as its backbone for twenty years. Despite a few challenges, the show successfully rebuilt its ensemble, and now in season 22, NCIS has one of its most stable casts in years. However, the impact of Gibbs’ dramatic exit continues to ripple through the team, lingering in ways that are only now being fully addressed.
Gibbs’ final case and his departure put Alden Parker, his successor, at odds with the FBI—a tension that has haunted him ever since. In season 19, episode 4, “Great Wide Open,” Gibbs took Parker with him to Alaska to investigate a murder, even as the FBI was preparing to arrest him. FBI Deputy Director Wayne Sweeney was intent on apprehending Gibbs, not only for his actions on the current case but also for his history of unconventional justice. Yet Parker came to see Gibbs for who he truly was: a good man and a dedicated agent. Parker’s refusal to arrest Gibbs cost him his FBI career, and he later accepted an offer to lead the MCRT, receiving Gibbs’ blessing for the role. Nevertheless, Parker’s relationship with the FBI has remained strained ever since, fueling an ongoing tension between the two agencies over jurisdiction.
With this recent episode, NCIS has finally addressed the unresolved issues that Gibbs’ departure left behind, bringing closure to the long-standing storyline and allowing the team to fully move forward.
