‘NCIS’: How Long Will Agent Parker Be Away From His Team in Season 20?
Several weeks have passed since NCIS Special Agent Alden Parker went on the run with his ex-wife Vivian Kolchak. However, things took a turn when fans realized Kolchak is in on the plan to ruin Parker and his career. So, as we anxiously await the premiere of NCIS‘s 20th season, we’re wondering just how long the team leader will be away.
Well, if you go by CarterMatt‘s count, then writers likely won’t keep Parker separated from the NCIS team for more than two episodes. When season 19 kicked off, we delved into a heavy, detailed storyline surrounding former Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Across those episodes, writers set Gibbs up for his exit from the government agency. Altogether, the finale storyline from season 18 carried into four new episodes when the series returned to CBS last fall.
Now, though, the Parker character’s newness combined with the procedural format of the show means the NCIS lead cast member won’t be away from the set for long. Instead, as per the outlet, McGee, Torres, and Knight could soon learn Kolchak’s real intentions; perhaps even during the premiere. Afterward, they’ll work fast to unravel the mess the FBI agent seemingly helped create.
If that happens to be the case, then we’ll likely see the nail-biting finale plot line come to an end relatively quickly. However, as CarterMatt highlights, that’s not to say that the Alden/Kolchak storyline won’t return later in the season. After all, NCIS‘s writers have shown us again and again just how suddenly the tide of fictional events can change.
Will ‘NCIS’ Fans See a Gibbs Return This Fall?
After his emotional exit during the fourth episode of season 19, longtime fans are d***g to see Mark Harmon reprise his role as series patriarch Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And because writers chose to leave the door open for the character’s potential return, rather than k*****g him off which is also a common decision when a cast member departs their role, Gibbs’ return isn’t exactly impossible.
That said, as showrunner Steven D. Binder has said of NCIS alum Michael Weatherly, the choice to return to the show is entirely up to the actor. Nevertheless, with filming for season 20 soon to be underway, fans of NCIS have taken to Reddit to discuss possible strategies for the character’s return.
Above all, fans pointed to the slew of problems that dot Special Agent Alden Parker’s career and specifically his time at NCIS. After getting booted from the FBI for refusing to arrest Gibbs, Parker came to NCIS quickly adapting to the role long held by Gibbs. However, less than a full season into his position with the agency, Parker is potentially facing m****r charges.
As a result, one fan wrote on the platform, “Do you all think the FBI is gunning for Agent Parker because he let Gibbs go? I was just wondering since Parker’s old boss was very heated when he reminded Parker that his job was to bring in Gibbs not set him free in Alaska.”
Sadly, more than a few fans don’t expect Gibbs’ return any time soon.
“I think Mark [Harmon] is happy to be off-screen,” one fan suggested. Another contributed, “I honestly think we’ve seen the last of Gibbs.”
