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Parker isn't leaving NCIS but we expect a dive into his childhood trauma in season 22

NCIS may delve deeper into Parker's past in Season 22 and what kind of trauma drives the intrepid agent on!

By Michael Weyer

Gary Cole as Alden Parker from the CBS Original Series NCIS, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. -- Photo: Art Streiber/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Gary Cole as Alden Parker from the CBS Original Series NCIS, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. -- Photo: Art Streiber/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. /
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NCIS just wrapped up season 21 and it looks like season 22 is going to delve more into Parker’s rough past! 

Caution: This article has SPOILERS for the NCIS season 21 finale

The NCIS producers had hinted that the NCIS season 21 finale might bring changes to the team, with some concerns that Alden Parker (Gary Cole) might be departing. Parker and Knight (Katrina Law) were investigating a ship that was a murder scene when someone locked them inside it.

During the attempted rescue, Parker was severely injured and hallucinated a little girl named Lily. That included remembering being on a ship with his mom chewing him out for not keeping an eye on the girl. Parker wouldn’t tell Knight who Lily was or why she was so important.

The departure focus was more on Knight, who ended the season agreeing to a promotion that would take her away from the team and Jimmy. Yet it sounds like season 22 might delve more into Parker’s past, which is overdue.

What is Parker’s trauma in NCIS?

While Parker has been with NCIS for a while, we still don’t know that much about his past. We’ve met his dad and know he was a juvenile delinquent who joined the Marines, then the FBI. Aside from that and an ex-wife, not much is known about his upbringing or what drives him on.

It’s interesting that when Knight asked who Lily was, Parker claimed to have no idea. He might be lying, or he honestly doesn’t remember, hinting at some sort of past trauma he’s suppressed.

The logical explanation is that Lily was Parker’s sister, and something happened to her when they were kids. It must have been so awful that Parker buried the memory, but it’s still there and would explain more about his attitude and that sharp temper that pops up now and then.

Season 21 didn’t give us as much time to delve into the characters because of the shorter episode count. Season 22 should restore it to a full season which means more opportunities to focus on Parker. He might talk to his dad about “Lily” and maybe we’ll find out more about his mom, who passed away.

This will follow Parker's near-death experience, which will obviously be a factor as he recovers in the next season. Linking that to Lily is a nice way to show how Parker adjusts after this trauma.

It’s past time NCIS gave us more about who Parker was and how he got to be this way. Thus, season 22 can showcase Parker’s unraveling of who Lily is and add in more of his past to give the character more depth. The new season debuts in Fall 2024 alongside NCIS: Origins. Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for news and coverage!

NCIS season 21 is streaming on Paramount+.

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