‘NCIS’ Kills off Important Character

In a stunning conclusion to the Season 22 finale of CBS’s long-running procedural drama, NCIS, viewers witnessed the unexpected demise of Roman Parker, father to Special Agent Alden Parker.

The episode’s final moments revealed the elder Parker’s lifeless body with clear evidence suggesting his murder was orchestrated by crime boss Carla Marino, portrayed by Rebecca De Mornay.

The shocking death came as Agent Parker (Gary Cole) returned home following an intense day that had forced him into an uneasy partnership with Marino. The camera’s deliberate pan to two wine glasses on the table—one bearing the distinct imprint of lipstick—provided the unmistakable implication that Marino had orchestrated this personal attack as revenge against Parker, according to Parade’s exclusive interview with Cole.

“I thought certainly it was jarring. But I thought it was certainly a dynamic ending,” Cole explained to Parade, reflecting on the conclusion. “As an actor, I really like working with Francis [X. McCarthy]. Now that’s not to say, especially in the world of television, that we won’t work again, because there’s always these things called flashbacks.”

The storyline reaches back to earlier revelations that Marino harbors deep resentment toward Parker for his role in her son’s death. As Cole elaborated, “In his mind, that’s part of the cruelty of the act, aside from the fact that it’s just murder. But it’s murder with an intention towards him.” This personal vendetta transforms what might have been simply another crime scene into something far more emotionally devastating for the typically composed agent.

While NCIS showcases team-based investigations weekly, this development pushes the narrative into more personal territory, potentially setting up a revenge arc for Parker in the upcoming Season 23. Cole speculated about his character’s potential response, suggesting that Parker might “go beyond protocol and what’s acceptable inside law enforcement to exact revenge,” though he clarified this was merely his personal assessment rather than confirmed storyline information.

The finale intentionally created connections between this murder and other ongoing mysteries, particularly the season-long subplot involving Parker’s hallucinations of a girl named Lily and newly discovered inconsistencies regarding his mother’s death certificate. NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder acknowledged to TVLine that these seemingly disparate elements might converge in future episodes.

“When you’re planning these things — where we’re going to go and what we’re going to do — sometimes things naturally want to connect to themselves, and then we, as the writer, get excited by that because it deepens the tapestry,” Binder explained to TVLine. He further teased that the production team “love[s] the idea of connecting those two, and we’re going to work to do it.”

The showrunner also indicated that viewers should consider multiple interpretations of Roman’s death, including the possibility that it connects to secrets about Parker’s mother and the mysterious Lily. When directly asked if Roman might have been killed because of information he possessed about Lily, Binder responded cryptically: “I do. I do [want viewers considering that].”

While the finale resolved some storylines—including revealing that DOJ Inspector Gabriel LaRoche (Seamus Dever) had been working undercover to infiltrate the Nexus cartel—it simultaneously launched several compelling narrative threads for Season 23. Binder shared with TVLine his intention to accelerate the pacing of background stories in the upcoming season, moving away from the extremely slow-burning mysteries of previous television episodes.

Fans disappointed by the death of Roman Parker might find comfort in Cole’s suggestion to Parade that flashbacks could bring McCarthy back to the screen. Meanwhile, Binder confirmed to TVLine that they hope to bring De Mornay back as the vengeful Carla Marino, setting up what promises to be an emotionally charged opening to Season 23.

The production team has indicated there likely won’t be a significant time jump when the show returns, with Binder telling TVLine, “We’re going to keep the heat going [on the Parker storyline],” suggesting viewers won’t have to wait long to see how Parker processes his father’s murder and pursues justice—or perhaps vengeance—against those responsible.