Is Alden Parker leaving NCIS? The Season 22 finale featured a shocking development for Gary Cole’s special agent and his team, raising questions among fans about Cole’s future with the show and whether or not Parker was bidding farewell. Ever since he joined the series in Season 19, Cole’s role as Parker has cemented him as one of the long-running series’ fan-favorite characters.
So, is Gary Cole’s Alden Parker leaving NCIS following the Season 22 finale? Here’s his future in the series explored.
Is Gary Cole’s Alden Parker leaving NCIS after Season 22?
Gary Cole’s Alden Parker is not leaving NCIS after Season 22. Neither the actor nor the show has confirmed plans for his exit.
The NCIS Season 22 finale boasted major stakes for Alden Parker. Parker and the rest of the NCIS team learned a terrible truth — Carla Marino, who had pretended to be an informant for them and the Department of Defense, was the Nexus Cartel’s real leader, aka “The Butcher.”
Carla and one of her henchmen later captured Parker. She then told him how she blamed him for her son’s death in a motorcycle accident while trying to escape her and the Cartel. Carla, however, did not kill Parker but threatened to ruin his life.
Sure enough, at the finale’s conclusion, Parker comes home to find his father, Roman, murdered. He spotted two wine glasses near his father’s corpse, hinting at his awareness of the killer’s identity.
In a recent interview with US Weekly, discussing the shocking events of the finale, Cole explained how Parker’s father’s death was a “horrific [moment].”
“Discovering somebody that’s dead who you love is one thing,” he said. “Discovering someone who you love that is dead and has been murdered is quite another thing.”
Moreover, Cole also called Parker’s father’s murder “an act of violation.” He noted how Parker would now struggle with feelings of “rage, vengefulness, guilt, and shame.” He also shared how Parker would only “[be] grieving,” had his father died naturally.
Furthermore, Cole opened up about Roman’s murder dictating Parker’s behavior and future actions in Season 23. He stressed how the manner of Roman’s death would haunt Parker and the team moving forward, considering how Carla Marino had invited herself to Parker and Roman’s house for dinner days before the murder.
