NCIS Season 22 Finale Shockingly Ends With a Major Character’s Death

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Warning: SPOILERS for the NCIS episode “Nexus” are ahead!

Previously, Wilmer Valderrama announced that the finale of NCIS Season 22 would feature a significant death. However, unlike my initial predictions, it wasn’t any of the characters I had anticipated. The recently concluded episode, titled “Nexus,” revealed that Gary Cole’s character Alden Parker discovered his father, Roman (played by Francis X. McCarthy), poisoned by Rebecca De Mornay’s character Carla Marino, the leader of the Kansas City mob. This dramatic scene served as a powerful conclusion to this season, and Cole expressed finding it “intimidating” to film what is undoubtedly Parker’s most emotionally draining moment on NCIS so far.

This episode took several unexpected turns after last week’s major upheaval in the LaRoche storyline, and one of the most significant twists was that Carla Marino had become the new leader of Nexus, the drug cartel causing problems since Season 22. Even though it’s known that she and Parker have been enemies for years, it was still shocking to learn that Carla resorted to murdering Roman. During my interview with Gary Cole today, he expressed satisfaction with how this plot twist unfolded.

In our final performance, they certainly pulled out all the stops. I found the conclusion particularly thrilling and well-crafted, with an unexpected twist that I appreciate. It was exciting to perform such a tense scene. Despite the pressure of having multiple events unfold swiftly in the closing moments, I believe the build-up was skillfully done.

In the episode “Knight and Day,” it’s revealed that Carla Marino was a long-time target of Alden Parker when he worked at the FBI. When she reappeared in “Nexus” to assist NCIS, there was already plenty of interest surrounding her. However, it turns out that Carla herself now leads the cartel, contrary to initial assumptions about The Butcher. Nexus aimed to steal uranium for a dirty bomb, allowing Carla to eliminate rival crime family leaders. Yet, she was also determined to retaliate against Parker, whom she blames for her son’s death.

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In another words, Carla learned that Alden Parker was the one who informed her son Jason about her illegal deeds, which ultimately led to him abandoning her and meeting a tragic end in a motorcycle crash. Following their encounter during “Nexus,” it appeared as if she intended to murder Parker, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, upon returning home, Parker found his father deceased, seated in a chair in front of the television with a bloodied shirt. When I questioned Gary Cole about getting into the appropriate mental state for this scene, he explained that he had to first prepare himself mentally to play it.

What stood out to me was indeed the significant changes or shifts you mentioned, possibly even more than one, which felt a bit daunting. My thoughts were along the lines of ‘Will this actually succeed?’ But the way it was structured, filmed, and José [Clemente Hernandez] guided it, I believe we managed to pull it off. The most obvious transition is undeniably the discovery of the body, which certainly shocks us.

In summary, why are we absolutely sure that Carla Marino is the one who killed Roman Parker? The answer lies in an earlier scene from the episode where Carla unexpectedly dropped by during dinner at Parker’s place. Unbeknownst to Roman, Carla had criminal intentions. Charming him, she managed to enter his apartment while he was away and they shared a bottle of wine together. Unfortunately, Carla tainted Roman’s drink with poison, leaving a lipstick mark on another glass that eventually led Parker to discover the truth, causing him to become enraged and smash his TV in response. This is according to Gary Cole’s narration.

Additionally, the stark realization sets in that this is a murder case, which elevates the situation significantly. Finding a deceased relative is distressing enough; learning they were murdered adds layers of emotions such as shame, guilt, fury, and confusion that can be overwhelming to deal with. This leads to an escalation of feelings towards vengeance or planning for retaliation. The destruction of property like the television was perhaps a manifestation of this impending anger and retribution.

More NCIS Exclusives

Diona Reasonover Stepped In for Pauley Perrette on NCIS, and Here’s What She Expressed Regarding Feeling a Sense of ‘Belonging’ to the Role of Kasie

(This version maintains the original meaning but slightly changes the phrase “took over” to “stepped in” to make it more natural and less aggressive, while replacing “ownership” with “belonging” for a more relatable and softer connotation.)

Recently, I had a chat with Brian Dietzen from NCIS, discussing the possibility of us co-writing an episode dedicated to David McCallum’s character. During our conversation, he shared some insights on how fans reacted to Ducky’s emotional goodbye.

Parker was highly motivated to imprison Carla Marino, but she’s gone a step further by taking away Parker’s father before his time. It remains uncertain when this storyline will unfold in NCIS Season 23, yet I find myself eagerly awaiting the development of whether Parker might resort to unlawful measures to deliver what he perceives as justice against his foe. The episode “Nexus” concluded with another hint regarding the series’ ongoing Lily enigma, as Jimmy Palmer told Jessica Knight that Parker’s mother’s original death certificate appears questionable. However, it seems that Parker may not be mentally prepared to explore this mystery at the moment.

The 23rd season of NCIS and the 2nd season of NCIS: Origins are set to air this fall. We’ll keep you updated on the exact release date and time. Additionally, NCIS: Tony & Ziva is expected to debut on Paramount+ around the same time, whereas the third season of NCIS: Sydney hasn’t been specified yet.

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2025-05-06 05:08