Warning: SPOILERS for NCIS season 22, episode 20, “Nexus.”

Just after it seemed like the biggest late-season twist in NCIS season 22 finale.

The MCRT now knows who they’re truly up against, but The Butcher’s identity was unfortunately revealed with a deadly twist that will continue to have ramifications through NCIS season 23. Not only was NCIS unprepared to learn the truth, but it turned out that The Butcher was someone who’d been tormenting one member of the team for years. As soon as their identity was learned, the latest NCIS villain became more dangerous than ever in ways that could affect the entire tone of the show.

NCIS Season 22 Finale Establishes Carla Marino As Season 23’s Villain

It Turned Out The So-Called “Butcher” Never Even Existed

Part of the reason Seamus Dever’s Gabriel LaRoche had been acting so sneaky and villain-like turned out to be because the Secretary of Defense asked him to betray NCIS in order to get closer to Nexus. In the end, it turned out that the face and voice of The Butcher were entirely AI-generated by Kansas City mob boss Carla Marino. She pretended she would help MCRT get closer to Nexus in exchange for immunity, but that was all part of a plan to get closer to Parker.

It was already established less than halfway through the season that Parker has been after Marino since his FBI days, and it was suspected mere weeks ago that she was behind the cartel’s nuclear train heists. However, they could never find enough evidence to formally charge her, and she seemed to be a red herring. In reality, Marino was gathering nuclear materials to attack other mob bosses with a dirty bomb. But that was only part of her plan, and there are hints the rest might tie into Parker’s NCIS Lily mystery.

Why Carla Marino Is So Effective As NCIS’ New Big Bad

Her History With Parker Just Became More Contentious Than Ever

Carla blames Parker for the death of her son because she feels his motorcycle crash wouldn’t have occurred if the former FBI agent didn't call him in for an interview. It could be a coincidence, but it seems convenient this reveal occurs right as Jimmy’s uncovering oddities in the death certificate for Parker’s mother, whose own vehicle crash is related to the ghost of Lily that Parker’s been seeing. There are some fans theorizing that Carla and Lily are the same person, but they don’t need that kind of connection for her to rank among the best NCIS villains.

The concept of a villain with long-standing ties to a main character isn’t new to NCIS, having been first explored with Rudolf Martin’s Ari Haswari, Ziva’s half-brother who appeared in season 1. Carla and Lily being the same person would prove shocking, but they already had a long-standing rivalry even before the season 22 finale ended with her killing his father. She’s now proven that she gets even with people by hurting those they love, and that means even side characters like Delilah and Jimmy’s daughter might not be safe in NCIS season 23.

What To Expect From Carla & Parker’s Conflict In NCIS Season 23

The MCRT May Have To Work With Criminals Occasionally

Not only is Carla Marino the most dangerous threat to the MCRT in years, but her turn as villain has the potential to result in some of the best NCIS episodes in some time. While she certainly escalated her feud with Parker by killing his father, Parker also escalated her battle for gang control by revealing her bomb to the other leaders. Assuming Carla hasn’t given up on her plan to eliminate her competition, NCIS season 23 could take place during a bloody mob war during which the MCRT has to actively protect violent criminals.

This could even lead to temporary criminal alliances, something the series has dabbled with in the past. One of the last times was enough to completely change T.J. Thyne’s Fletcher Voss from a failed villain into a legitimate friend of McGee’s, so there’s no telling what further developments NCIS could make with similar storylines in the future. Such alliances would also naturally lead to a lot of backstabbings, so season 23 could present the MCRT with some of their highest stakes to date if the series makes the most of Carla’s influence.

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