Leroy Jethro Gibbs' departure in season 19, but its storytelling is far from what it was during its golden years.

In of its popularity, NCIS remains one of the most-watched shows on broadcast. That said, its ratings are nowhere near what they were during Gibbs' years. Part of it comes from the rise of streaming, but I would be remiss not to acknowledge a dip in its storytelling quality. This is reflected in its ratings, with NCIS season 22 featuring the lowest-rated episodes of the entire series. Leading up to the finale, however, CBS was able to string some solid outings, improved by ongoing storylines. In the end, however, NCIS season 22 ends with an uneven final hour.

McGee Struggles To Justify His Existence In The MCRT Continues In The NCIS Season 22 Finale

LaRoche Isn't A Bad Guy, Unlike McGee's Suspicions

One of the most compelling overarching narratives in season 22 is Timothy McGee's brewing rivalry with Gabriel LaRoche. The pair's tense dynamic started when LaRoche was promoted to be the agency's Deputy Director, beating the long-time MCRT member. It didn't help that the team became suspicious of LaRoche being a mole. However, while the rest of Alden Parker's squad was able to move on from it, McGee continued to pursue it. In the NCIS season 22 finale, McGee is proven wrong, as LaRoche is revealed to be on a top-level mission to find the actual traitor.

Normally, I wouldn't be opposed to a villain-turned-good guy plot twist, but not at the expense of a character who has already been struggling to justify his spot in the show. As its longest-running cast member, and the only remaining member from NCIS' best version of the MCRT team, it isn't a good look for McGee that he spent the whole season following his gut about LaRoche, only for him to end up being wrong. This reinforces that he isn't cut out for a management position at this point, and that's frustrating to watch because he's definitely long overdue for a promotion.

Moving forward, NCIS will have to decide what the future looks like for its most veteran cast member. The harsh truth is that McGee cannot stay as a Senior Field Agent for much longer. It's a disservice to the character, especially since he is Gibbs' best prodigy. However, he cannot climb the professional ladder if things stay the same in NCIS season 23.

The NCIS Season 22 Finale Sets Parker Down An Intense & Dark Path In Season

Parker Has A Difficult Road Ahead

While McGee goes through a crisis of belonging, the NCIS season 22 finale sets up Parker to solidify his place as MCRT's new leader. Losing Gibbs was not easy. Long before the actor left, I never thought that NCIS continuing without Harmon was possible. Granted that the show needed to change certain elements of the series and pave an easier role for Gary Cole to fill in the massive void that his predecessor left, there are still remnants of Gibbs in the MCRT bullpen.

It's unlikely that NCIS will be able to fully get rid of Harmon's presence, but the best it could do is endear Parker to viewers — something that "Nexus" sets in motion. Throughout the year, the character has been given his own arcs, which include the mystery of Lily from NCIS season 21. In the season 22 finale, however, Parker's past with Carla Marino is exposed, as her involvement goes back to LaRoche's secret mole mission. As it turns out, the cartel head honcho's motivations are personal — she blames Parker for the death of her son.

We haven't seen this big of a tragedy since Clayton Reeves was killed in NCIS season 15.

Instead of wrapping up their conflict, season 22 raises the stakes higher, as Parker finds his dad murdered in his home by Carla. We haven't seen this big of a tragedy since Clayton Reeves was killed in NCIS season 15. The loss will definitely fuel Parker to seek revenge, but regardless of what happens to this plot line, seeing him lose a loved one will help people be more emotionally invested in him, which could be key to him finally carving out his own identity on the show.

Ultimately, the NCIS season 22 finale's success is dependent on which story is focused on. I'd argue that it did a great job crafting a compelling year-ender for Parker, and it's exciting to see what comes out of this tragedy in of her ongoing feud with Carla. On the other hand, I'm worried about McGee's future, as the way LaRoche's plot can lead to the show continuously stagnating the character's arc.