It seems Death is about to once again come knocking on the NCIS door, and it sounds like their next victim will be a core member of the NCIS cast.
“I’m sad to announce that somebody is going to die on the show, and it’s not the victim of the week,” star Wilmer Valderrama revealed during an appearance on LIVE with Kelly and Mark. That’s right, someone will not be making it out of the season 22 finale alive. As Valderrama made clear, he’s not just talking about some random character. No, this is going to be a death that will “set the tone for season 23.”
NCIS is no stranger to killing off major characters and has brought fans some truly shocking deaths during its run on CBS – it’s been 20 years since the season 2 finale killed off Sasha Alexander’s Agent Caitlin Todd, and we’re still not over that death. Interestingly, it has been seven years since the show last killed off a series regular with the death of Duane Henry’s MI6 agent Clayton Reeves as part of a creative decision. (Yes, the show did technically kill off Dr. Donald Mallard in 2024, but the decision was made as a tribute to David McCallum, who passed away months earlier.)
While Valderrama brushed off the idea that it’s his character, Special Agent Nick Torres, being the one to die in the finale, it seems that there is no one member of the show’s current cast who is safe. In other words, we could very well be seeing a long-time cast member exiting the show in the season 22 finale. The question is, who might the show choose to kill?
That’s the million-dollar question that is going to be on our minds leading up to the season finale on May 5. If there was one character we have to admit we could see making the most sense, it would be Gary Cole’s NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker.
The death of Parker would impact each member of the team in a unique way, and it would also pave the way for a moment that many fans have been hoping to see for some time now: For McGee to officially take on the role as full-time Supervisory Special Agent, overseeing the team. As the most senior member of the team, it’s time for McGee to take charge once and for all.
Plus, it’s felt like the season has been building to Parker coming to terms with the ghosts of his past. Could it be that Parker’s visions of his mother have been foreshadowing his death, hinting that it’ll be his mother who helps guide him into the afterlife? It seems we’ll just have to wait and see!
Don't miss the NCIS season 22 finale on Monday, May 5 at 9/8c on CBS!