'NCIS' quietly brought back Leroy Jethro Gibbs — and we're sure you did not notice
The latest 'NCIS' episode left fans with more questions than answers, setting up the finale on a morally ambiguous note. The episode, titled 'Deal with the Devil,' is about the pursuit of justice, which often gets lost in legal entanglements. Furthermore, it also featured an emotional tribute to a guest star. CID Director Wayne Rogers, the man responsible for Director Leon Vance's death, finds a loophole and manages to get away, only to be shot dead by a mysterious sniper. Earlier in the episode, Tim McGee and Nick Torres discuss using Gibbs' method to take down Rogers, that is, using a sniper from 1,500 yards. Fans know from the lore that Gibbs killed his family's murderer, Pedro Hernandez, in the same way. Though Mark Harmon's character doesn't appear physically in the episode, there is a hint that he might have worked with Agent Alden Parker to bring justice to Rogers in their own way.
Agent Parker is angry and distressed after Rogers cuts a deal with the Justice Department in exchange for vital secret information. The success of this deal means that the corrupt officer will walk free with full immunity. After hearing about this deal, Parker landed in jail because he punched the Assistant District Attorney. His sister, Navy Vice Admiral Harriet Parker, bails him out. When all hope seems lost, Parker tells her about Ricky Quinn, a boy he knew from childhood who would get away with bad behavior because his father was the Chief of Police. However, someone eventually took matters into their own hands and killed him in a hit-and-run after tampering with his car’s alternator. The case further complicates when the Los Verdugos cartel attempts to take Rogers' life. Later, it turns out that the cartel was actually trying to set him free because he knew the location of the missiles they wanted.
The 'NCIS' team manages to track the cartel's location and apprehend Rogers. But he has already made another deal with the Justice Department in exchange for more secret intel. As Rogers is being driven to a secret new location, he is killed by a sniper from 4,500 feet away. Harriet gives Parker the news, telling him that the alternator on Rogers' car was tampered with, causing the convoy to stop and creating the opportunity for the sniper. Parker brushes it off, telling her that he doesn't have the skills to make such a shot. Fans of the show know that the one person in Parker's circle who could take that shot is Gibbs. The 'NCIS' Season 23 finale will air on May 12 at 8.00 p.m. ET.
