'NCIS' star opens up on surprise Leroy Jethro Gibbs ending ahead of Season 23 finale
'NCIS' shocked viewers with an apt Leroy Jethro Gibbs reference in its penultimate episode. While Mark Harmon did not physically appear in the episode, Gibbs' presence was heavily implied as an enforcer of justice. Former Army CID director Rogers, who was responsible for Leon Vance's death, managed to cut a deal with the Justice Department. The deal granted him complete immunity from charges, including arms trafficking, conspiracy, and more.
However, Agent Parker could not stand by and let the man responsible for Vance's death walk free. So when the system failed to uphold justice, he seemingly chose to go the "Gibbs way." Rogers was sniped from 4,500 feet away while being transported to a secret new location after his car broke down. Talking about the episode with TV Insider, Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Agent Nick Torres, said, "I don’t know who called Gibbs, but definitely someone who knows him. I’ll tell you that."
Valderrama's statement strongly suggests that someone from the Navy Yard contacted Gibbs. It's also possible that Parker was not the only person involved in Rogers' killing. Before being taken out, Rogers was hiding in a secret location with his cartel associates. Nick Torres was the one who apprehended him. However, the former CID director was one step ahead and had already secured a deal with the Justice Department in exchange for vital secret intel. Torres had Rogers at gunpoint while the fugitive negotiated the deal. In the same interview, Valderrama said that if the Justice Department had not been involved at that moment, Torres would have shot him. "I think there’s a part of the new Torres that held him back, but the old Torres would have just not missed the opportunity to get the job done. Even if that means that he loses the badge. For him, I think ‘justice at all costs necessary’ is really who he is."
However, other 'NCIS' agents, including Torres, appeared genuinely surprised when they learned about Rogers' death. Parker maintained that he had nothing to do with the incident when his sister Harriet questioned him. He said that he did not possess the skill to snipe someone from 4,500 feet away, as only a few people could make that shot. However, he never mentioned that he knew someone capable of doing it. Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez, the man responsible for murdering his wife and daughter, with a long shot. The episode strongly implies that Parker may have called Gibbs for help and that together they avenged their friend. However, Gibbs' involvement remains only a theory for now, one that Parker may be the only one to confirm. The 'NCIS' Season 23 finale airs on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET on Hulu.
