Logic would dictate that Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) would be high on the list of candidates for the position. After all, he has trained under Gibbs since late in season one and he has grown tremendously to become the senior agent on the team. But when McGee was asked by former Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) why he didn’t make a play for the job, McGee told him that he passed because he’s a family man and the job requires longer hours, not as much field work, and a whole lot of paperwork. But it turns out that wasn’t entirely the truth. In a conversation with Torres, who had eavesdropped on McGee and Parker, Torres told McGee that he didn’t buy that explanation. He said, “You’re Timothy McGee, a cyber ninja. When people shoot you, you keep coming.” “It was Gibbs that shot me. Twice,” McGee said. “He put two bullets through me. It saved my life. It hurt like hell getting shot, but I can’t imagine what it felt like pulling that trigger. Who can do that? Could I do that?” Torres said, “Doubt is not weakness. Doubt is a strength. A leader without doubt … that is the guy I would be worried about.” To which McGee responded, “Nick, I don’t want to be the guy who can pull that trigger. If there’s anything I learned from Gibbs, it’s that this job is all-consuming. You know what the guy had to do to escape? He had to go to Alaska. I’ve got a family, Nick. It can’t be me. I can’t do it. It’s that simple.” Torres said he had respect for McGee, but he was still upset that Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) had given up on Gibbs too easily and offered his job to Parker. And Torres was as surprised as we were when it was revealed that it was actually Gibbs who had suggested Alden for the position. He and Vance had had a conversation from Alaska. Alden turned down the job…initially. But then a case came along while he was at the NCIS offices, and because of his past experience, he was tasked by a general to head the investigation, so he had no choice. When the case was resolved, Vance turned to Alden and said, “Very nice work,” and once again asked him if he wanted the job. Alden replied, “I just wanted to see what a regular day was like, and I was told it might spook the locals if I had plans to step in. It wasn’t my idea.” When Vance asked whose idea it was, Alden said, “I’ll take that to my grave,” but the implication is it was Gibbs. We never saw what Alden replied to Vance. But when Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) asked him what he was thinking, he said, “You want to know what I think? I think Gibbs was a lucky man.” So, it looks as if we have our new team leader. Gibbs was also the subject of a conversation between Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Ducky (David McCallum). It’s been a hard year for Palmer. He lost his wife to COVID, Bishop left, and now Gibbs, and it feels like a death to him. But Ducky told him, “Change is the essence of life. Jethro is living life again. Our pain is a small price for us to pay for his peace.” NCIS airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Next, Where’s Gibbs? Everything We Know So Far About NCIS Season 19
