Agent Parker Has Now Become NCIS’ Perfect Gibbs Replacement
NCISnewcomer Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) has become the perfect replacement for the show’s long-standing character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Viewers’ hearts sank in 2021 when actor Mark Harmon announced he was stepping down from the CBS show. Special Agent Gibbs first appeared in the NCIS pilot episode “Yankee White,” and has been integral to the show's storylines ever since, so the announcement of a new team leader initially led to resistance—both off and on-screen.
On the face of it, Leroy Jethro Gibbs is NCIS; not even Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo could replace Gibbs. Harmon not only has appeared in the procedural drama since day one, but he is also executive producer of many episodes. His final episode in season 19, episode 4, “Great Wide Open,” coincided with the proper introduction of Agent Parker, initially playing an FBI agent sent to arrest Gibbs in season 19, episode 2, “Nearly Departed.” Instead, they struck up a bizarre partnership, perhaps through a shared experience of working in the field, which saw Parker take Gibbs’ side over his orders from the agency.
Related: Why Mark Harmon Almost Quit NCIS During Season 4
From the moment that Alden Parker appeared on NCIS, he brought a surprisingly refreshing dimension to the show, despite initially being perceived as an antagonist. He’s more laid-back and casual in many ways than Gibbs, but is just as focused on getting the job done. He was never meant to be Gibbs #2; Gary Cole confirmed that Alden Parker was not going to replace Gibbs during an interview, saying “Part of my job description is to get comfortable, whatever that takes. I’m not trying to be [Gibbs]. The writers made that distinction.” (via TV Insider). This acknowledgment is key to his character’s
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