As a long-time fan of NCIS, I must say I was initially concerned when Mark Harmon decided to depart from the show. But, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Gary Cole’s Alden Parker has proven to be an exceptional successor to Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The transition from one character to another wasn’t abrupt; it was more like a graceful dance, with Parker and Gibbs working together on cases before the latter stepped back.
Initially, it appeared uncertain if NCIS could continue without Mark Harmon spearheading the series as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. However, in Season 18, there were whispers that Harmon might depart from the well-loved CBS show, which eventually came true following the first four episodes of Season 19. Despite this departure, NCIS persists, with Season 22 scheduled for 2024 TV lineup. Gary Cole’s character, Alden Parker, assumes leadership promptly after Gibbs’ exit, but the transition wasn’t sudden, and Cole shared his appreciation for the gradual shift while discussing the development of Parker’s character.
Gary Cole Was Pleased With The Transition From Gibbs To Parker
Actor Gary Cole recently dropped by the season finale of “Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch” for a chat with hosts Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, who are set to reprise their roles as Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David in the streaming-exclusive spinoff “NCIS: Tony & Ziva”. In this discussion, Cole shared insights on what happened after Mark Harmon opted not to continue with “NCIS”.
It appears that Mark was considering leaving the show, and when this topic surfaced, it happened some time during seasons 18 or 19. There were rumors that they might simply end the series, but I’m not sure of the exact timeline. However, Mark eventually decided to continue for the 19th season, doing four shows alongside a new character. The way they handled it was clever – instead of having him leave and then introducing a new character later, they had them work together on the same case. This allowed for conflict and interaction between the two characters, as they both worked for the FBI.
Back in 2023, I, as a gamer, remember the buzz when Executive Producer Charles Floyd Johnson admitted that they thought Mark Harmon leaving NCIS would be a game-ending blow, but fortunately, it wasn’t. Instead, Harmon stayed on for some episodes of Season 19, making the transition from Gibbs to Parker less abrupt. Introduced as an FBI agent who crossed paths with Gibbs while investigating a common criminal, Parker was initially set to arrest him, but let him go free in Alaska, leading to his dismissal from the FBI.
Gary Cole Shared The Key Difference Between Gibbs And Parker
After “Face the Strange,” Alden Parker swiftly regained his footing, agreeing to take up Director Vance’s offer to lead the team. Despite some notable differences between Parker and Gibbs, such as Parker embracing contemporary technology and his colleagues favoring various pastries, Gary Cole shared during a podcast what NCIS executive producer Mark Horowitz revealed as the crucial factor setting these two characters apart:
Horowitz implied an interesting perspective: If Mark is seen as the strict, fear-inspiring father figure within our team, this other person takes on the role of the eccentric uncle or simply the colleague who doesn’t necessarily wield his leadership title in a commanding manner. Instead, he behaves more casually, attempting to connect with everyone else and only asserting authority when absolutely needed or for organizational purposes. This is how I approached the situation.
In his fourth season on NCIS, Gary Cole shows no signs of departing from the show any time soon. The second season has yet to delve deeper into the mysterious little girl who appeared to Alden Parker after his injury in the Season 21 finale. As it turns out, Parker doesn’t recognize her, so we can expect some answers as the season progresses. On the other hand, Mark Harmon is now serving as an executive producer and narrator for NCIS: Origins, and he even made a brief return to his role as Gibbs on camera during the first episode.
Every Monday night at 9 PM Eastern Time, I tune in to CBS for a new episode of NCIS. Once these episodes have aired, I can catch up on them and other series from the same procedural franchise by subscribing to Paramount+.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-11-17 03:37