NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder debunks the biggest theory related to the Lily mystery. The question of what Lily means to Gary Cole’s Alden Parker was first introduced in the NCIS season 21 finale, which sees Parker hallucinating over a young girl in pigtails. Considering that Parker has an oddly charged dynamic with Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay), which even his co-workers tease him about, some viewers wondered if Carla could be the grown-up version of Lily.
In an interview with TVLine, coming after the show’s season 22 finale, Binder debunked the idea that Carla is a grown-up Lily. Binder’s comments came in the context of illuminating the shocking closing minutes of the finale, which see Carla go all the way with double-crossing Parker and killing his father. Binder is asked about those final moments, in the exchange below, and says that Carla can’t be the grown-up Lily:
Because until we saw the lipstick on the wine glass near Roman’s body, I was like, “Oh, damn, he got killed for something he knew about Lily.”
Right. Right. Right.
You want us to be considering that, is what you’re saying?
I do. I do. Now, Carla can’t be [grown-up] Lily, unfortunately, but—
What The Carla Twist Means For NCIS Season 23
Parker Is Livid About The Death Of His Father
Parker spent most of the NCIS season 22 finale protesting about how it’s a bad idea to trust Carla, though viewers have reason to be skeptical of his claims. The episode, which is written by Marco Schnabel and directed by José Clemente Hernandez, initially portrays Carla and Parker as two leads in a romantic comedy. Sure, she may be the matriarch of a crime syndicate. Parker’s co-workers still think he might have feelings for her, though.
Even though Parker and Carla do have a complicated history, there is nothing comedic about it. Carla turns out to be the new leader of the dangerous Nexus group. And, what’s more, Carla blames Parker for the death of her son two decades ago. This leads her to abduct Parker and confront him. And then, in the episode’s closing moments, it seems that she kills his father as retaliation and leaves Parker in shambles. This seems like it would essentially rule her out as a candidate to be Lily.
Our Take On The Latest Turn In The Lily Mystery
It May Take A Backseat
NCIS season 23 is confirmed on CBS. Even though the Lily mystery is alive and well, even getting an explicit mention in the most recent finale, Parker is likely and understandably more focused on facing the person who killed his father. Whether that means, though, that he will go all the way into the darkness is a question that will linger during the show’s hiatus.