With a procedural series as long-running as NCIS, the show has seen its fair share of cast members come and go. After Mark Harmon, the face of the NCIS universe, exited the main series in Season 19, the final original cast member was David McCallum’s Donald “Ducky” Mallard. But following the actor’s death in 2023, NCIS paid tribute to the actor and his character in Season 21. Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee may be the most-tenured main character currently in the show, but there’s one actor who has been with the series since the very beginning: Joe Spano’s Tobias Fornell.
In the NCIS series premiere, FBI Agent Fornell was a rival to NCIS Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Harmon) as they butted heads when working a case together. While he never became a main character on the show, he would go on to be featured in at least one episode every season except Seasons 17 and Season 22 (so far). The rivalry between Fornell and Gibbs was always something to look forward to as fans enjoyed seeing them slowly become friends with each new episode together. Fornell became such a staple for NCIS that he was featured in the series’ 200th episode and the franchise’s 1000th episode. But with Gibbs exiting the series and Gary Cole’s Alden Parker taking over the position, Fornell’s appearances were cut down since he didn’t have his best friend to play off of anymore. Because of this, the latest NCIS episode has found a way to subtly say goodbye to Fornell.
The NCIS and FBI Rivalry Continues With Alden Parker and Wayne Sweeney
In NCIS Season 19, Parker, who was working with the FBI then, was tasked by FBI Deputy Director Wayne Sweeney (Erik Passoja) to arrest Gibbs for his abuse of justice. But after seeing how righteous Gibbs is, Parker lets him go and gets fired. While Parker lands a job as the new Major Crimes Response Team leader at NCIS, his reputation with the FBI is tainted. In Season 22, Episode 4, the feud between NCIS and the FBI escalates as Parker and Sweeney argue over their methods to prevent a potential World War III. This plays out similarly to Gibbs and Fornell’s first interactions in the NCIS series premiere, as they fought over jurisdiction in a case that threatened the U.S. President’s life. Like Gibbs in that episode, Parker operates behind the FBI’s back to solve the problem and earn their respect.
At the end of NCIS Season 22, Episode 4, Sweeney and Parker come to a mutual understanding about their different job approaches and tease a friendship in the making. By having Parker and Sweeney step in to fill the beloved dynamic Gibbs and Fornell had, it’s all the more reason that Fornell’s time on NCIS has come to an end. Although Fornell stuck around after Gibbs left, his presence doesn’t feel the same without Gibbs to bounce off of. Considering that Parker and Fornell both worked for the FBI, it could’ve been an interesting approach to see more of them together. But with the time they’ve had together on NCIS so far, the dynamic between Parker and Fornell doesn’t work as well since they’re very similar. While Spano or the NCIS creative team haven’t commented on Fornell’s time being done on the series, this latest episode is a good way to honor his legacy.
How Alden Parker and Wayne Sweeney’s New Dynamic Changes ‘NCIS’
With Gibbs no longer part of NCIS, the series has slowly given more character development to Parker to be seen as his own person instead of just a replacement. While Parker and Sweeney have some similarities to Gibbs and Fornell, this new friendship is more interesting because Sweeney is the FBI Deputy Director. At the same time, Alden is an NCIS Lead Agent. As much as they may butt heads, there’s an imbalance of power between them, which could lead to fun interactions.
While NCIS Deputy Director Gabriel LaRoche (Seamus Dever) has not been featured since the Season 22 premiere, McGee investigating him could eventually lead to the position opening again. Parker could start to see the appeal of being NCIS Deputy Director after observing how Sweeney operates as FBI Deputy Director and throwing his hat in the ring. Sweeney could end up using his authority over Parker one too many times and cause Parker to start working towards being NCIS Deputy Director. It not only adds drama to their friendship, but it could create tension between Parker and McGee. With only four episodes into NCIS Season 22, the episodes continue to generate interesting theories for the rest of the season.
NCIS Season 22 airs Monday nights on CBS in the U.S., with new episodes available the next day on Paramount+.