NCIS season 22, episode 10, “Baker’s Man,” continues a frustrating trend for Gary Cole’s Alden Parker. NCIS season 22 has a standard case for its midseason return with a few significant twists. Despite lacking a Navy connection, Parker’s Major Case Response Team (MCRT) investigates a murder at a bakery, which happens to be his favorite one in the city. He drops by Kostakis Bakery, run by Eleni Kostakis (guest star Melina Kanakaredes), in the morning, not knowing that a crime is taking place in its backroom.
MCRT takes on the case after discovering that Eleni’s assistant, Virgil Wilson (Jordyn Owens), left Parker an urgent message for help in his pastry box when he visited Kostakis Bakery that morning. While Virgil’s murder initially looks like a robbery gone wrong, Eleni Kostakis is actually at the center of a drug war, with a local dealer named Arturo Jiménez (Carlos Javier Rivera) forcing the baker to cook cocaine into meringue cookies in exchange for the other half of a loan. Luckily, the NCIS season 22 team discovers Parker’s crush is being extorted just in time.
Parker’s Budding Romance In NCIS Season 22, Episode 10 Goes Nowhere
Parker And Eleni Have A Wasted Spark
“Baker’s Man” hints that Parker has a crush on Eleni Kostakis, which the episode leans on throughout its run. Despite NCIS season 22, episode 10, featuring a romantic spark between Parker and Eleni, their burgeoning affair ends up nowhere. Despite Eleni pushing Alden away, he cares for her throughout the episode and insists on solving her case, saving her life and her nephew, Manuel Lopez.
Despite their chemistry, Eleni tells Parker after the investigation that the timeline of Kostakis Bakery reopening is uncertain because she is considering a return to Greece.
Parker and Eleni’s spark is a fun development since NCIS teased his next romance several times without a satisfying conclusion. However, by the end of “Baker’s Man”, Parker’s love life hit another abrupt end. Despite their chemistry, Eleni tells Parker after the investigation that the timeline of Kostakis Bakery reopening is uncertain because she is considering a return to Greece. It’s a let-down for Parker, not just because he will miss out on his favorite Mediterranean goodies. Their immediate separation with an uncertain reunion effectively cuts their developing relationship short.
Why Parker Needs A Romantic Arc In NCIS Season 22
NCIS Teases Parker’s Love Life Disappointingly
NCIS season 22 missed an opportunity for Parker because the team leader has been without love for too long. Parker is single when his role in the series kicks off after Mark Harmon’s NCIS exit as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Parker falling for someone, whether it lasted or not, would motivate Cole’s character to open up. We have yet to see Parker fall in love, and NCIS taking the leader’s flings further could improve the show significantly.
Alden has had a couple of potential flames since he joined Washington’s MCRT, including Parker’s teased romance with Navy Commander Clara Logan (Christina Kirk) in NCIS season 21. Parker also gave Dr. Grace Confalone (Laura San Giacomo) a kiss on the head in NCIS season 22, episode 8. The development suggests Parker opening up to a new romance, whether he realizes it or not. As the franchise did with Leroy Jethro Gibbs, using relationships and personal backstory to explore who the team leader is a few seasons into his run would be a wise choice for NCIS season 22.
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