Parker is about to kick off the new NCIS season with a major personal case, and his method of doing so highlights just how different the series has become since Gibbs left the building. In fact, Alden’s current storyline serves as a beautiful example of how frequent rotations in the NCIS cast of characters can change the show’s entire tone.

Fans must reach a point in NCIS season 23 at which they realize Mark Harmon’s likely never coming back. But Alden’s grieving his father while Jethro’s spending all summer trying to remember whether his girlfriend died in a car crash or not, and the NCIS season 22 finale is the perfect springboard to examine how they approach such grievances differently.

Parker Brings In His Whole Team To Solve His Dad’s Murder In NCIS Season 23

Gibbs Would Have Run Over Carla With His Boat By Now

Anyone following NCIS could already predict the next season premiere would be a Parker story. Parker’s meet-cute with Carla Marino largely fizzled out after she murdered Roman in Alden’s home, so there’s basically no way for these two crazy kids to get together without one of them donning handcuffs in a woefully unexciting way. And it’s about to get worse.

The two-part premiere of NCIS season 23 will focus heavily on Roman’s murder, even if there’s arguably at least one better use for Nancy Travis’ NCIS character. But Alden won’t be going it alone. The network’s description of the upcoming premiere suggests the whole team will be jeopardized by Parker’s revenge plot, as indicated by the logline reported by TVLine:

“Prodigal Son (Part 1)” – Reeling from his father’s murder, Parker goes to extreme lengths to hunt down the woman he holds responsible, mob boss Carla Marino, jeopardizing not only his own future but the team’s; Nancy Travis guest-stars as Parker’s sister, Navy Vice Admiral Harriet Parker.

Obviously, this is a carefully worded logline to be taken with half a grain of salt. For instance, the reference to Carla as “the woman [Parker] holds responsible” leaves room for doubt as to whether she actually is responsible. But the fact that Parker’s hunt for Carla jeopardizes his entire team is another conversation altogether, highlighting his differences from Gibbs.

Jethro wouldn’t involve his entire team in a revenge plot. He’d do it on his own. There’s one episode that takes place in a ghostly diner in which Gibbs sees how his team might survive without him, and we learn that Jethro doesn’t see himself as sitting at the same table as those whose lives he feels sworn to protect.

Much like he did before Jennifer Esposito’s Quinn left NCIS, Gibbs is there to hear about others’ personal struggles yet plays his own close to the vest. Parker has been leaning on Jess even more heavily than Quinn leaned on Gibbs, suggesting he’s less inclined to handle things without help. And, frankly, that’s a necessary change.

Why The MCRT Has Had To Evolve After Gibbs’ Retirement In NCIS Season 19

A Direct Gibbs Replacement Never Would Have Worked

One major issue with managing a long-running series that goes through multiple cast changes is that the new fish can never escape comparisons to the actors and characters who preceded them. Gibbs and Parker are different characters because they were never meant to be too similar in the first place, as Parker would then become nothing but a cheap imitation.

Gibbs’ departure was never going to work equally for everyone, but CBS has come under enough fire over recent cancelations that NCIS doesn’t need to be the next one. Parker works as Jethro’s replacement because he’s a good boss with a slightly more laid-back attitude, and that vibe shift helps keep the show fresher than a direct Gibbs clone would.

Springing forward from that, NCIS had to face the challenge of making Parker as memorable as Gibbs, which is hardly a small feat. Parker’s NCIS season 23 revenge plot will certainly cement him into memory, but the fact that Alden’s handling this storyline differently than Gibbs might is central to his characterization. We need to feel them as distinct characters.

Unfortunately, many fans are still inclined to take issue with the fact that switching these characters in particular results in a philosophical shift regarding how the MCRT is run. Gibbs had two decades to set a tone that Parker’s leadership style largely abandons, but Alden’s focus on collaboration and emotional vulnerability also heralds a bright future for the NCIS franchise.

NCIS’ Brand New MCRT Dynamic Can Define Its Future

Prolonging A Series For This Many Years Has Its Pros And Cons

Not all viewers have been fans of NCIS’ post-Gibbs identity, but it’s been working for the series thus far. In fact, there’s been a subtle yet substantial role reversal in how Parker deals with his team. Gibbs is the man who’s there to help people like Quinn through their own personal demons. Parker uses Knight to confront his actual ghosts.

Like many procedural franchises such as Criminal Minds and Leverage, the main hook that allows NCIS to thrive is its focus on team dynamics. However, the show spent years filtering its group dynamic through a character with a lone-wolf persona. Parker’s more collaborative approach is a definite tonal shift, but it’s also a welcome one.

One example of differences between the two is Gibbs’ list of NCIS rules. These became such a major part of the canon that, early in the spinoff’s infancy, NCIS: Origins fans were actually speculating on which of Gibbs’ rules might get their own origin stories. Fans love that Jethro runs a tight ship, but there are also problems with that.

Gibbs’ solo approach can only carry an ensemble drama so far. We all hated Jenny for being good at her job and recognizing DiNozzo’s expendability, but Parker’s leadership style demonstrates an unfaltering trust in his team. That’s not exactly a bad quality to have in a boss, and the author isn’t just saying that because he’s submitting this past deadline.

Parker involving his team in hunting Carla might go south, but this is a team that largely stood by McGee last season when he was clearly off the deep end. NCIS thrives on team dynamics, and Parker accentuates that better than Gibbs in numerous respects. He might be a new flavor for the series, but he’s hardly a distasteful one.