Warning! Spoilers ahead for NCIS season 22, episode 4.NCIS season 22, episode 4, officially resolves the final problem that Leroy Jethro Gibbs left MCRT, 3 years after Mark Harmon exited the CBS procedural. After 19 years at the forefront of the franchise, Harmon's Gibbs retired in NCIS season 19, as he finally found peace in Alaska. Granted that the emotional send-off is somehow being undone by NCIS: Origins, but for the flagship series, Tim McGee left his boss in Naktok Bay in peace. While MCRT has managed to move on, it hasn't been easy losing the squad's leader, who functioned as its main anchor for two decades.
As with so many long-running network TV shows, NCIS has lost its fair share of characters. That said, perhaps, nothing has been more impactful than Gibbs' departure. Impressively, the procedural found a way to rebuild its ensemble, with the NCIS season 22 cast the most stable it has had for years. However, while MCRT continues its sworn duty, there have been some residual issues from the way Parker's predecessor decided to retire. Instead of leaving drama-free, Gibbs ended his NCIS stint in style. Three years later, the series is finally able to fully address his last lingering story.
Gibbs Final Case & Exit Put Parker At Odds With The FBI (& It Has Been Haunting Him For Years)
The FBI Didn't Like How Parker Moved On With NCIS
In NCIS season 19, episode 4, "Great Wide Open," Gibbs brought him to Alaska to investigate a murder, but with the FBI on his tail. Parker was tasked to arrest the then-MCRT leader, not just for his current charges but also as a way to finally get him after years of getting away with so many unconventional ways of delivering justice. Ultimately, however, Parker realized that despite how his boss, FBI Deputy Director Wayne Sweeney demonized Harmon's character, Gibbs was actually a good man.
Parker's refusal to arrest Gibbs resulted in various issues for him, including getting fired from the FBI. He was able to eventually bounce back after he was offered a job to step in and be the new MCRT leader, with the blessing from his predecessor, but his relationship with his old agency has remained sour in the last three years. This exacerbated the subtle tension between the FBI and NCIS, as they tend to butt heads over jurisdiction.
Parker Officially Patches Things Up With Sweeney & The FBI In NCIS Season 22
It Has Been A Long Time Coming
In NCIS season 22, episode 4, that animosity between Parker and his former agency reaches a fever pitch when the FBI storms the bullpen and arrests almost all members of the MCRT for defying orders. Granted that McGee and his team are technically in the wrong here, but Sweeney is also clearly burdened by their history. After some sneaking, Parker is able to convince the FBI that they are only doing what's right, leading to the pair's amicable collaboration. In the end, Sweeney and his ex-subordinate are awarded The Medal Of Public Service from Director Leon Vance.
The final conversation between Parker and Sweeney, as they walk outside, marks the end of the feud between the pair that started with Gibbs' exit story. Now that both agencies and their respective leaders are on the same page, MCRT can stop worrying about the FBI working against them to settle a grudge about what happened with Parker. It has taken a while, but at least the final issue that Harmon's character left his old team is now officially resolved.
