Producer Steven D. Binder reveals that someone close to Tim McGee is coming back in NCIS season 22. It has been a massive year for MCRT's most veteran member, as he questions where he actually fits in the organization after more than 20 years. Almost everyone in his old team has moved on, including Leroy Jethro Gibbs who retired in NCIS season 19, but he remains committed to the work. Moving forward, however, McGee's story will be more interesting, as he delves deep into his suspicion of Deputy Director Gabriel LaRoche.
As part of that arc, however, Binder reveals to TV Insider that someone close to McGee will return in NCIS season 22 — his wife, Delilah (Margo Harshman). Her appearance will be in the episode, "Killer Instinct," which will see the McGees spend time with the LaRoches. Unfortunately, Binder doesn't reveal when exactly the said outing would air. Aside from Delilah, a few other familiar faces will re-emerge, such as Carol Wilson and Carla Marino. Read his full quote below:
Delilah [Margo Harshman] is going to come back. The episode’s called “Killer Instinct,” that’s the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner episode. So we’re going to have McGee and Delilah meet LaRoche and his wife in an episode, and that’s an episode where Torres is going to have to go undercover as a hitman to try and track down a hitman. There’s a lot of fun things. There might be a possible Kansas City connection. We’re thinking about Rebecca De Mornay coming back. With a long-running show, we think in longer terms than we might normally; if we were wondering if we were going to come back, all these things would be happening in the next five episodes, but we’re thinking a little longer. So if not this season, the next.
There’s also Meredith Eaton returning as Carol Wilson. Kasie [Diona Reasonover] has a game night group and it’s her and a bunch of her forensic scientist colleagues, and they’re going to be targeted by a killer who’s got his motives. That’s going to be a Kasie episode. That’ll be fun. So we’ll meet a bunch of her friends who are really fun to see together. Just picture three, four forensic scientists together and all hilarity ensues.
How Delilah Can Impact McGee's Overarching Narrative In NCIS Season 22
Delilah Is As Capable As Her Husband
While NCIS is not known for its romances, it was able to maintain a healthy marriage between McGee and Delilah. The pair have gone through a lot in the show, but they remain strong in their marriage. Admittedly, the show hasn't really explored their marital life in a while, primarily because of everything happening in NCIS season 22, but with McGee's growing suspicion of his boss' boss, and increasing dissatisfaction with being passed on for a job that he truly deserves, seeing Delilah could give viewers a better understanding of his headspace this season.
Despite her limited appearances in recent years, Delilah is also a capable government employee, serving in the Department of Defense. Because of this, she knows a thing or two about office politics in agencies like NCIS. McGee and the LaRoches having dinner could be a ploy by Sean Murray's character to find out more about the Deputy Director. Delilah joining them could offer a fresh set of eyes as they gauge Gabriel's true colors.
Our Take On McGee's Story Thus Far In NCIS Season 22
McGee Has Been Stagnant In MCRT
NCIS season 22 created an unsolvable McGee problem with his attempt for a promotion. It exposed a big issue in his arc, considering how stagnant he has been with the MCRT for a couple of years now. Even if McGee was promoted to the NCIS Deputy Director role, it would mean big changes for the show, since he wouldn't be able to join Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and the rest as much on the field. He and Parker briefly discussed this after McGee was passed over, and while not getting the promotion stung, it seemed like he was happy to keep his place on the MCRT.
That said, keeping McGee as a Senior Field Agent feels unfair since he has long been due to take a bigger role in the agency. For context, he was initially offered to take over the team after Gibbs retired back in NCIS season 19. At that point, however, McGee didn't want the job, explaining that he disliked the additional paperwork and long hours that came with the role. It's still unclear what prompted him to change his mind in season 22. Perhaps Delilah can shed light on this mystery, as it may be prompted by their changing home dynamics.
Since being passed up on the promotion, McGee has been mum about the matter. It helped that LaRoche hasn't been involved as much with the MCRT in the last few weeks, although NCIS season 22 has effectively established that McGee is suspicious of him. Overall, it's curious how NCIS plans on resolving this issue, and how it would impact the series' future. Delilah's next episode should give some answers on all fronts.
Can McGee Still Get Promoted In NCIS Season 22?
Exposing LaRoche Could Pave The Way For McGee's Promotion
It's difficult to tell where NCIS is going with LaRoche's storyline, although it's worth noting that this isn't the first time that the show has dealt with a mole in the agency. Assuming that he really is a secret villain, it's safe to say that LaRoche will eventually be busted, and McGee will likely be at the forefront of exposing him. Because of that, the higher-ups in Washington DC may finally be prompted to give him the promotion that he deserves.
The question now is whether NCIS is willing to make some changes to the role of Deputy Director in a way that McGee can remain active with the MCRT. There is no doubt that he is well-equipped to take over the role, but at this point, it's difficult to imagine NCIS without Murray. Given all the big changes that the show has gone through in the last few years, losing him would be a massive blow to the procedural. Because of this, CBS needs to find a way to move him up the organization's ranks without isolating him from his long-time team.
Source: TV Insider
