Get ready for drama! NCIS Season 23 starts with a huge bang on October 14, 2025. The first episode called “Prodigal Son (Part 1)” will show Agent Parker going after his father’s killer. This episode is full of danger and surprises that will change everything for the NCIS team.
What Happened to Parker’s Father
At the end of Season 22, something terrible happened to Parker. His father Roman was murdered in his own home. When Parker came home, he found his dad dead. There was a wine glass with red lipstick on it, which meant mob boss Carla Marino killed him.
Carla didn’t kill Parker because she wanted him to feel the same pain she felt. She blamed Parker for her son Jason’s death. Jason died in a motorcycle accident after Parker told him about his mom’s bad activities. So Carla decided to hurt Parker by killing someone he loved.
Parker Goes After Carla
In the first episode, Parker is very angry and wants revenge. He will “go to extreme lengths” to find Carla Marino and make her pay for killing his father. But this puts both Parker and his whole team in danger.
The official description says Parker is “jeopardizing not only his own future but the team’s” because of what he plans to do. This means Parker might break rules or do things that could get everyone in trouble.
The team is told to make sure Parker doesn’t go anywhere dangerous alone. But they have to decide if they will follow orders or help their friend get justice for his father.
Parker’s Sister Arrives
Nancy Travis joins the show as Navy Vice Admiral Harriet Parker, who is Parker’s sister. This is the first time we meet any of Parker’s family members on the show.
Harriet is very different from her brother. She was the “good child” in the family while Parker caused lots of problems when they were young. Parker feels bad about the trouble he caused his family back then.
Now that their father is dead, the brother and sister will argue about what happened. The showrunner says “sparks are going to fly” when they meet because they still act like they did when they were kids.
What the Team Will Do
The NCIS team faces a big choice in this episode. They are ordered to keep Parker safe and stop him from going after Carla alone. But Parker is their leader and friend, so they want to help him.
Photos from the episode show Torres, McGee, and Knight with Parker in his apartment where he found his father’s body. They are looking at something on a laptop computer. This might be clues that will help them find Carla.
The team knows that Parker is not thinking clearly because of his grief. He might make bad decisions that could hurt everyone. But they also understand why he wants to catch his father’s killer.
Carla Won’t Be Caught Right Away
Bad news for Parker – he won’t catch Carla in the first episode. Photos from the second episode show that Carla is still free and hiding somewhere. This means Parker’s hunt for revenge will continue for at least two episodes.
Rebecca De Mornay plays Carla Marino, the dangerous mob boss. She has been Parker’s enemy for a long time, and now she has made things very personal by killing his father.
The showrunner says Carla is not just a simple bad guy. She is also a mother who lost her son, so she thinks what she did to Parker was fair. This makes her a very complicated villain.
Parker’s Troubled Past
The episode will show flashbacks to 1977 when Parker was a teenager. We will learn that Parker was a troublemaker who broke the law when he was young. He caused lots of problems for his family, especially his father.
These flashbacks will help us understand why Parker feels so guilty about his father’s death. He thinks that if he had been a better son, maybe his father would still be alive.
Parker’s relationship with his father was very complicated. He loved his dad but also caused him lots of worry and stress. Now Parker can never fix those problems because his father is gone.
Mystery About Parker’s Mother
There is also another big secret about Parker’s family. In Season 22, Palmer found something strange about Parker’s mother’s death certificate. This suggests that maybe she didn’t die the way everyone thought.
The showrunner promises that we will learn more about Parker’s mother very soon. He says there are “fun twists coming up” about this mystery that will surprise everyone.
This mystery about his mother might be connected to why Carla targeted Parker’s family. There could be secrets from the past that we don’t know about yet.
Dangerous Decisions Ahead
Parker is in a very dark place emotionally after losing his father. The showrunner describes Parker as being in a “fked up place”** mentally, which means he might do things he normally wouldn’t do.
The team is worried that Parker might quit NCIS or get fired because of his actions. If he breaks too many rules while hunting for Carla, he could lose his job and hurt his team’s careers too.
Photos from the episode show Parker looking very serious and determined. His teammates are trying to help him, but they are also scared about what he might do next.
What This Means for Season 23
This episode sets up the whole season around Parker’s quest for revenge. The showrunner says the theme for Season 23 is “NCIS on Fire,” which means lots of action and intense emotions.
The first episode is called “Prodigal Son (Part 1)” because it’s about a son dealing with his father’s death. The word “prodigal” means someone who returns home after making mistakes, which fits Parker’s story perfectly.
The second episode is “Prodigal Son (Part 2),” so this story will continue for at least two weeks. Fans will have to wait to see if Parker gets his revenge or if it destroys him instead.
The Team Sticks Together
Even though Parker is making dangerous choices, his team will not abandon him. The showrunner hints that fans will “like the answer” when they see what the team decides to do.
Torres, McGee, Knight, Palmer, and the others all care about Parker and want to help him through this difficult time. But they also have to protect themselves and follow the rules.
The episode will show how strong the NCIS team’s friendship really is when one of them is in trouble. They have to balance doing their jobs with helping their friend.
A Personal Season
Season 23 will be more focused on the characters’ personal lives than just solving crimes. Parker’s story about losing his father will affect everyone on the team.
The showrunner promises “high-stakes action” and says they are “hoping to not let up” with the intensity. This means the whole season will be full of drama and excitement.
Don’t miss the premiere on Tuesday, October 14th at 8:00 PM on CBS to see how Parker’s dangerous hunt for his father’s killer begins. This episode will change everything for the NCIS team and set up an exciting season full of surprises!
