This NCIS villain could have been better utilized in Season 22 (but the series finale rather focused more on Carla's arc)

If you followed NCIS's twenty-second season, you might have expected a big finish for DoJ General Investigator, Gabriel LaRoche. LaRoche (played by Seamus Dever) was introduced in NCIS season 22, and viewers soon realized he was one of the bad guys.

The season gave enough hints to establish LaRoche as the main villain, but at the end, it revealed him to be a double agent, making Carla Marino (played by Revecca De Mornay) the main villain. This, however, was disappointing. LaRoche was a character who could be further explored as a villain, but the show unfortunately did not want to continue that arc.

Disclaimer - This article contains the author's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

NCIS wasted a good villain in season 22

Season 22 of NCIS did well, but was not as well-received as other seasons. Gabriel LaRoche was one of the few characters who kept viewers interested. As the season's story progressed, everyone felt that the season would end with LaRoche getting caught or committing more crimes, establishing him as the season's primary villain.

Season 22's episode nineteen, Irreconcilable Differences, had the following logline,

''McGee's career and credibility are on the line when he investigates the deputy director for corruption. Also, Torres and Knight receive some surprising news.''

When the NCIS team, led by Special Agent Timothy McGee, caught LaRoche in episode nineteen, Gabriel LaRoche had said,

"It's time you know the truth."

Well, the truth was, unfortunately, a little underwhelming. In season 22's finale episode, Nexus, LaRoche revealed the truth, which flipped the entire plot. The official logline of the episode reads,

As NCIS investigates a dangerous connection between the Nexus cartel and Parker's longtime nemesis, mob boss Carla Marino, the team uncovers a high-stakes plot involving stolen nuclear material. With time running out, Parker is forced into an uneasy alliance that could determine the fate of the operation – and his own future.

Season 22's finale revealed that Laroche has actually been working undercover for the Department of Defense. His mission was to expose Torres and make it seem like there was a traitor inside. The show built up LaRoche's character as a villain, only to make him one of the good guys. This revelation meant that the team accidentally revealed Laroche's true identity.

Because of this mistake, NCIS is ordered to go after the dangerous Nexus cartel. As part of the mission, Parker is forced to team up with Carla Marino, the mob boss from Kansas City. This eventually leads to establishing Marino as the season's main villain.

Marino says she has information that could help bring down Nexus. But in a shocking twist, she is revealed to be the leader of the cartel. Marino had held a grudge against Parker for the motorcycle accident that killed her son years ago. She thus takes revenge by killing Parker’s father.

This final plot twist led to the confirmation that Carla Marino is the season's main villain. While she keeps her real intentions private and helps Alden, she takes her revenge in the finale. While Carla is certainly a formidable villain in the show, more was expected from LaRoche. He was in the right authority position to be corrupt and 'bad'. However, NCIS wasted the character's potential by making him one of the 'good guys'.

Season 23 of NCIS has been renewed, which will follow Carla Marino as a villain and the NCIS team trying to bring her down. It will be interesting to see how creators turn Carla Marino into a villain fans would love to dislike as much as they disliked LaRoche.

You can stream all episodes of NCIS on Paramount Plus and Hulu.

Trending

For more such articles, follow Soapcentral.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback