NCISseason 22 paved the way for Timothy McGee’s departure from the MCRT with the re-introduction of an odd villain. While Sean Murray’s character may not be part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' original JAG team, he is currently the longest-serving active member of the Nayy Yard-headquartered squad. Unfortunately, his options for a sustainable future in NCIS are very limited.
AfterGibbs' retirement inNCISseason 19, McGee was the clear choice to take over the MCRT. Not only has he been on the team the longest, he was also a direct protégé of the beloved leader. There was no doubt that McGee could fill the void that Gibbs left, but that didn’t happen, as Gary Cole’s Alden Parker stepped in.
For what it’s worth, Parker is a great leader.Cole plays a very different character from Mark Harmon’s Gibbs, which has helped the show move forward quicker. However, this has left McGee stuck in a position where he doesn’t have a clear team future. Unfortunately, he might not have any choice but to leave MCRT if he wants to move up.
McGee’s NCIS Problem Explained
NCIS Doesn’t Know What To Do With McGee
On the heels of Gibbs' retirement, his role as MCRT’s leader was actually offered to McGee, but he refused at that time. He explained to Nick Torres, who was livid about his co-worker’s decision, that he didn’t want the job. Not only would it require more hours away from his family, it would also entail him doing more paperwork.
At that point, McGee’s choice was understandable. He enjoyed being on the field, which he re-emphasized inNCISseason 22. However, years after that initial decision, he started to look for avenues to move up in his career. It was revealed that he applied to be NCIS' Deputy Director — a role that had barely been used in the show.
NCISseason 22 didn’t spend much time on McGee’s bid. Early in its run, the CBS police procedural revealed that he failed to get it, withthe role landing on DOJ Inspector Gabriel LaRoche. However, this also started a year-long arc that involved McGee suspecting that his new boss was secretly a mole.
This gave McGee a personal purpose inNCISseason 22. It distracted from the fact that he really didn’t have any compelling future, with LaRoche nabbing the only role he could get promoted to without severing ties with MCRT. Somehow, it also kept the hope that if his nemesis was proven dirty, he could win the job.
Sadly, theNCISseason 22 finale exonerated LaRoche, resulting in McGee’s year-long arc ending without any gain for him. Worse, his problem with not having any future with the MCRT persists.
Fletcher Voss Is Tim McGee’s Best Option To Leaving MCRT
Voss Has The Perfect Job For McGee
Despite having significantly fewer episodes due to the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023,NCISseason 21 was able to cover a lot of stories. Aside from Ducky’s send-off episode, which sawthe unexpected return of Michael Weatherly’s Anthony DiNozzo Jr.for a brief cameo, the year also featured a major milestone episode for the franchise.
NCIS' overall 1000th episodetitled “A Thousand Yards” was a nostalgic outing that revisited the show’s very first case. It featured so many callbacks, primarily from the flagship’s past. However, it also switched things up by introducing an odd villain, Fletcher Voss.
Nothing much came out for him during his initial appearance, but Voss returned in NCIS season 22, episode 13 and struck an unlikely friendship with McGee.
In the outing, Voss was introduced as the CEO of Bandium — the company who owns the communication app that MCRT uses. While he was initially presented as a tech genius, he actually can’t code. Nothing much came out for him during his initial appearance, but Voss returned in NCIS season 22, episode 13 and struck an unlikely friendship with McGee.
This new camaraderie can be exactly what McGee needs to leave MCRT. Often forgotten, McGee is actually a tech wizard. When he first joined Gibbs' team, DiNozzo poked fun at him for being a nerd. He was savvy about anything related to technology, and he has helped solve many cases using this skill.
Considering his newfound relationship with Voss, McGee can make the jump from MCRT to Bandium as its latest employee.
AsNCISprogressed and his skills expanded, especially being on the field more, this is something that hasn’t been highlighted in recent years. Considering his newfound relationship with Voss, McGee can make the jump from MCRT to Bandium as its latest employee. The company could definitely use his services. Bonus point because his work will still be tied to his old one.
NCIS Season 23 Can No Longer Stagnate McGee After A Disappointing Last Few Years
McGee Deserves Better
Moving forward toNCISseason 23, the show has a big question to ask about the kind of future that McGee has on the show. For what it’s worth,there are no indications that Sean Murray is even tinkering about leavingthe series. There are no more original characters left inNCIS, so he personifies the procedural’s long history.
That said, staying in the show shouldn’t be at the expense of character development. Everyone has had their respective arcs in the last several years — even Director Vance. Meanwhile, Parker has a big year ahead of him inNCISseason 23. CBS should come up with a compelling plan for McGee’s future, regardless if that means staying with MCRT or moving elsewhere.
