Why Gary Cole Was the Right Choice to Replace Mark Harmon on NCIS!!!!!!

When NCIS returns for Season 22 in October 2024, the Navy Criminal Investigative Service will continue under the leadership of Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole). Parker assumed command following Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ emotional departure in 2021, and the decision has proven to be a smart move by the showrunners. Cole brings the dramatic weight necessary to fill Gibbs’ shoes while also portraying a well-established character that preserves the show’s continuity.

Though Parker can be a bit of a loner, his colleagues have grown to admire and respect his leadership style—a quality Cole found crucial when taking over from Harmon, who had been the face of NCIS since its debut in 2003. While other characters could have stepped into Gibbs’ role, Parker’s ascent to team leader has revitalized the long-running series, injecting fresh energy into the police procedural as it moves forward.

Release Date: September 23, 2003
Main Genre: Crime
Cast: Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law, Brian Dietzen, David McCallum, Mark Harmon, Rocky Carroll, Gary Cole, Joe Spano
Seasons: 22
Showrunner: Donald P. Bellisario

Who Is Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS & Why Did He Depart?

Leroy Jethro Gibbs, portrayed by Mark Harmon, was the central figure of NCIS since its inception in 2003. A former Marine sniper turned Special Agent, Gibbs was known for his strong leadership, moral code, and no-nonsense approach to solving cases. After nearly two decades at the helm, Gibbs made an emotional departure from the series in 2021. His exit was tied to a storyline where he chose to step away from the team, seeking peace and closure following personal and professional struggles. Harmon’s departure marked the end of an era, but the show has continued with Alden Parker (Gary Cole) taking over as team leader.

Introduced in the NCIS pilot, Mark Harmon portrayed Leroy Jethro Gibbs for 19 seasons and over 430 episodes of the hit police procedural. Gibbs led the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Washington, D.C., solving a wide range of military, civilian, and terrorist crimes. In the field, Gibbs was a skilled marksman and adept at deescalating dangerous situations. In the office, he was a no-nonsense leader, intolerant of bureaucratic inefficiency. Though strict with his team, Gibbs always had their best interests at heart, guided by a strong moral compass.

Despite his good intentions, Gibbs was forced to step down as NCIS leader after being suspended for assaulting a dog killer. Rather than retire, he left his post and journeyed to the Alaskan wilderness in search of peace. A personal tragedy—the loss of his wife and daughter—also influenced his decision to leave his investigative duties behind. In Alaska, Gibbs found a tranquility he hadn’t felt in 30 years, prompting him to remain there and forgo returning to NCIS. Before leaving, Gibbs recommended Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) to take over as team leader. Parker, who became a series regular in 2021, has since proven to be an ideal successor to Gibbs.

Who Does Gary Cole Play on NCIS?

Introduced in Season 19, Episode 2, “Nearly Departed,” Gary Gole has played Agent Alden Parker in NCIS for three seasons and 54 episodes and counting. A former FBI Special Agent, Parker was recruited from the Navy Yard and named a Supervisory Special Agent for the NCIS team. With a firmer moral backbone that makes him a suitable replacement for Gibbs, Parker resigns from the FBI after paralyzing his former partner Jeremy Brighton (Michael Patrick Thronton) with a gunshot wound. Parker felt so guilty and remorseful that he left the bureau and joined the NCIS team. He may have hidden his FBI identity for a time, but Parker behaves properly when it’s time to act.

Great leadership entails accountability. Unlike Gibbs, who left his colleagues and ran away to Alaska in part to avoid his legal trouble, Parker faces his responsibilities head-on. In Season 20, Episode 14, “Old Wounds,” Parker visits Brighton and gives a heartfelt apology. Speaking with TV Insider about the scene, Gary Cole stated:

“It’s as emotional a scene as I’ve done in quite a long time, and I was able to do that in a more effective way than maybe I ever had — just because of life experience and working as an actor. I wanted Parker to get the letter and read it back to his partner, almost in anger at first, and then discover the turn [to forgiveness] that the letter makes almost as if it just kind of overtook him and he didn’t expect it. That’s what we wound up doing. It brought some closure to whatever Parker had been holding on to over that.”

Beyond the moral underpinnings of his character and the leadership qualities needed for the NCIS crew to succeed, Gary Cole is the right choice to replace Mark Harmon for several reasons.

Why Alden Parker Is the Best Choice to Replace Gibbs on NCIS

Apart from the ethical leadership qualities and emotional anchor his character levies, the caliber of acting Gary Gole brings to the show is the primary reason he’s such a great Gibbs replacement. Whether playing deadpan humor like Bill Lumberg in Office Space, a wise-cracking politico in Veep, or a drug-dealing criminal in Sam raimi a simple plan. Gary Cole has the acting chops to play supporting and leading roles in TV and film, regardless of genre. It takes an experienced and talented performer of that stature to replace someone like Harmon, another veteran film and TV actor who played Gibbs in over 400 episodes.

Despite getting off to a rocky start with his agents, fans loved Cole as Parker from his first day. His workplace strictures are balanced by his quirky penchant for disguise, birding, exotic baked goods, and growing plants, making for a complex character who has plenty of layers to peel back moving forward. When asked about the bonding episode between him and his team in Season 19, Episode 11, “All Hands,” Cole stated:

“The circumstances were so black and white. People’s lives were on the line. Being in charge, he was responsible for them. Before then, the team had reason to not necessarily have a lot of confidence or trust in him because Gibbs had been there so long that they were used to one thing, and Parker was not that. In this episode, he’s proving himself to the team.”

NCIS: Los Angeles became a certified TV hit that ran for 14 seasons, and one beloved character helped make the drama a must-see show for fans.

At the end of Season 21, Gibbs and Knight (Jessica Law) are trapped inside an ancient Navy ship by a mysterious assailant, setting up a compelling cliffhanger ahead of Season 22. After Gibbs deliberately named Parker his professional replacement, it’s entirely logical to continue NCIS under Parker’s leadership. The decision ensures that the show maintains continuity while honoring Gibbs’ last wish on the job. Off-screen, replacing a heavyweight TV veteran like Harmon with an equally adept performer like Gary Cole ensures that the long-running police procedural will retain the same level of acting and dramatic storytelling.

Another key reason Parker is a great Gibbs replacement is his mysterious background, which can be filled in as the series progresses. As Cole states:

“We don’t know much about what went on when he was younger, but I think at one point he was yearning for his dad’s attention or approval. He loves his father, but it doesn’t come easy between the two of ’em.”

Between the on-screen drama and off-screen experience, Gary Cole is the perfect choice to replace Mark Harmon to keep NCIS afloat under Alden Parker’s leadership in 2024 and beyond.