Spoiler Alert for NCIS season 22, episode 9, “Humbug”
There are some vital things to keep in mind whenNCISseason 22 returns to fully understand what’s going on in Navy Yard. Alden Parker and the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) have tackled many political and personal issues in the first half of the team’s return forNCISseason 22. Many of the stories in the outing were set up in the truncatedNCISseason 21, which had a shortened run due to the writer’s strikes but packed a punch regardless of its 10-episode count.
In theNCISseason 21 finale, Jessica Knight accepted a promotion to Chief REACT Training Officer, and Parker suffered a near-fatal injury aboard a Navy ship. Their stories still impact season 22, with Knight’s REACT role returning her to MCRT in the premiere and Parker continuing to experience hallucinations like those during his injury. Just because the team is back together doesn’t mean everything is going smoothly, and many vital factors are in flux as the show approaches the season 22 finale.
5NCIS Has A Mole Problem
There’s A Mole In NCIS
The most pivotal thing to remember heading back intoNCISseason 22 is thatNCIS has a mole. In theNCISseason 22 premiere, REACT raids on the Nexus cartel are coming up as busts, and Nick Torres' cover was blown, leading the team to believe there was a leak of classified NCIS information. Department of Justice Inspector General Gabrielle LaRoche confirmed the team’s suspicions, saying the DOJ was investigating NCIS due to the waning effectiveness of the REACT raids.
NCIS Season 22 Secretly Introduced Another Suspect In Its LaRoche Mole Case
NCIS season 22, episode 9, introduced another suspect in the agency’s mole case, but the covert operator was intentionally easy to miss.
MCRT is suspicious of LaRoche since the team’s new deputy director accessed the case file about Nick’s undercover operation. That said, there’s a chance thatGabrielle LaRoche isn’t theNCISmoleand the team is wrong about him. Regardless of who is leaking top-secret intel, the mole story will likely have a riveting conclusion inNCISseason 22.
4Nick Torres Has A Secret Girlfriend
Nick Is Secretly Dating
It’s important to remember thatNick Torres has a secret girlfriendheading into the back half of season 22. The show has promised to follow up on the development, with anNCISseason 22 update about Nick’s secret relationship confirming that viewers will find out who the mystery girl is. The report confirms that the show’s upcoming return will feature Nick’s elusive romance.
5 Best Candidates For Torres' Secret Girlfriend In NCIS Season 22 (Including A Former MCRT Member)
With the identity of Torres' girlfriend being kept secret in NCIS, there are few characters whose identity would explain why he won’t share the news.
Whoever Nick’s secret girlfriend is will have an impact on theNCISseason 22 story. He kept his romance under wraps inNCISseason 22, episode 9when he lied about the matter. Thus far, there are several possible candidates for Nick’s new partner, but it’s likely going ot be Knight’s sister, Robin.
3Jessica Knight And Jimmy Palmer Remain Broken Up Despite Her Return To MCRT
Can Jess And Jimmy Get Back Together In NCIS?
It’s also worth considering thatJimmy Palmer and Jessica Knight are still broken up inNCISseason 22. The special agent and medical examiner have kept their separate paths despite Jess returning to in the premiere. Jess and Jimmy addressed their romance inNCISseason 22, episode 4, but it didn’t move their relationship forward. The agents admitted they were still in love but chose to stay apart.
Jimmy has been somewhat in denial about the breakup, so maybe he will finally come to his senses and see that he made a rash move by breaking it off with Knight when she went to California for her promotion.
Still,Knight and Dr. Palmer could get back together. The couple had a healthy relationship beforeJimmy called it quits in theNCISseason 21 finale, another event from the shortened season still playing out in season 22. Jimmy has been somewhat in denial about the breakup, so maybe he will finally come to his senses and see that he made a rash move by breaking it off with Knight when she went to California for her promotion.
2Parker Is Seeing Dr. Grace To Figure Our Lily’s Identity
Parker Still Doesn’t Know The Identity Of His Mystery Girl
Another development almost guaranteed to be revisited inNCISseason 22 is Parker and Dr. Grace’s work to uncover the identity of the mystery girl who emerged in the leader’s hallucinations. In theNCISseason 21 finale, Parker saw a little girl running around the engine room and on the deck of a Navy ship. She has continued to haunt him inNCISseason 22, but he remains clueless as to who she is.
NCISseason 22 returns to CBS on Monday, August 22, 2025, at 9 pm Eastern.
InNCISseason 22, episode 8, Parker’s visions of Lilly intensify. He meets with Dr. Grace Confalone to discuss the mental health matter. Grace wants to dig into Parker’s history with his mother, which initially turns Alden off to the idea of therapy entirely until he comes around due to encouragement from Jimmy and Kasie. While Parker wants to avoid the topic of his mother for now, he’s agreed to continue working with Grace to uncover Lily’s identity.
1McGee Applied For & Failed To Secure An NCIS Promotion
Can McGee Still Become NCIS Deputy Director?
Heading into the back half of season 22, the last thing to remember is thatNCIShas a Timothy McGee problem. The senior field agent applied for the NCIS deputy director position in the season 22 premiere. However, the senior-most member of Parker’s team failed to secure the promotion, which went to Department of Justice Inspector General Gabrielle LaRoche instead.
NCIS Season 22 Resolving Its Biggest Case Paves The Way For McGee’s Clamored Promotion
NCIS can kill two birds with one stone if it solves its mole case: save the agency and clear the way for Timothy McGee’s game-changing promotion.
The development didn’t help to ease tensions between McGee and LaRoche, who Tim believes is the NCIS mole.NCISseason 22, episode 3revealed that McGee is covertly investigating LaRoche, looking into his background for something suspicious that proves he’s dirty. Tim is a capable investigator with fine-tuned technical skills, soMcGee will find out if there’s dirt about LaRoche. There’s a chance McGee could still advance if he proves LaRoche is guilty.
NCIS
Cast
NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
