In the 20+ years that NCIShas been on air, many of its beloved characters have left the show and some we had to, unfortunately, bid an unexpected farewell. But after being renewed for its 21st season, NCIS seems to have inadvertently set off concerns that its Alden Parker (Gary Cole), who stepped into the shoes of Leroy Gibbs when Mark Harmon left the show, has also exited the show for good.

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So, what gave life to the speculations in the first place? 

Many actors, attached to long-running shows like NCIS and enjoying central roles in their plots, often opt to not get roped up in other projects as their current work occupies most of their schedule. But that is not the norm and so, the beginning of 2023 saw news of Cole starring in the Showtime miniseries, Waco: The Aftermath, a sequel to Waco that was a dramatized version of the 50+ days the deadly faceoff between the FBI, the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), and Branch Davidians in 1993 in Texas. The sequel followed what happened after the fatal siege and the fate of Branch Davidians who managed to escape it alive.

But that series came and went in April 2023, seeing Cole playing the real-life role of private investigator Gordon Novel, leaving the burning query about the return of NCIS’ new leader.

Will Gary Cole’s Alden Parker return in NCIS season 21?

Yes, Gibbs might have been the soul of NCIS up until season 18, but now Special Agent Alden Parker runs the show and he is not going anywhere.

As for why season 21 hasn’t entered production yet when previous seasons (except the 19th) premiered during September of each year, it is because of the WGA and then the SAG-AFTRA strike, peeps! Though the writers’ strike is finally over — NCIS can get the writing part of the season started — CBS can only start filming when the actors’ strike reaches a justified conclusion too.

But apart from the SAG-AFTRA strike, no concern-worthy reason is keeping Cole’s Parker away from our TV screens.