NCIS Season 23 is quietly sidelining one of its most beloved characters — Timothy McGee (Sean Murray). While the premiere delivered high stakes with Alden Parker (Gary Cole) nearly killed aboard the Quentin, and Jessica Knight and Nick Torres pulled into special operations by Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), McGee’s story has barely moved forward.
Episode 4, “Gone Girls,” briefly puts him in focus as the team searches for a missing Marine and uncovers a secret network protecting abused women — but instead of growth, McGee ends up feeling out of place. The episode even references his side career as mystery author “Thom E. Gemcity,” only to undercut it when a character admits she recognizes his photo but doesn’t actually like his books.
The bigger issue traces back to Season 22, when McGee applied for deputy director but lost the role to Gabrielle LaRoche. Since then, he’s been stuck between wanting more responsibility and remaining a field agent — despite decades of experience and even temporarily acting as director in the show’s 1000th episode. With Parker and Vance firmly in charge, there’s little room left for advancement.
McGee once turned down leadership after Gibbs’ retirement, preferring action over paperwork — but his priorities have clearly changed. Now, Season 23 leaves him at a crossroads while other characters drive the major developments. For longtime fans, the series risks wasting a cornerstone character who deserves a defining arc, not narrative limbo.