NCIS Season 23 is sidelining Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), leaving one of the series’ most beloved characters without a clear direction. While the season opened with high stakes—Alden Parker (Gary Cole) nearly killed and new momentum for Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama)—McGee’s story has largely stalled.
Episode 4, “Gone Girls,” briefly brings him forward only to push him back again. As the team investigates a missing Marine and uncovers a network helping abused women reach safe houses, McGee should be in his element. Instead, the episode highlights his discomfort and lack of purpose, reinforcing the sense that the show doesn’t know where to take him next.
The issue has been building since Season 22, when McGee applied for the deputy director role but lost it to Gabrielle LaRoche. Despite being highly qualified—and increasingly open about wanting more responsibility and stability—he remains stuck in fieldwork he has arguably outgrown after more than two decades with the MCRT.
Over the years, McGee has evolved from a rookie agent into a trusted second-in-command and even briefly stepped in as NCIS director. Now, with Vance and Parker firmly in place, there’s little room for advancement. He’s at a crossroads, yet Season 23 hasn’t given him the defining storyline that moment demands.
“Gone Girls” makes matters worse with a nod to his writing career under the pen name Thom E. Gemcity. A book club member recognizes his author photo but admits she hasn’t read—and doesn’t like—his crime novels. The moment, meant as a character touch, instead underlines his growing sense of irrelevance, even in areas where he should shine.
NCIS needs to course-correct. McGee’s Season 22 arc hinted at change but delivered no lasting growth—no promotion, no shift in his work-life balance, and no real follow-through on how his stalled career affects his family life with Delilah and their children. After years of loyalty and development, the character deserves a meaningful path forward.
With Knight, Torres, and Parker driving much of the current momentum, it’s easy to see how McGee has been pushed aside. But longtime fans know the heart of NCIS lies with characters like McGee and Jimmy Palmer. If the series wants to honor its legacy, it needs to give McGee a defining role again—before one of its strongest characters fades into the background entirely.