NCIS: Gary Cole Speaks Out After Replacing Mark Harmon as Team Leader

A new era of NCIS is underway.

The veteran CBS series has officially said goodbye to Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs and hello to Gary Cole’s Alden Parker.

If you watch NCIS online, you know there was much apprehension from the team to accept Parker, but somewhere along the way, he’s proven to be a worthy successor.

“Parker isn’t overly chatty, but he is more verbal,” Cole said in an interview with TVInsider about his role.

“He’s not as old school; he tries to get his hands on new tech gadgets and impress everybody.”

“He’s trying to fit in with the rest of the team. Although he may be reluctant to voice it, he admires that Gibbs breaks rules.”

“Parker bends them. We’ll see if it gets to the point of breaking.”

We don’t know much about Parker, but the show will delve deeper into that in the coming episodes.

“There’s a situation that did not go according to plan, and something tragic happened. He’s purposely kind of an enigma,” Cole explained to the outlet.

Harmon officially departed NCIS last month, and Alden was a part of the reason he escaped custody.

Alden was supposed to arrest him, but he recognized Gibbs was not a bad person, and felt like arresting him would be a bad thing to do.

The rash decision cost Alden his job with the FBI, which is why Vance was open to bringing him over to the NCIS on a more permanent basis.

Harmon has yet to respond to his departure, while showrunner Steven S. Binder released a statement when the final episode with Gibbs aired.

“As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show,” the statement begins.

“Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go.”

“So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years…never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out,” it concludes.