NCIS Season 23 Is Quietly Killing Tim McGee in the Slowest Way Possible

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NCIS Season 23 isn‘t giving Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) much to do, and that’s a problem. While the season started with a bang – Alden Parker (Gary Cole) nearly died in the premiere – and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) are both involved in important missions assigned by Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), McGee’s storyline has stalled.

In the fourth episode of NCIS Season 23, McGee’s storyline takes a disappointing turn. The team investigates the disappearance of a Marine in “Gone Girls,” and their investigation leads them to uncover a secret network helping women escape abusive situations. Despite being comfortable around books and research, McGee finds himself in an uncomfortable position, highlighting his internal struggles throughout the episode.

NCIS Season 23 Has a Timothy McGee Problem

With other characters taking center stage in NCIS Season 23, McGee’s role feels a bit uncertain. He applied to be deputy director in Season 22, hoping for a step up, but the position went to Gabrielle LaRoche, a former Department of Defense Inspector General. While this created a surprising turn of events, it left McGee in a difficult spot. He’s expressed a desire for more responsibility and a better work-life balance, but he remains stuck in his current role with MCRT.

In “The Trouble with Hal,” McGee tells Parker he’s fully capable of being a deputy director. However, he’s clearly exceptionally skilled for field work, having been with MCRT since the very beginning of NCIS – over twenty years! Viewers saw in Season 22 that Tim is feeling unfulfilled and wants more responsibility than just field investigations. Unfortunately, NCIS Season 23 isn’t giving him the opportunity to move up.

Over the years, viewers have seen McGee develop from a new agent into a key leader, working alongside Gibbs and Parker. He even briefly acted as the head of NCIS. However, with Vance and Parker firmly established in their roles, McGee’s opportunities for further advancement are limited. This leaves the popular character at a turning point, and while he deserves a significant storyline, it’s unclear where the show will take his character next.

How NCIS Season 23’s Thom E. Gemcity Reference Makes Its McGee Problem Even Worse

In the latest season of NCIS, McGee faces a tricky situation in “Gone Girls.” A member of his book club – which is secretly a cover for another operation – recognizes him from the photo on his author page. McGee writes mystery novels under the name Thom E. Gemcity, balancing that with his job in law enforcement. While the book club cleverly acknowledges his writing hobby, it feels a bit dismissive when the woman admits she’s seen his picture but isn’t interested in his crime thrillers, finding them too sensational.

After realizing the book club was a ruse, Tim suspects that’s why they hadn’t discussed his LJ Tibbs novels. Instead of easing McGee’s awkwardness, the situation gets worse. A member specifically stated she enjoys crime novels in general, but simply didn’t care for his books. As a result, McGee feels unimportant throughout Season 23, which isn’t fair to such a beloved character.

NCIS Needs to Redeem Timothy McGee’s Story

The show NCIS needs to give McGee a significant season to revitalize his character arc, particularly after recent storylines felt incomplete. While Season 22 gave McGee some attention with the LaRoche plot, it didn’t lead to any lasting development for him. He didn’t advance to the deputy director position, and the experience didn’t impact his personal life, specifically his relationship with his wife, Delilah (Margo Harshman), and their children. Delilah had hoped McGee would achieve a better work-life balance, but he’s quickly back to working long and unpredictable hours.

If McGee had accepted the leadership role at MCRT, things would have unfolded differently. He declined, primarily because he disliked the amount of desk work and preferred staying involved in field operations. While McGee now seems to regret that decision, he hasn’t been able to move forward. Knight, Torres, and Parker have been driving much of the recent action, but NCIS shouldn’t forget that loyal fans enjoy seeing familiar faces like McGee and Jimmy (Brian Dietzen).

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2025-11-06 20:46