Warning! Spoilers ahead for the NCIS season 21 finale.

Summary

• The NCIS season 21 finale introduces Lily, who is likely Alden Parker's late sister.
• Parker's near-death experience in the NCIS season 21 finale may have triggered hallucinations about Lily, hinting at a traumatic past.
• NCIS season 22 may explore Parker's family history, offering new storytelling opportunities.

The NCIS' 1000th episode put Director Leon Vance's life in danger.

As it caps off the year, NCIS season 21 goes for a quieter finale, with a straightforward case. Parker and his team respond to the discovery of several bodies aboard a ship that is about to be an artificial reef. While the case of the week isn't exactly memorable, it's what happens outside of it that makes the finale a good one. Jess Knight faces a major crossroads when she is offered a job elsewhere that would pull her out of DC. This is followed by Parker's near-death experience that lays the foundation for further exploring his history.

Lily Is Likely Parker’s Late Sister In NCIS.

Parker Hallucinates As He Loses Blood In The NCIS Season 21 Finale.

As he and Knight get stuck on the ship in the NCIS season 21 finale, "Reef Madness," things become more complicated when Parker finds out that he is bleeding in the leg. Both realize that it's a ruptured artery, putting them on a ticking clock. As Knight finds a way to get out, her boss starts to hallucinate, calling someone named Lily. NCIS shows his visions of a young girl running around and transitioning to what appears to be a memory from his childhood of him playing with her. Later, Parker claims, however, that he doesn't any of it.

There are a couple of reasons why Parker claims that he doesn't calling Lily. Firstly, he may simply be lying, not wanting to talk about the incident. Secondly, it may be a repressed traumatic memory, hence why he doesn't have any recollection of it.

Despite this, the girl was likely Parker's sister, who died a long time ago. Considering his repeated reminder that he doesn't like ships, the tragedy of Lily's demise may be tied to this. Based on Parker's visions, it's either she fell overboard or something else, and he may have something to do with it. There are a couple of reasons why Parker claims that he doesn't calling Lily. Firstly, he may simply be lying, not wanting to talk about the incident. Secondly, it may be a repressed traumatic memory, hence why he doesn't have any recollection of it.

What Lily's Mystery Means For Parker's NCIS Season 22 Story

Parker's Family History May Be A Focal Point In NCIS Season 22.

While Parker says that he doesn't know anyone named Lily and doesn't calling out to her, it doesn't mean that the police procedural is just dropping the plot like that. If anything, this experience is a set-up to further delve into the character's past. While he isn't as mysterious as Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Parker's past can be a wealth of storytelling opportunities for NCIS. Starting with his history is a great way to do that, especially since almost everyone on the current roster has already had to deal with a family issue or two.

One of the ways the long-running CBS show has been able to stand the test of time is by featuring heroes that are properly developed. Almost all of the NCIS Major Case Response Team have had their personal lives tackled. As the new leader of the team, it only makes sense that Parker gets a personal arc tackled at some point in NCIS season 22. This may be a launching pad for whatever the future holds for him. Regardless, these types of storylines have always been compelling, and they get the viewers more emotionally invested in these players.

Parker's Lily Mystery In NCIS Season 22 Can Further Differentiate Him From Gibbs

Gibbs' Family Stories Are Different From Parker's.

For the longest time, Harmon was the face of NCIS. Considering his spinoff tackling GIbbs' origins with the agency, he will likely continue to be synonymous with the franchise. Given this, comparisons between him and Parker are inevitable. There are even arguments that Tim McGee should have taken over Gibbs' NCIS team instead of bringing in someone new. However, the writers have been smart enough to recognize that the best way to go about replacing Harmon is to introduce someone different enough from his character, which Cole does brilliantly as Parker.

Introducing this new mystery surrounding Lily and her ties to Parker can further differentiate him from his predecessor. Gibbs' backstory was regularly explored during his time in NCIS. People from his past were even involved in several major cases in the show including his mentor, Mike Franks, and father, Jackson Gibbs. His biggest family story in the police procedural, however, revolved around the murder of his first wife and only child, Shannon and Kelly. This made sense, considering that Gibbs was an only child, with his mother committing suicide when he was 14 years old.

Parker's evolving family story going back to his childhood is something that NCIS wasn't able to do with Gibbs.

Parker's evolving family story going back to his childhood is something that NCIS wasn't able to do with Gibbs. Sibling storylines aren't new to the CBS series, with both McGee and Ziva David's siblings becoming the center of storylines in the past. That being said, NCIS has the chance to do something entirely different with Parker's lineage, especially since he claims that he doesn't her. NCIS has already introduced his father, Roman Parker. It's time to delve deeper with his wife and sister.

NCIS Season 21 Tackled Several Family-Related Storylines

Parker's Unraveling Family Story Continues An NCIS Season 21 Trend.

Personal arcs have always been a staple in NCIS' storytelling portfolio. At one point or another, each agent has had to deal with some issues that are unrelated to work, with the team rallying behind them. Somehow, however, NCIS season 21 seemed to double down on family arcs. The year started with Torres almost going to prison for his sister; subsequently, Knight's father came to town for a visit. McGee and Delilah had a small but fun storyline, and Jimmy Palmer talked about his current parenting struggles. Of course, NCIS' 1000th episode saw Director Vance's reunion with his son, Jared.

After all these plots it only makes sense that Parker's family life gets its own time under the spotlight, although the bulk of it will play out in NCIS season 22. In any case, this makes sense, considering its potential complexity. It's possible that the long-running CBS show will tackle this narrative across several episodes and will be the bulk of Parker's personal storylines moving forward instead of being resolved quickly in a single episode.

NCIS season 22 will be back as part of CBS' 2024-2025 TV season.