[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the NCIS Season 22 finale “Nexus.”]

Uh-oh, Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay) simply made Alden Parker (Gary Cole) very indignant. Certain, it’s not definitively revealed that she’s the one behind that stunning dying on the finish of the NCIS Season 22 finale, however it’s apparent who did it.

Parker was compelled to cross paths together with his longtime nemesis when the mob boss claimed to have intel to assist them take down the Nexus cartel, just for a “assembly” with the supposed new chief to reveal that she was now in cost and had her man, posing as an FBI agent, drive Parker to the place the place her son was killed in a automobile accident 20 years earlier. He was the place he was as a result of he’d run away after Parker revealed she was a prison to him, so she blames him. However whereas she holds a gun to him, killing him can be too simple. As a substitute, she knocks him out … after which when he will get dwelling later, he finds his father (Francis X. McCarthy), lifeless, in his house.

Under, Gary Cole reacts to that stunning finale ending, speculates about how Parker will likely be doing in Season 23, and extra. (Plus, learn a deep dive into the finale and what’s forward with govt producer Steven D. Binder right here.)

What was your response to Parker’s father being killed off in the best way he’s?

Gary Cole: No one obtained the script till I suppose possibly a pair weeks earlier than we shot that. I assumed it was actually a dynamic ending. As an actor, selfishly, I used to be a bit bit unhappy as a result of I actually just like the actor who performs my father and I like doing these scenes, however I assumed it was actually a shock, which I feel was good for us, and hopefully, into the subsequent season, will lead to some very most likely darkish locations, which I feel will not be a nasty factor both.

Speak about filming that final scene and enjoying Parker’s rage and grief and disappointment and every part he’s feeling.

I used to be a bit intimidated once I noticed the scene as a result of I noticed a number of issues had to occur in a really brief period of time. First, clearly the invention, which is past stunning as a result of it’s one factor to uncover anyone lifeless, it’s one other factor to uncover anyone murdered. Then rapidly, there was a realization, at the least in his thoughts, that he knew who was answerable for it and so there had to be some sort of a transition and I feel we discovered that it was nice the best way Jose [Clemente Hernandez] who directed it, staged it, that there was, and likewise the best way it was truly specified by the script, that he rapidly goes from stunning grief to most likely simply vengeful rage within the span of some minutes, which that was intimidating to me, however I haven’t seen it. I gained’t watch it, however hopefully we obtained there.

You positively did. Do you assume Parker is within the frame of mind the place he can assume together with his badge versus what he desires to do as a grieving son?

Effectively, I feel that’s a solution that’s going to be solved within the writers’ room. I feel that it’s doable that as a lot as he would love to be skilled about it, there’s no manner it can’t be private. And the opposite factor that isn’t a slam dunk is every part factors to what we predict is who did this, however we don’t know. However I feel Parker proper now, actually in that second was fairly optimistic about how he felt, who was answerable for the dying of his father. I haven’t been in communication with the writers. I don’t know at what stage they’re at when it comes to planning tales or if something has even been written but. However I feel it could be attention-grabbing to discover the truth that it’s going to be private and it could be private to the purpose the place he goes over the road probably and doesn’t behave as a cop however behaves extra as a son. However we’ll see. That’s going to be of their ballpark, however no matter they give you, I’ll strive to ship the mail.

I truly simply spoke to Steven D. Binder and he stated that Parker goes to be a person on hearth. Primarily based on what you understand about Parker, having performed him for years now, what do you assume that appears like?

I feel he’s sort of at the least beneath on hearth a bit bit, as Steve suggests, however this has to make that extra overt in him. I’m hoping, and I feel that the writers have at all times been good about having the implications of what they write linger previous the purpose at which they happen, like finales. It’s going to be troublesome for him to be probably as gentle and — It’s going to be troublesome for him to be waltzing in with containers of pastry speaking about what’s his favourite donut after this. However I don’t know. Once you’re in an setting like doing the present, it’s a number of materials and it’s a number of time elapsed and it’s a number of episodes, so issues have to play out in a pure manner and nobody will be completely darkish on a regular basis and but it could’t be ignored on the identical time, if that is smart.

Earlier than that, Palmer (Brian Dietzen) discovered one thing in Parker’s mother’s unique dying certificates that didn’t add up. Parker doesn’t know this but, however do you might have a concept about that?

Effectively, the one concept that makes any sense to me probably, however I haven’t spoken to the writers or something like that, [is] I’m wondering if his father is concerned in that discrepancy as a result of he doesn’t appear to need to discuss in regards to the mom in any respect actually in any particular manner. However I don’t know. I actually don’t know. Nevertheless it’s humorous as a result of anyone stated, I don’t know who talked about this, however I feel it’d’ve been Rebecca, she stated, “So what occurs to you in the beginning of subsequent season? Will we begin the season with you in a psychological hospital?” As a result of on prime of this, now he will get information of — however that’s why I’m not a author, so I simply have to react to no matter they’re developing with.

Sonja Flemming / CBS

Yeah, as a result of then there’s additionally the Lily of it, as a result of Parker has been by it this season.

It goes full circle with all these characters and that’s what I imply once you’re on this setting and also you convey a season to an in depth and also you need to go away individuals on the sting as a result of that’s sort of the format, you undergo extremes and so you might have to attempt to it’s only a completely different state of affairs for writers as a result of they’re not beginning with A and getting it to Z such as you would do a film and that’s all recognized upfront getting into. They’re doing chunks of time after which there’s a pause after which they’ve to look again at what occurred and take a look at to assemble the items once more. It’s a unique course of, so typically it’s you don’t know and also you don’t know till the final minute the place issues are going to lead.

Earlier than that tragic ending, there was that nice to watch, not a lot for Parker, dinner with Carla simply inviting herself in and staying with him and his father. How was filming that?

That was nice. I liked working with Rebecca and Francis. It was a state of affairs clearly that Parker was past uncomfortable. I imply, it was surprisingly simply harmful and violating and every kind of issues, and but after all his father is actually charmed past perception by this stunning girl that exhibits up on the door and Parker has to sort of fade into the sofa and take a look at to make the most effective of the night after which hopefully have it finish quickly. It was a number of enjoyable to do. It was a well-written scene, nicely directed, and people two actors, I really like working with each of them.

Did Parker assume Carla would actually kill him when she had him on his knees gun on him?

Certain. No matter’s happening between them or no matter had gone on between them — and that’s one other factor, we don’t actually know — one factor he’s sure of is how deadly she is or will be. I don’t assume he questions that in any respect in that sense. As a legislation enforcement officer, he’s not naive about that in any respect. They’re not revealing what sort of different private connection the 2 of them had. We don’t actually know that and I don’t know that we’ll ever know that. It’s simply attention-grabbing to play that they’ve some sort of connection though they’re on either side of the spectrum when it comes to proper and mistaken or nevertheless you need to put that up there.

Going again to the Lily of it, as a result of Parker says he’s nonetheless trying into that at this level, does he have any concept what that complete factor was about with why he noticed her?

I don’t assume he is aware of why. It was an attention-grabbing piece of data that’s found is that this particular person appears to have witnessed what occurred to his mom, however he didn’t know. He was not conscious of that, actually, on the time. So I don’t actually know, and that’s one other query I feel that the writers — on one stage, it’s enjoyable as a result of they don’t have to provide a solution instantly. They’ll have occurrences and so they can have issues occur, which even they might on the time not know what the payoff could also be. I imply, they’re going to have to pay it off sooner or later. I might assume they are going to. That’ll rely on the gods of TV and their schedule although.

Moreover the fallout of Parker’s father’s dying, what are you hoping to discover with Parker subsequent season?

I’ve at all times been an actor that’s principally actually simply instinctive. I don’t actually ponder issues earlier than they’re in entrance of me as a result of It truly is the writers’ room that drives that and I react to it. Typically the writers discuss to me, I’m occupied with doing this and I’m occupied with doing that, and I’ll say, that’s nice, and what ifs? However for probably the most half, I’m actually not a author and I actually don’t give you any sort of story factors or something like that. To know what I’m going to discover doesn’t have something to do with me till I’ve materials. The way in which we work is you’re by no means going to see that materials till actually a couple of weeks earlier than you’re going to execute it. So I don’t spend my time making an attempt to foresee what that’s going to be as a result of to me, enjoying a personality for this lengthy is about being particular with moments. Actually, to me, I take it as line by line, scene by scene, present by present, and that’ll flip into an arc, however that’s extra out of my fingers than the writers’ fingers, I really feel. That’s how I take a look at it.

NCIS, Season 23, TBA, CBS