Spoiler Alert for NCIS season 22, episode 10, “Baker’s Man"NCISseason 22, episode 10, “Baker’s Man,” continues a frustrating trend for Gary Cole’s Alden Parker.NCISseason 22has a standard case for its midseason return with a few significant twists. Despite lacking a Navy connection, Parker’s Major Case Response Team (MCRT) investigates a murder at a bakery, which happens to be his favorite one in the city. He drops by Kostakis Bakery, run by Eleni Kostakis (guest star Melina Kanakaredes), in the morning, not knowing that a crime is taking place in its backroom.
MCRT takes on the case after discovering that Eleni’s assistant, Virgil Wilson (Jordyn Owens), left Parker an urgent message for help in his pastry box when he visited Kostakis Bakery that morning. While Virgil’s murder initially looks like a robbery gone wrong,Eleni Kostakis is actually at the center of a drug war, with a local dealer named Arturo Jiménez (Carlos Javier Rivera) forcing the baker to cook cocaine into meringue cookies in exchange for the other half of a loan. Luckily, theNCISseason 22 teamdiscovers Parker’s crush is being extorted just in time.
Parker’s Budding Romance In NCIS Season 22, Episode 10 Goes Nowhere
Parker And Eleni Have A Wasted Spark
“Baker’s Man” hints thatParker has a crush on Eleni Kostakis, which the episode leans on throughout its run. DespiteNCISseason 22, episode 10, featuring a romantic spark between Parker and Eleni, their burgeoning affair ends up nowhere. Despite Eleni pushing Alden away, he cares for her throughout the episode and insists on solving her case, saving her life and her nephew, Manuel Lopez.
Despite their chemistry, Eleni tells Parker after the investigation that the timeline of Kostakis Bakery reopening is uncertain because she is considering a return to Greece.
Parker and Eleni’s spark is a fun development sinceNCISteased his next romance several times without a satisfying conclusion. However, by the end of “Baker’s Man”,Parker’s love life hit another abrupt end. Despite their chemistry, Eleni tells Parker after the investigation that the timeline of Kostakis Bakery reopening is uncertain because she is considering a return to Greece. It’s a let-down for Parker, not just because he will miss out on his favorite Mediterranean goodies. Their immediate separation with an uncertain reunion effectively cuts their developing relationship short.
Why Parker Needs A Romantic Arc In NCIS Season 22
NCIS Teases Parker’s Love Life Disappointingly
NCISseason 22 missed an opportunity for Parker because the team leader has been without love for too long. Parker is single when his role in the series kicks off afterMark Harmon’sNCISexit as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Parker falling for someone, whether it lasted or not, would motivate Cole’s character to open up. We have yet to see Parker fall in love, andNCIStaking the leader’s flings further could improve the show significantly.
Parker is divorced from his ex-wife, Vivian Kolchak (Teri Polo), who resigned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and now works for the Department of Defense (DOD).
Alden has had a couple of potential flames since he joined Washington’s MCRT, includingParker’s teased romance with Navy Commander Clara Logan(Christina Kirk) inNCISseason 21. Parker also gave Dr. Grace Confalone (Laura San Giacomo) a kiss on the head inNCISseason 22, episode 8. The development suggests Parker opening up to a new romance, whether he realizes it or not. As the franchise did with Leroy Jethro Gibbs, using relationships and personal backstory to explore who the team leader is a few seasons into his run would be a wise choice forNCISseason 22.
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NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
