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NCIS Season 22: Meet Gabriel LaRoche, the Shocking New Villain!
NCIS season 22 brought a fresh face to the series: the formidable Gabriel LaRoche (played by Seamus Dever). This new antagonist will surely leave audiences hooked, considering how effectively and creatively previous villains were introduced and utilized; leading to many critically lauded story arcs which became infamous in the history of NCIS, demonstrating a mastery at weaving compelling villains and introducing memorable antagonists throughout the long history of the franchise; thus, a fresh start using this creative process is much-needed for re-igniting audience interest after those more recent installments of the series; this demonstrates a new opportunity that can leverage past successes, to create those kinds of long, compelling and unforgettable storyline developments. We're talking a seriously twisty tale promising some excellent tension that will surely make every season 22 episode unforgettable! His introduction completely changed everything in that premiere, immediately becoming the suspected mole in NCIS – leavingAlden Parker(Gary Cole) and hisMajor Case Response Team(MCRT) in serious trouble, and thus viewers can also look forward to further character developments throughout.
The inclusion of this new character creates plenty of potential to revive that engaging formula which involves creating those ongoing plots driven by well-written, incredibly cunning villains, and to improve the ratings and further solidify its longevity, requiring significant attention and innovative plotting! LaRochejoins the ranks of notoriousNCISvillains such asAri Haswari(Rudolf Martin) whose storyline brought many beloved moments to light and contributed to various major developments concerning several key characters which improved this show enormously. That prior villain,Ari, created an arc featuringZiva David(Cote de Pablo) with numerous plot twists and iconic developments concerning her introduction; that ongoing conflict, spanning multiple episodes in NCIS; showed exactly just why long-term antagonists matter!
TheNCISseason 22premiere revealed the intriguing role played by Dever's LaRoche; as theDepartment of Justice(DOJ) Inspector General, he initially seemed neutral. McGee(Sean Murray) reaches out to LaRoche initially; requesting assistance with the disappearance of Torres(Wilmer Valderrama). But here is where that immediate deception emerges: LaRoche is presented as a fairly uncooperative and unfriendly character and is positioned as arrogant and standoffish which serves as an immediate warning sign of an upcoming dramatic twist.It’s only later we discover his duplicity and the reveal that he is connected to a huge leak of sensitiveNCISintelligence; This dramatic and intense shift in positioning that completely exposes the reality which lies underneath is what will greatly define the direction of season 22!
This leak caused disastrous failures in their raids onNexushideouts, all tied to Torres’ undercover mission targeting a local cartel. LaRocheconfirms the leak – a majorDOJinvestigation begins after tracing huge sums into offshore accounts. Shockingly, the suspected perpetrator points directly towardLaRoche; and adding to the unexpected danger inherent within these very circumstances? That guy later becomes theNCIS Deputy Director. This shows the cunning and ambition inherent within this antagonist; already setting an unbelievably high stakes level immediately forSeason 22.
That sets things up tremendously. LaRoche’s considerable power (asNCIS Deputy Director) adds tension –Parker's MCRTmust investigate secretly; needing to gain evidence and ultimately convince Vance(Rocky Carroll) this new director's supposed involvement and potential treason is valid! That whole undercover effort is tremendously difficult.
Thankfully, they have their resources! The team is able to effectively function through the work of returning members – including the work of those returning and familiar characters; which provides the kind of stability and reliability to handle this unexpectedly intense plot which involves an existing director as an antagonist.
This isn’tDever’sfirstNCISrole! Way back inJAG(those1990slegal dramas), he portrayedCorporal Caden Duran! He returned for a briefNCISappearance (Graham ThomasinSeason 4) – plus later roles inNCIS: Los AngelesandNCIS: Hawai'i. This established history truly highlights how deeply connected and devotedDeverremains within this franchise.
His work is extensive, going way beyondNCIS! He guest-starred on many police procedurals –The Rookie,MacGyver,CSIfranchise – with a killer role inABC's Castle! This incredible level of contribution is what makes hisLaRocherole extremely well-suited and fitting for such a large project like this: This guy already possesses a deep background involving that experience concerning a deep working familiarity and knowledge within police procedural projects which helped shape his entire performance.
LaRocheis massive! His strategic rise inNCIShas huge impacts – that immediate tension, his intelligence and cunning is perfectly suitable; perfectly showing why this character was created so brilliantly, especially with the kind of existing lore built over so many prior installments that made Season 22 something special; This addition elevates this season’s quality into something totally unexpected! It is the kind of cunning villain which only adds greater intrigue for upcoming seasons! Get ready for a wild ride,NCISfans!