NCIS season 23 premiere review: CBS show cliffhanger

SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for NCIS Season 23, Episode 1.

It’s no surprise that NCIS Season 23, Episode 1 picks up quickly after the Season 22 finale, since that ended on a cliffhanger in which Alden Parker’s father was killed. It is interesting that the CBS show returns with a two-part story. “Prodigal Son, Part 1” never stops feeling like the middle of a book that’s still unfinished.

The general plot of a main character crossing lines in order to avenge or save a loved one is a very common idea, because it works. Audiences get to see their heroes in a heightened emotional state, which means the actors get more to play with, too. This remains true on NCIS, as Gary Cole gets to lose his cool a few times — most notably when Parker doesn’t like being sent home by Director Leon Vance. Cole and Rocky Carroll expertly handle the scene that the audience knows is coming. Everything is about how far Parker will go in his father’s name, while the rest of the team tries to either help or caution him.

“Prodigal Son, Part 1” hits all the notes that this kind of story uses, from the arguments to the angst and people doing things that are questionable at best. But because it’s labeled as a “Part 1,” the viewer knows that they’re not going to get a resolution —…