Warning: SPOILERS ahead for NCIS Season 22, Episode 5, ‘In From the Cold’NCIS features major events in season 22, including a case that recalls one of the agency’s biggest mistakes. The team took on some significant cases, even avoiding World War III in NCIS season 22, episode 4. They are also navigating changeable relationships. Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) returned to the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) after accepting a promotion that took her to California. Now that she’s back, Jess, McGee (Sean Murray), Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Parker (Gary Cole) can continue catching bad guys. Still, we almost escaped in episode 5.
In “In From the Cold”, the NCIS The Season 22 team investigates a hospital hostage situation that turns into a murder. Strange things happen when they look for the numbers recited by Thomas Butler (John Getz), who supposedly committed the crime. CIA officer Conrad (Tom Achanley) arrives at NCIS to clear up the confusion, telling the team that Butler is a Russian spy. However, Conrad turns out to be a dirty CIA agentand the MCRT catches him before Conrad hurts Butler or any of his agents. That’s why, NCIS season 22 narrowly avoided a mistake made 17 years ago.
Gibbs’ MCRT dealt with a rogue CIA agent in Trent Kort
Trent Kort was a deceptive CIA agent
NCIS Season 22 isn’t the first time MCRT has dealt with a rogue CIA agent. The agency constantly works with other government agencies, such as the FBI and the Secret Service, on investigations – but has a very troubled history with the CIA. NCIS’ most infamous run-in with a rogue CIA agent is Trent Kort (David Dayan Fisher), who also interfered in NCIS cases. The main difference between Kort and Conrad is that NCIS gets Conrad after working on it just once. In contrast, the former CIA agent interfered in cases of NCIS seasons 4 to 13.
When the team was investigating arms dealer René Benoit known as La Grenouille, Kort blew up Tony DiNozzo’s car. Fortunately, Tony (Michael Weatherly) narrowly escaped a bad fate since he wasn’t in the vehicle, but Kort reared his head again when he returned years later. Kort’s antagonism towards the MCRT came to a head when he reappeared in season 13, blowing up Ziva David’s (Cote de Pablo) family home, with the fire supposedly killing her. While NCIS revealed that Ziva was alive and in hiding, the team did not catch Kort in time to neutralize a near-fatal attack.
Luckily, NCIS Season 22 Episode 5 catches Conrad during the first case
MCRT Knows Conrad Is Dirty in Twisted Ending
In NCIS season 22, episode 5, it’s initially unclear whether Conrad is dirty or that the MCRT is after him. Even so, the CIA agent acts suspiciously from the beginning. He arrives at NCIS after Kasie (Diona Reasonover) designs a program to strike back at whoever is blocking his search for Thomas Butler. The counterattack alerts the CIA and Conrad arrives to do damage control. Despite appearing concerned about national security, Conrad is hesitant to hand over information but eventually tells Parker and Vance (Rocky Carroll) that Butler is a Russian spy who the CIA allowed to use their cover.
With Conrad’s connection to Kort, it reminds us how dangerous a NCIS villain can be. Kort almost killed Ziva David.
Still, Conrad’s explanation makes no sense. His involvement in the case increases when he discovers that Butler has gained access to a file called Project Laurel, and NCIS brings Butler in for questioning with the help of his son. Back at NCIS headquarters, Parker questions Butler and the team discovers that he thinks it’s the 1970s. Although it seems they can’t snap him out of it, Parker is actually working with Butler to catch Conrad after learning that Project Laurel is a CIA crime list with Conrad’s name on it. Thus, Parker’s team managed to prevent another long-term villain.
How Conrad’s case highlights the danger brought by LaRoche in NCIS Season 22
MCRT is not out of the woods yet
Although the team has officially avoided another rogue CIA agent, they are not out of the woods yet. We still don’t know what will happen to NCIS season 22 villain Gabriel LaRoche (Seamus Dever). NCIS presents LaRoche on NCIS season 22 premiere. He is the Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DOD), and McGee contacts him for information about Nick’s undercover operation. The IJ is rude, calling NCIS an inferior agency. However, NCIS reveals that LaRoche beat out McGee for the position of deputy director of NCIS, despite his comments. The promotion puts LaRoche in a significant position of power at NCIS.
Despite NCIS Season 22 ignoring its most dangerous case in episode 2, LaRoche is mentioned again at the end of episode 3 when it is revealed that McGee is secretly investigating the new vice principal. LaRoche poses a huge threat to the team as they discover reasons to believe he is a mole leaking information before his promotion to deputy director. With Conrad’s connection to Kort, it reminds us how dangerous a NCIS villain can be. Kort almost killed Ziva David. If left unchecked, Gabrielle LaRoche could also eliminate one of the MCRT’s most valuable members.