NCIS fans can breathe a sigh of relief as CBS confirmed Timothy McGee's fate on the series after he took his obsession with Deputy Director Gabriel LaRoche somewhat too far in Season 22's penultimate episode. One of the major storylines of NCIS Season 22 revolves around Special Agent McGee's quest to take down Deputy Director LaRoche because he believes that he is undeserving of his position due to being tied to an illegal activity.
Agent McGee is no stranger to exit scares in NCIS, especially after Season 22's premiere revealed that he was almost promoted to the NCIS Deputy Director position before losing it to Sean Dever's Gabriel LaRoche.
While the storyline was placed on the back burner for most of the season, it finally came to take the spotlight in the final batch of Season 22 episodes (starting with NCIS Season 22, Episode 17) as McGee doubled down on his efforts in trying to prove that LaRoche is a mole within the confines of the NCIS headquarters.
Is Tim McGee Leaving NCIS?
A good chunk of NCIS Season 22, Episode 19, "Killer Instinct," focused on the ups and downs of Tim McGee's efforts to expose LaRoche. This includes his team being concerned about his obsession, him defying orders to go home, and being put under investigation by internal affairs for his reckless actions against his rival.
At one point, McGee's job with NCIS was up in the air due to the investigation after LaRoche filed a formal complaint, with an indefinite suspension looming for the special agent.
Ultimately, "Killer Instinct" confirmed that LaRoche was indeed dirty after McGee witnessed firsthand that he killed a guy in cold blood. Surveillance footage also exposed LaRoche after he was caught stealing evidence from the NCIS headquarters.
After Inspector General Regina Ward cleared him, Tim McGee's job with NCIS is safe, and he is confirmed to be sticking around ahead of the finale.
Does McGee Die on NCIS?
In the climactic moments of NCIS Season 22, Episode 19, McGee decided to sneak inside LaRoche's van full of evidence to uncover his dark secret.
It was later revealed that LaRoche is in cahoots with Shaker, a party truck thief who used a military-grade signal jammer to steal some high-profile goods (it is also the same case that the Major Crimes Response Team was investigating).
McGee came in to confront the pair, but in a surprising twist, LaRoche killed Shaker instead to save him. However, McGee was shot in the shoulder during the whole fiasco.
The episode ended with the team arriving to back McGee up and arresting LaRoche. Before doing so, though, LaRoche shot down the accusation that he is dirty before telling everyone, "It's time you know the truth."
Given that McGee was only shot in his shoulder, the longtime NCIS special agent essentially survived the whole ordeal in Season 22, Episode 19.
The official trailer for the NCIS Season 22 finale even showed McGee alive and stable as he helps the team map out a plan to take down the Nexus cartel:
An official still from the NCIS Season 22 finale shows McGee pondering his next move, potentially during the aftermath of LaRoche's revelation about his true allegiance.
There is no denying that McGee is quite important in the grand scheme of things as part of the Major Crimes Response Team (MCRT).
Seeing him dig deep and defy protocols to prove that his hunch about LaRoche is right is what makes the character interesting, and there's a chance that his efforts will be rewarded by finally giving him the promotion to NCIS Deputy Director that he long sought after.
If he gets promoted as Deputy Director in the finale, this would mean that he will leave MCRT, potentially cementing his exit from the series. McGee has been a main cast member of NCIS since Season 2, and many would agree that a promotion is a well-deserved send-off for the character.
