Who Is Carla Marino In Ncis Season 22? Alden Parker’S New Foe Explained

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NCIS season 22 has a new villain for the characters to contend with, and she has an intriguing connection to one of them. The CBS military police procedural TV series, created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, follows a team of special agents associated with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Washington, D.C., and chronicles the various cases and challenges they face. Over the years, the cast of NCIS has changed dramatically, which is understandable given its 22-season run, and one new face was added to the roster in 2024.

The cast of NCIS season 22 includes Sean Murray as Timothy McGee, Wilmer Valderrama as Nick Torres, Katrina Law as Jessica Knight, Brian Dietzen as Dr. Jimmy Palmer, Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines, Rocky Carroll as Leon Vance, and Gary Cole as Alden Parker. Cole’s Parker joined the team following the exit of Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS season 19. Since then, Parker has assumed the position of Supervisory Special Agent, and his expertise has come in handy on multiple occasions. Thankfully, Parker’s connection to season 22’s new villain may be just what the team needs to stop her.

Carla Marino Is The Head Of The Kansas City Mob In NCIS

Carla Is Introduced In NCIS Season 22, Episode 6

NCIS season 22, episode 6, “Knight and Day,” features the debut of Rebecca De Mornay as Carla Marino, the CBS military police procedural’s newest villain. The hour doesn’t introduce her character until halfway through, and it’s clear that Carla is a force to be reckoned with. According to Parker, Carla is “the matriarch of the biggest organized crime family in the Midwest,” aka, she is the head of the Kansas City mob. Some of Carla’s known crimes include gun running, racketeering, drugs, and much more.

Episode 6 reveals that the NCIS season 22 villain has ties to a woman (Melinda Martin, whose real name is April Day) involved with one of the team’s latest cases. Melinda used to date Carla’s son, Jason Marino, who wanted nothing to do with his family’s business, in high school. The two teenagers tried running away from their home in Kansas City to escape Carla. Sadly, Jason was killed, leaving Melinda pregnant with their baby. Melinda later gave birth to their daughter, who she gave up for adoption so that the baby’s grandmother (Carla) would never be able to get to her.

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How Is Parker Connected To Carla?

Parker Was Tracking Carla While He Was In The FBI

Gary Cole’s Parker is the one to identify Jason in the picture with Melinda in NCIS season 22, episode 6 because he has a history with Jason’s mother. Parker explains that he spent years trying to take Carla down when he was working with the FBI. He was even on a special task force dedicated to catching Carla, who Parker describes as “ruthless.” However, every time Parker and his team got close to achieving their mission, a confidential informant was mysteriously killed.

Almost every character in a police procedural has that one criminal who always finds a way to slip through their fingers, and for Parker, that’s Carla.

Carla is seemingly the one who got away from Parker in the NCIS TV show. Almost every character in a police procedural has that one criminal who always finds a way to slip through their fingers, and for Parker, that’s Carla. Parker isn’t even able to keep Carla in custody in NCIS season 22, episode 6 because one of her henchmen takes the fall for her. Consequently, episode 6 surely won’t be the last time the mob boss appears. Cole’s character will continue to keep an eye on Carla (quite literally, seeing as he hung her mug shot in his cubicle).

Who Plays Carla In NCIS? Rebecca De Mornay’s TV Shows & Movies

De Mornay’s Breakthrough Was Risky Business

Before joining the cast of NCIS season 22, Rebecca De Mornay starred in a wide variety of films and TV shows. Most notably, De Mornay’s breakout performance was in the 1983 comedy Risky Business with Tom Cruise. She played Lana, Cruise’s character’s love interest, in the movie. However, some NCIS fans may also recognize De Mornay from her roles in Backdraft, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Wedding Crashers, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, and many more.

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