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NCIS season 22 introduced a new villain in the form of Gabriel LaRoche, played by Seamus Dever. However, the character has kept the audience guessing if he is actually a bad guy. LaRoche starts as the Department of Justice Inspector General before becoming NCIS Deputy Director.
Alden Parker’s team believes he is the mole leaking secret information to the Nexus cartel; however, the evidence against him is not as straightforward as it seems, and it is possible that he is being set up.
Though LaRoche has behaved suspiciously at times and even accessed classified information that he was not supposed to, an NCIS executive producer has revealed that there is more to his character than what meets the eye.
Why does the NCIS team think Gabriel LaRoche is guilty?
Gabriel LaRoche first shows up in the season 22 premiere as the DOJ Inspector General when Timothy McGee asks for help finding Special Agent Nick Torres. Torres is undercover in a dangerous mission involving the Nexus cartel.
However, instead of helping, LaRoche denies McGee access to essential files and insults NCIS by calling it a lesser agency. This creates immediate tension between him and McGee. By the end of the episode, LaRoche becomes NCIS Deputy Director.
He joins the department just when the team discovers someone is leaking classified information to the cartel. Since LaRoche is one of the few people with access to secret information, he becomes the prime suspect.
McGee then finds out LaRoche accessed a secret report about Torres’ mission, which makes him the only outsider who knew about the case. The DOJ investigators also uncover massive deposits in offshore bank accounts, which suggests someone inside the team is working with the cartel.
Hence, the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) starts to suspect that LaRoche is the mole. The Deputy Director’s strict attitude further complicates his case. In one episode, he makes Kasie unplug her space heater because it violates fire codes. His behavior is often cold and uncooperative, which makes the team further doubt his intentions.
Is Gabriel LaRoche really guilty?
Even with the evidence against him, Gabriel LaRoche might not be the mole. Some of his actions, like refusing to share files, could be his way of protecting sensitive information. Also, as part of the DOJ, LaRoche already had access to classified files, so he did not need to join NCIS to leak information.
LaRoche's habit of strictly following rules makes it seem like he is hiding something. However, it could also mean that he is trying to maintain order in the office. In an interview with CinemaBlend, NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder confirmed that LaRoche is a complicated character who is not simply a villain:
“It's more complicated than that. He certainly is presenting as an antagonist, and as McGee digs in, he's going to even seem shadier than we thought.”
“But although we can be a simple show at times, there's a complexity in that simpleness. I would say it's a good bet that not everything is as it seems with this guy.”
Hence, it is possible that LaRoche is hiding something that could protect his team, instead of harming them. At the same time, other members could be guilty of leaking information.
For example, Torres’ cover was discussed in the Bullpen area, where someone could have overheard the conversation. Then there are people like Lennox Kincaid, the maintenance worker who has access to secure areas and could have eavesdropped on private conversations.
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Thus, while LaRoche seems like the perfect suspect to be the mole, the evidence does not fully prove he is guilty. The character has added much-needed drama and depth to the narrative in season 22, keeping the audience hooked.
NCIS season 22 will return on CBS with new episodes on January 27, 2025.
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