The December 16, 2025, midseason finale of NCIS delivered major answers to a two-season mystery and set up a surprising new threat for the team to face in the new year. The episode, titled “Heaven and Nature,” concluded the story of Special Agent Alden Parker’s missing mother while weaving in a holiday crime and a shocking mission for Jessica Knight. The ensemble cast, led by Gary Cole, brought this pivotal chapter to life.
The episode served as the fall finale for NCIS Season 23. After this break, the show is scheduled to return with new episodes on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
The Main Cast of ‘Heaven and Nature’
The episode featured the show’s core team of agents and specialists handling dual investigations.
Gary Cole as Special Agent Alden Parker
The episode’s emotional center, Gary Cole’s Alden Parker, finally learned the complete truth about his mother’s fate. For seasons, Parker has been haunted by visions of a young girl named Lily during stressful moments, a mystery that began in the Season 21 finale. This episode revealed that his mother did not abandon the family, but died heroically while protecting Lily and her mother from an abusive husband. Parker’s journey involved confronting the corrupt state trooper responsible and finally locating his mother’s remains to give her a proper burial.
Sean Murray and Wilmer Valderrama as Agents McGee and Torres
Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee and Wilmer Valderrama’s Nick Torres led the episode’s holiday-themed case. Their mission was to recover a stolen truck filled with toys meant for the Navy’s annual Christmas drive. While this investigation provided a lighter counterpoint to Parker’s personal story, it also revealed a larger criminal operation, with McGee using his methodical skills to uncover a conspiracy.
Katrina Law as Special Agent Jessica Knight
Katrina Law’s Jessica Knight received a major career development. In the episode, Director Vance gave Knight her first assignment for the secretive NCIS: Elite unit. The nature of this mission created immediate personal conflict, as Knight was ordered to track down a former member of her own team and instructed to keep the details secret.
Supporting Team Members
The investigative work was supported by the rest of the regular cast:
- Brian Dietzen as Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jimmy Palmer, whose findings raised the stakes in the case.
- Diona Reasonover as forensic scientist Kasie Hines.
- Rocky Carroll as NCIS Director Leon Vance, who oversaw operations and initiated the Elite mission.
The Major Storyline Developments
The Truth About Parker’s Mother
The mystery of Parker’s mother, which had been building since Season 21, reached its conclusion. Through flashbacks and present-day investigation, it was revealed that Parker’s mother, Eleanor, was helping a woman named Judy and her young daughter, Lily, escape Judy’s abusive husband, a state trooper named Lester Burm. The trooper ran their car off the road, killing his own wife (Judy) and framing the death as Eleanor’s in a drunk-driving accident. Eleanor survived the crash and fled with Lily to protect her.
โWe had a backstory that was also pretty dark but also pretty heroic,โ executive producer Steven D. Binder said about the long-planned arc. โAs we started building some things outโฆ we realized our original backstory didnโt work, but the heroism โ because Parkerโs mom is a hero โ and the darkness remained.โ
Parker’s father learned the truth from an adult Lily the night he died. Parker later confronted Lester Burm, played by guest star Bruce Davison, and discovered the location of his mother’s body. The episode ended with the NCIS team joining Parker for his mother’s proper burial.
Jessica Knight’s First Elite Mission
A major twist came with Knight’s new assignment from NCIS: Elite. Her mission is to track down former NCIS Special Agent Eleanor Bishop, marking the return of actress Emily Wickersham to the series. Bishop was last seen in the Season 18 finale, leaving NCIS in disgrace as part of a cover to join a deep undercover operation.
Showrunner Steven D. Binder explained that Bishop is not the same person viewers remember. โShe left on a pretty dangerous, interesting mission in a foreign landโฆ and itโs deadly, and people die, and youโre responsible for people dyingโฆ and that will go a long way to explain why we are looking for her in a way that suggests sheโs done something wrong,โ he told TVLine.
The episode’s final scene revealed that Bishop was secretly watching Knight and the rest of the team from her car during Parker’s mother’s burial service.
A Holiday Theft Case
Alongside the heavy personal drama, agents McGee and Torres worked a case involving a stolen truck of donated Christmas toys. This storyline provided a more traditional NCIS procedural element and a dose of holiday spirit, with the team ultimately saving the Christmas drive.
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Guest Cast and Characters
Several guest stars appeared in key roles:
- Bruce Davison as Lester Burm, the corrupt former state trooper at the center of Parker’s family tragedy.
- Barbara Niven as Nelly Johnson, the adult version of Lily, the girl Parker’s mother saved.
- Emily Wickersham returned as Eleanor Bishop, now a target of NCIS: Elite.
- Adam Ferrara as Sammy Craig and LaNisa Renee Frederick as Diana Roday, who were involved in the action alongside Torres and McGee.
What Happens Next?
With the midseason finale, NCIS has closed one major chapter while dramatically opening another. Parker has gained closure, but Knight now faces a profound professional and ethical dilemma. She must hunt a former friend and colleague, a task that executive producer Steven D. Binder says will test her loyalties. โKnight doesnโt make the same choice Bishop made. Knight chooses team loyalty over her oath, over her duty,โ Binder stated.
Bishop’s return is expected to be a focused story. Binder indicated the show plans to resolve this arc directly, saying, โWeโre gonna run this story out and have it end, so expect to see her right now in one episode that will run it out.โ
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