NCIS Recap: Parker's Pursuit Of Carla Leads To A Rumble In The Jungle — Plus, Is Torres In Trouble?

We don't think it's spoiling much to say Parker lived to see Part 2 of the "NCIS" season premiere this week — he is in the rest of the Season 23 trailer, after all — but Tuesday's episode did give us some surprises... including an ominous moment for Torres.

Part 2 picks up right where we left off: dangling on a cliffhanger, with Parker's sister Harriet ordering fighter jets to fire at a boat carrying Carla — and her brother. The boat seems to explode on the video screen, but the jets never fired. "The target appears to have... imploded," Harriet is told, and on the boat, they only find dead bodies, with no sign of survivors. Kasie offers a ray of hope, though, reporting that the boat had a life raft, which was found abandoned at a nearby marina. It had the number 51 scrawled on its windshield, too, which McGee instantly identifies as one of Gibbs' rules: "Sometimes you're wrong." Oh Parker, you sly devil.

He did survive, and he makes his way to a familiar cabin in the woods, where he hears a noise inside and calls for Gibbs. But no, we're not getting a Mark Harmon cameo: It's McGee, who beat Parker to the spot. Parker explains that the boat was rigged with plastic explosives — that's what made him say "Oh, crap" last week — set up by Carla to fake her own death. He knows Carla is still out there, and he came to the cabin to work off the grid. Meanwhile, Kasie discovers that Carla's granddaughter Lauren has gone missing. Lauren's mom has always tried to keep her away from Carla, but Lauren's roommate tells the team she's always bragging about "Grandma Carla," and Gibbs finds letters they've been exchanging — and sure enough, they find Carla and Lauren having coffee at an outdoor café in Arlington. What, Carla, you couldn't get that coffee to go? 

The team calls in Vance and Harriet, showing them the new photos of Carla — and breaking the news that Parker is still alive. But Harriet seems less relieved and more angry that they were working with Parker in secret. Harriet rolls up to Gibbs' cabin to reunite with her brother — which means slapping handcuffs on him and hitting him with a slew of federal charges "for his own good." Parker stews in a holding cell, with Harriet telling him he's still the same "reckless, insubordinate" kid she grew up with. He fires back, though, saying he needs to redeem himself for his dad's death: "I don't need another lesson. I need a sister. Instead, I've got you."

The team tracks Carla and Lauren to Cuba, and it doesn't look like Lauren went willingly. Harriet consults with the Department of Defense — shouldn't that be the Department of War, actually? — and they tell her the Cuban government offered Carla asylum in exchange for inside intel on Nexus' whole operation. They're happy with the intel, but Harriet pointedly reminds them there's still a 19-year-old American being held hostage. She gets stonewalled, and Jessica gently nudges her that no one knows Carla better than Parker. So Harriet sets him free, telling him, "Go get her."

Parker and the team head down to a jungle hideout in Cuba, where Lauren is indeed being held against her will. Parker finds his way inside and tells Carla he's just here to bring Lauren home. He produces one half of a locket, telling Carla that her son Jason gave it to him because he believed she still had good in her. She relents and hands over Lauren... but then discovers the locket says "Made in Cuba" on the back. Parker tricked her! She runs after him, gun in hand... but McGee and Torres take her out before she can fire.

So Carla is dead and Lauren is home safe, but Vance is worried Parker went too far over the edge to be trusted. He also asks Torres to stay behind for a private meeting. (Uh-oh... what's that all about?) Parker's dad gets a ceremonial burial at sea, and Parker and Harriet mend fences, singing John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in tribute to their father, with everyone else joining in. But wait: Kasie discovers that the lipstick on the wineglass at the scene of Parker's dad's death doesn't actually match Carla's DNA. So another woman was there that night? 

Who else do you think was there when Parker's dad died? And what do you think Vance wanted to tell Torres? Drop your thoughts and theories in a comment below!