NCIS returns on Monday, January 27, with an atypical case that does not appear to be related to what the team usually investigates. Matters take a personal turn when the owner of Parker’s (Gary Cole) favorite bakery is blackmailed, and the team steps in to help her in NCIS Season 22, Episode 9, “Baker’s Man.” Viewers will finally learn where Parker gets all the pastries he’s gotten the team hooked on. “We’ll finally get to see Parker buy some pastries. We’ll see where some of them come from. I’ve always been of the mind that half of them come from some expat who owns a gas station and happens to sell these mother country pastries. But this one he actually is going to buy from a legit pastry shop,” showrunner Steven D. Binder previously told TV Line.
CBS released the official logline and images from the midseason premiere episode. The logline below previews two major arcs to be explored while the images take us deep into the episode as the team tries to unravel this blackmail mystery. The official episode description reads:
“After NCIS learns that the owner of Parker’s favorite bakery (guest star Melina Kanakaredes) is being blackmailed, they hatch a plan to save her from the perpetrators. Also, tensions heighten when Torres’ (Wilmer Valderrama) secret romance is discovered.”
A Bakery Blackmail and a Secret Romance in ‘NCIS’ Season 22, Episode 9
The images above show scenes from the episode, which heavily explores the bakery investigation. Kostakis Bakery is Parker’s favorite bakery, and there might be something more between Parker and the owner. “She’s a ton of fun. Parker, I think, has a little crush on his baker,” said Binder of this arc. However, nothing is as it presents since she’s put in an investigation room, hinting that she might not be as innocent as one would think. “She might not be a good guy,” Binder teased.
Meanwhile, Torres’ secret date is finally revealed, and not all parties receive the news well. “We will meet this person this season, and it is someone we have met before.” In fact, “someone else in the squad room will be very annoyed,” Binder teased of the identity of Torres’ secret “babe.” It is unclear who will be annoyed or why they will be annoyed, but if Torres’ date is someone from another agency, inter-agency rivalries might be rekindled.
“Baker’s Man” airs on CBS on Monday, January 27, at 8 PM ET before a new episode of NCIS: Origins. Watch the episode written by Andrew Bartles and directed by NCIS star Rocky Carroll, who plays Director Vance. You can also catch up with past episodes on Paramount+ before new ones return in three weeks.
