In the intense and twist-filled NCIS Season 22 Episode 17 titled ‘Killer Instinct’, one word stood out — NOCTURNE. It wasn’t just a codename. It wasn’t just a secret name. It wasn’t just a passing mention. It was an important piece in a dangerous game of power, spying, and lying. And by the end of the episode, it became crystal clear that NOCTURNE is much more than it initially appeared.
The episode placed Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) in unfamiliar terrain — not the battlefield, but a dinner table. What started out as an awkward social duty turned into a deadly fight that made McGee decide where to draw the line between being loyal and telling the truth. Who are the hosts of this bad night? They invited McGee and his wife Delilah (Margo Harshman) to their house for a cozy night of food and drinks. Gabriel LaRoche (Seamus Dever) and his wife Tammy (Brooke Lyons) were the hosts. Warmth in the evening didn’t hide the cold war going on below the surface, though.
McGee has had reasons to distrust LaRoche. Not only had LaRoche snagged the promotion McGee had hoped for, but he was also suspected of leaking Torres’ identity during a dangerous undercover op with the Nexus cartel. Still, nothing about that evening compared to what McGee would discover by its end — a chilling revelation that pointed to an even bigger conspiracy.
After an elaborate ruse to save LaRoche from an assassin, with McGee playing the role of a rival hitman named “The Poet,” the night seemed to close on a note of mutual understanding. But that peace quickly shattered when Delilah, while reviewing data from the case, uncovered the source of a critical piece of intelligence — a government VPN called NOCTURNE.
Here’s where things got very real.
When McGee heard the name NOCTURNE, alarm bells rang. Earlier that night, while snooping through LaRoche’s office, he had seen that same word scribbled on a notepad. That connection wasn’t circumstantial — it was deliberate. NOCTURNE was the system through which the hit was arranged. Which begs the question: if that intel came through a secure, classified channel known only to top-level government insiders, and that same name appeared inside LaRoche’s personal files, what does that say about LaRoche’s true role?
What is NOCTURNE?
NOCTURNE appears to be a covert operations network — a secure VPN or dark web communication server — possibly used by an elite group within the government to carry out off-the-books missions. It could be a black-ops communication line or an intelligence-sharing system not even all NCIS agents know about. Its existence, and LaRoche’s connection to it, suggest he may be operating in deeper, more dangerous waters than anyone realized. If he is involved, LaRoche could be connected to assassinations, internal sabotage, or even rogue factions within the agency itself.
It’s a bombshell — and McGee now knows it.
The episode ends with LaRoche offering a handshake, perhaps as a gesture of reconciliation. But McGee, calm and calculating, holds on, locks eyes, and delivers a message: “NOCTURNE… I am coming for you.”
A single word has never felt more powerful.
As NCIS edges closer to its season finale, the mystery of NOCTURNE could very well reshape everything fans know about the agency’s internal power structure.
Keep your eyes peeled — something bigger is brewing beneath the surface.
For more NCIS theories, breaking news, and full episode coverage, be sure to drop by tvacute.com again soon.
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