CBS's long-running procedural NCIS officially ended the Mark Harmon era and began the Gary Cole era in Season 20. But while the Season 20 premiere started a new chapter, it was far from a blank slate. Season 19 ended with a dramatic cliffhanger that framed Cole's character Alden Parker for murder and his ex-wife as a traitor. But the premiere failed to live up to the hype.

In the Season 19 finale "Birds of a Feather," the NCIS team banded together to help Parker disappear. With the FBI and the villainous Raven on his trail, Parker went on the run with his ex-wife Vivian Kolchak (played by Teri Polo). The finale strongly insinuated Vivian was playing Parker. However, the Season 20 premiere undid that tension.

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What Happened to Parker's Ex-Wife on NCIS?

Gary Cole's Parker stands in the NCIS bullpen

As Season 20 opened, fans were desperate to see when and how Parker would figure out his ex-wife was a traitor. But Season 20, Episode 1, "A Family Matter" revealed he had been suspicious of Vivian from the beginning. He got a hold of her burner phone and had Kasie and Jimmy trace who she was texting. To his relief, Vivian wasn't in contact with The Raven. Instead, she was texting FBI Deputy Director Sweeney -- and she wasn't going to turn Parker in, either.

Vivian was playing Sweeney and keeping the FBI off of their trail. That invalidated Season 19's cliffhanger... and was a bit of a letdown to fans who were expecting something more dramatic. Having Parker discover that his ex was plotting to kill him with The Raven would have been a great storyline. However, the NCIS writers decided to take things in a different direction that didn't pay off as well.

The confrontation between Parker and Vivian was awkward. She was appalled that Parker thought she was in league with The Raven and offended that he believed she'd sell him out to Sweeney. Despite having reason to be suspicious, he was clearly in the wrong. And as Vivian told him, his actions were proof that Parker hadn't changed from the selfish and over-protective jerk she married and divorced.

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Alden Parker and his ex-wife Vivian in NCIS

With NCIS's Parker and his ex-wife back on the same side -- professionally, at least -- they continued the hunt for The Raven. That led them to a convicted hacker named Herman Maxwell. Parker and company tried to use Maxwell as bait to attract The Raven, but the show revealed that he was The Raven. He escaped and was captured during the show's second crossover with NCIS: Hawai'i. Vivian was shot when Maxwell fled, and Parker refused to travel with his team in order to support her.

That may be a sign that Parker and Vivian will reconnect on a personal level during Season 20. Vivian was listed as a recurring character, so she was expected to be in more episodes. However, Parker's ex has since been ignored by the series. Because Vivian was a paranormal investigator for the Department of Defense, she could offer some fun storylines for the team in addition to her relationship with Parker. But NCIS would have to remember she exists for that to happen.