NCIS season 23 episode 7 shows how Parker’s own family history connects to the investigation into the SEALs’ actions. Throughout the hour-long episode, the audience is introduced to Lieutenant Max Winger, who we see skydiving into the middle of a neighbourhood street, leading to the abduction of a teenager. Winger quickly becomes the main suspect for the murder of Captain David Cruz.Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for the show. Reader's discretion is advised.The investigation takes the agents to locations such as a church, a police station, and a munitions depot, with the addition of evidence of possible radicalisation, blackmail, and possible cover-ups related to the combat base that was formerly in Afghanistan. The investigation in NCIS season 23 episode 7 also leads the agents down paths that ultimately reveal that Winger had been wrongfully accused and, in fact, was motivated by fear, not malice. Ultimately, the true perpetrator used Winger's secret confessions to exploit Cruz's weaknesses for profit.Was Lieutenant Max Winger framed in NCIS season 23 episode 7?Max Winger (Image via Instagram/@stevengnorfleet)Max Winger initially appears to be a volatile kidnapper who murdered Cruz in a jealous rage after discovering an affair. However, that theory falls apart once his wife denies any infidelity and his behaviour fails to match a crime-of-passion profile in NCIS season 23 episode 7.The investigation leads to connections between Winger, Cruz, and Liam O'Brien, all pointing to a secret location known as the O.K. Corral, where being exposed to toxic waste had left them all sick, creating reasons for others to conceal the situation. Max Winger's act of fleeing initially appears to be an attempt to evade justice, but it becomes clear through his actions that this was intended to protect and provide security for his family and secure evidence, rather than an effort to escape a murder charge.The hostage call created by an AI system, which coerced Winger to hurry back to his home, and the soil that he had removed from the munitions depot, are part of the evidence that convicts him of the crime. With Seaman Morris being exposed as the one behind the blackmail, and Cruz being killed for not meeting the ransom demands, Winger is no longer charged with the murder and is reunited with his family, but continues to live with the terminal diagnosis.NCIS season 23 episode 7: Parker's storyline exploredThe cast of NCIS season 23 (Image via Instagram/@ncisverse)After Jimmy presents the major discrepancies in the forensic evidence that may indicate that Parker's mother's death was not simply an accident, Parker is filled with both anger and grief for what he has lost. Palmer gives Parker an explanation regarding the injuries located on the base of his mother's skull not matching the pattern that would be created by the front end of a car colliding with another vehicle.This provides possible evidence of murder and a chance that someone else was involved in creating the appearance of an accident. Having just lost his father to the same violence that caused his mother's death, Parker's frustration becomes evident within the Winger case.During Parker's interrogation of Winger, he crosses the boundaries established for investigators and experiences confrontations with the chaplain due to the latter's unwillingness to break the seal of confession. He goes so far as to attempt to physically force Director Vance to allow him to return to the interrogation room.The relationship between Parker's quest for the unvarnished truth about the O.K. Corral and Winger's desperate desire to know the truth about his mother serves as the emotional undercurrent for the entire hour. By witnessing firsthand the devastating impact that hiding information has had on Winger's life, Parker's emotions gradually evolve from denial to acceptance of a truth he has long avoided.Towards the end of NCIS season 23 episode 7, he circles back to Jimmy, not with anger but with resolve, asking the latter to keep investigating his mother’s death even if the answers prove painful.Other highlights from NCIS season 23 episode 7 View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIn addition to Parker's personal journey and the conspiracy surrounding the chapel, there are important developments in NCIS season 23 episode 7 that affect Winger's character due to the effects of his past trauma. One of the revelations NCIS made was that Winger, Cruz, and Liam O'Brien had all been stationed together at a top-secret location in Afghanistan called the O.K. Corral.The O.K. Corral was formerly a Russian military base that had later been contaminated due to the use of toxic soil. All three soldiers had experienced significant exposure to this soil, and Winger had taken soil samples to provide proof. His initial attempted parachute jump ended because he had received an artificial intelligence phone call suggesting that both his wife and son had been kidnapped, which was part of a larger scheme to cover up the contamination of the site.Due to the continued decline of Winger's physical condition, he was motivated by a sense of desperation to obtain benefits for his family while he was still able to take action. When cleared, he returned to his family, with the Pentagon initiating an investigation into the contamination of the area.The bravery Winger showed in coming forward with information about what happened will now allow hundreds of other servicemembers who were stationed at the base the opportunity to undergo early detection and treatment for any health issues they may experience due to having been exposed to toxic soil.Catch NCIS season 23 episode 7, along with the show's previous episodes, on CBS and Paramount+.