Mark Harmon’s NCIS Comeback as Gibbs Has 1 Unfortunate Catch

Mark Harmon’s return to the NCIS franchise as Leroy Jethro Gibbs has one unfortunate catch, leaving more to be desired for longtime fans of CBS’s Navy procedural. Gibbs was the face of the franchise until Harmon exited NCIS in Season 19, leaving the series without its Special Agent-in-Charge for the first time in two decades. After a case led Gibbs to Alaska, the former Marine decided to stay in Naktok Bay, where he said goodbye to Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), after finally finding some peace.

While the series has doubtlessly struggled without its SAC, the flagship NCIS show has kept up in Harmon’s absence, with Alden Parker (Gary Cole), the FBI agent once assigned to arrest Gibbs, taking over his place as the team’s Supervisory Agent. While ratings for the Navy procedural have dipped in recent years, losing ground to series like Justin Hartley’s Tracker, NCIS Season 23 is off to a strong start. The show now airs on Tuesday nights, alongside the franchise’s other spinoffs, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney.

Mark Harmon Will Return to NCIS as Leroy Jethro Gibbs For the Franchise’s Crossover Event

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Harmon will officially return to the NCIS franchise as Leroy Jethro Gibbs for a special NCIS crossover event on November 11. The two-part episode will cover a case that spans 30 years, connecting the series with the event that kicks off with “Buried Truth” in NCIS: Origins Season 2 and concludes with “Now and Then” in NCIS Season 23. The crossover event will shift the Tuesday night timeslots for the flagship and its prequel series, with the mystery starting in the 1990s and spanning to the present day.

Per the official description, “young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and team investigate the small-town death of a naval officer in the ’90s — a case that’s unexpectedly re-opened in the present day.” Starting the case in NCIS: Origins and resolving it in NCIS, the crossover event will allow audiences to witness a cold case unfold chronologically. Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) and his team will embark on an investigation that Alden Parker and his team will seemingly complete, with the event showcasing two very different times and styles.

Regarding Harmon’s role in the special event, NCIS: Origins showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal teased, “Four years ago, Gibbs disappeared to Alaska to live a life of solitude,” adding, “We know how much fans have missed seeing Mark and have wondered what Gibbs is up to today. Well, on Nov. 11, we’re so excited to announce that Mark Harmon will return as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the Origins hours of the NCIS crossover event. We don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that Gibbs is no longer alone.”

Mark Harmon Will Return as Leroy Jethro Gibbs In NCIS: Origins Rather Than NCIS’s Flagship

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While Harmon’s return is doubtlessly among the most exciting news in the franchise since the last time he featured in NCIS: Origins, the catch to older Gibbs’ appearance is that he will come back in the prequel chapter of the crossover event, rather than the flagship series. Harmon’s appearance in the prequel makes sense, since he has been formative to its development, including narrating the show from Gibbs’ older perspective. Harmon appeared just a year ago on NCIS: Origins, so his return is pretty organic.

Apparently, an intriguing story called Harmon back to the NCIS-verse. Harmon commented, “I’m very proud of the storytelling that David and Gina are doing on Origins. They continue to push boundaries and dive deeper into the characters’ backstories. They came to me with an idea for Gibbs that I liked, and it seemed like a good time to check in with him. I hope fans enjoy it.” Fans will doubtlessly enjoy seeing Harmon again regardless of what his new developments entail. Still, there’s one thing that could top Gibbs’ appearance in the prequel.

Harmon’s Return to NCIS Is at the Top Of Fans’ Wishlist

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Gibbs’ appearance in NCIS: Origins is one of the most exciting developments of the sophomore season, and gives the crossover event prestige. That said, Harmon returning to the flagship for NCIS Season 23 would be even better. While it makes sense that he’s returning to the Gibbs-focused Navy series that focuses on his character rather than the flagship trying to rebuild in Gibbs’ absence, Harmon spent almost two decades on the original series. Still, he has yet to return to the Washington Navy Yard and its bullpen.

While Harmon’s return to NCIS doubtlessly wouldn’t be the same without characters like Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) or Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) at his side, other NCIS fan-favorites that have been with Gibbs since the earliest days of the series remain. Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and McGee have been on the flagship since NCIS Season 1, and have a rich rapport with the former SAC. It would be great to see Harmon return to his old digs and check in with those who know him best.

Despite his exit, the flagship series has never forgotten about Gibbs. The agents that remain on the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) still hearken back to his rules, with Parker referring to Gibbs’ Rule #51 in NCIS Season 23’s two-part premiere, nodding to his predecessor and informing his team that he was alive. It would be great to see Harmon join Jimmy and McGee in the flagship. Although there’s a chance they join him in the prequel, and it’s the reason Gibbs is no longer alone in Alaska in the crossover.