For three seasons now, NCIS has been missing Jethro Gibbs following Mark Harmon’s exit in Season 19. Harmon will return to the NCIS universe this fall, but not in the way fans are used to seeing him. He will narrate NCIS: Origins, a new series coming to CBS that tells the story of young Gibbs when he first joined NCIS. But given that Gibbs’ exit was left open-ended, there has always been a question of if or when he would return. Harmon answered some questions during this year’s TCA summer press tour (via TV Line). He reflected on exiting the long-running series and, if he had been working towards anything regarding his return to NCIS.
“It wasn’t so much a decision to leave, but the right timing to push away a little bit,” Harmon said while speaking about leaving the series. In early episodes of Season 19, Gibbs revealed that he wouldn’t return to DC with the rest of the team after they worked on a case in Alaska. “I was thrilled with the storyline they came up with and how they handled the character,” Harmon said of how the character was written out. Harmon underscored that the team moved on without Gibbs, saying, “and the show continued on.”
Will Gibbs Ever Appear on ‘NCIS’ in the Future?
Since Gibbs left the team, the show has moved on without him, rarely offering updates on what he’s up to. The latest update was in the form of a card sent to McGee from Alaska with a photo of Gibbs, McGee, and Ducky during David McAllum’s farewell episode. Even when the show celebrated the 1000th NCIS episode, Gibbs did not return. “I have been asked that a lot…,” Harmon admitted when asked if Gibbs would ever return. “I’ve always let the writers do what they want to do,” said Harmon about Gibbs’ future on the show.
When NCIS returns for Season 22 this fall, the fourth year will roll around without Gibbs. Harmon was asked if he’d been contacted to reprise his character in the three years he’s been off the show. “Directly, like a phone call…? Not that I’m aware of,” he replied. NCIS seems like it could go on forever, but in the case of a series finale, would Harmon return to say goodbye? “I don’t know,” he admitted. “It’s about feeling like you’re fulfilled with a role, or complete with a role,” he concluded.
NCIS returns on October 14 at 8:00 PM ET before settling at its regular 9:00 PM timeslot on October 21. Catch up on Paramount+. NCIS: Origins will also premiere on October 14.