Why was Leroy Jethro Gibbs written out of NCIS?
In many respects, Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the face of NCIS. He was the first character we encountered when the show was created as a JAG spin-off, and with his understated energy and charisma, he led the show through its first 19 seasons. Prior to being compelled to do so, the writers and producers thought it absurd to continue the show without him.
NCIS recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on CBS, and as such, we wanted to delve into what happened with the Gibbs character, and why he was ultimately written off the show during the season 19 finale.
Why did Mark Harmon leave NCIS?
It all boils down to Mark Harmon’s choice. With Gibbs, the actor landed the most significant role of his career. He also assumed a wider creative role as an executive producer at NCIS. However, Harmon made the decision to take a break and spend more time with his family when it came time to prepare for season 20 (while still staying on as a producer).
On the season 19 DVD extras, Harmon hinted at the notion that he had exhausted every possible angle of characterization with Gibbs, and felt that there was nothing left to do with the character besides repeat earlier decisions. “What has always drawn me here is the character I play and to keep it fresh and to keep it challenging”, he noted.
Thankfully, Harmon has not ruled out the potential of reintroducing Gibbs in the future. As far as I’m aware, the persona resides in Alaska, he continued. “This character has chosen the course it has from a plot perspective. Since [He] is still working, I believed it to be honest and acceptable.
Given that Harmon is still connected with the show in a behind-the-scenes capacity, there is a significant probability that Gibbs will appear in the series finale (whenever that may be). Although he is missed, there is some comfort in the knowledge that we shall likely see him one more time.
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