The actor Mark Harmon expressed his appreciation for the 2022 Thanksgiving episode of NCIS.
“Turkey Trot,” an NCIS Thanksgiving episode, aired in 2022 following Mark Harmon’s departure from the show. Actor Diona Reasonover, who has been playing forensic scientist Kasie Hines since season 16, co-wrote the episode, according to Showbiz Cheatsheet. “She came to NCIS with the concept for the episode, and although they weren’t initially fond of it, she persevered.”
Eventually, Reasonover persuaded them to share the “Turkey Trot” script with her. She revealed that Harmon paid a visit to the scene while it was being filmed.
“Mark came up to tell me that he loved the script,” Reasonover said. “I don’t know that that’s the reason he drove up to where we were, so I’m going to say it was the reason. He probably had other people to talk to. But he literally did, I got to hug him and talk to him and catch up, that was great. So, Mark is definitely still present, he gets every script, he’s still an EP, and he still very much acts like one.”
Good Housekeeping reported that Reasonover “enjoyed having the chance to experiment with different storylines as Mark took on a separate role behind the scenes.”
“It’s not every day that fans get to see an NCIS episode that focuses on Thanksgiving. Diona Reasonover had high hopes for ‘Turkey Trot,’ which has this synopsis: ‘After an unknown shooter causes chaos at an annual Thanksgiving 5K, time is of the essence for the NCIS team to find the culprit; Kasie joins Knight for Thanksgiving lunch at Knight’s sister’s house,’” Showbiz Cheatsheet reported.
In the program, Harmon portrayed Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the main character. Many, especially the producers, were worried about the show’s survival when he left. According to Movieguide®:
“We believed that Harmon’s departure was the end of the road. Producer Charles Floyd Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter, “Coming in at 6:30 a.m., five days a week, and being the major character that was the linchpin—that’s pretty tough, and he did it for 18 seasons.” He wanted to spend time with his wife and children because he had reached a point where he was approaching his 70th birthday. He was therefore preparing for it.
Even though Harmon doesn’t act on NCIS anymore, he still keeps busy.
The actor just released a book with NCIS veteran Leon Carrol Jr. on Nov. 14. It’s called, “Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor.” It covers the true story of Douglas Wada, the first Japanese American to work in American intelligence, and tells how the NCIS got its start.
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