After four years away, Mark Harmon is finally stepping back into the shoes of Leroy Jethro Gibbs – but not quite where fans expected. The beloved NCIS icon will return for a special two-part crossover event on November 11, connecting NCIS: Origins Season 2 and NCIS Season 23.
The event kicks off in Origins with “Buried Truth,” set in the 1990s as young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and mentor Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) investigate the mysterious death of a naval officer. Decades later, the case reopens in NCIS’s “Now and Then,” with Alden Parker’s (Gary Cole) team solving what Gibbs started – bridging past and present across the franchise.
Showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal teased Gibbs’ long-awaited return: “Four years ago, Gibbs disappeared to Alaska to live in solitude. Fans have wondered what he’s been up to – and let’s just say, he’s no longer alone.”
The twist? Harmon’s comeback happens in the prequel series, not the flagship. Still, it’s a natural fit – he narrates Origins and has helped shape its storytelling. “They came to me with an idea for Gibbs that I liked,” Harmon said. “It seemed like a good time to check in with him.”
Fans have been eager for Gibbs to return to the Washington Navy Yard, where McGee (Sean Murray) and Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) still honor his famous rules. While this crossover brings Gibbs back into the NCIS universe, viewers are still holding out hope for the day he reunites with his old team on the flagship show.
Mark Harmon returns as Gibbs in NCIS: Origins on November 11 – and for fans, that date can’t come soon enough.
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