Curious World Staff
NCIS fans were taken aback when series lead Mark Harmon aka Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs announced his departure from the show in season 19, especially with another major crossover event on the horizon.
However, the show isn’t shy about making references to the iconic role, having hinted at it in the past, most recently in the Fall finale episode.
Sean Murray’s character Timothy McGee resurrected the storyline of his long-running hobby as a writer in the episode.
He alluded to the central character of his story, Agent Tibbs, who was clearly based on his boss, and mentioned that Gibbs was currently in Alaska.
Delilah McGee, the character’s wife, who also appeared in the episode, confirmed this, saying: “Since Gibbs left for Alaska, you haven’t written a single word. Gibbs is not what distinguishes you.”
Jessica Knight, played by Katrina Law, was the first to hear the joke, when she was asked, “Your lead character’s name is Special Agent Tibbs?”
The latest episode of the show made a reference to Special Agent Gibbs.
“Gibbs and Tibbs are wildly different people,” Timothy responded, before adding, “Novel’s going great, I’m just having some trouble getting started.”
However, Sean made another final reference to Harmon’s Gibbs’ fate by saying: “Remember how LJ Tibbs retired? So I’ve created a new main character who I believe fans will enjoy as much as I do.”
Fans were ecstatic about the nod to the long-running lead at the time, and they hoped for Mark’s return to the Agent Gibbs mantle.
“@SeanHMurray just [made] a reference back to Gibbs/McGee goodbye scene ‘Great Wide Open’ still hits my heart,” said one fan.
Another person stated: “McGee, I understand how you feel. We all still miss Gibbs,” while a third also said: “Delilah knows that her husband is frustrated since Gibbs stayed in Alaska. #NCIS.” While he hasn’t made a return since then, hope lives on in the fandom.
The series’ Fall finale aired on 5 December and went on hiatus for the month, returning to screens on 2 January 2023 to air its epic crossover episode.
Related News – Be sure to get some more news when it comes to NCIS.
