Thus far, Harmon has only appeared in the NCIS: Origins pilot, bookending the first hour of the prequel that Harmon is also co-producing. Despite his cameo, not much is revealed about what he has been up to in Alaska. Instead, it only established that he has been reminiscing on the earliest days of his career in NCIS.
That’s about to change, however, as CBS now confirms that Harmon will appear as Gibbs in the NCIS: Origins season 2’s portion of its special crossover episode with NCIS season 23. The two-hour offering will be connected by a single case. Co-showrunners and executive producers David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal preview the episode, teasing that it will update fans on how Gibbs is in Alaska.
“Four years ago, Gibbs disappeared to Alaska to live a life of solitude. We know how much fans have missed seeing Mark and have wondered what Gibbs is up to today. Well, on Nov. 11, we’re so excited to announce that Mark Harmon will return as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the ORIGINS hour of the NCIS crossover event. We don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say Gibbs is no longer alone.”
Meanwhile, Harmon also expressed his excitement over making his first physical appearance as Gibbs since his cameo in the NCIS: Origins pilot, saying:
“I’m very proud of the storytelling that David and Gina are doing on ORIGINS. They continue to push boundaries and dive deeper into the characters’ backstories. They came to me with an idea for Gibbs that I liked, and it seemed like a good time to check in with him. I hope fans enjoy it.”
The crossover episode airing on Veterans Day (November 11) has previously been announced. Admittedly, the idea for it was already exciting as it was. Tapping Harmon for a cameo makes it a must-see for anyone who has ever loved the flagship, even though old Gibbs’ special guesting stint is only reserved for NCIS: Origins season 2. It’s also worth noting that for that specific days, NCIS and its prequel spinoff will be switching timeslots for storytelling purposes.
Camp Pendleton’s NIS team not being able to solve the mystery and the case eventually finding its way to Alden Parker’s team in Navy Yard is a creative way to stage a crossover — something that the NCIS franchise hasn’t done in years. That said, arguably the biggest takeaway from this new development is the confirmation that Old Gibbs is no longer living alone in Alaska, four years after he retired. It’s curious if his new companion is someone from his post-MCRT days.
Ideally, the special NCIS: Origins episode would reveal that, somehow, Gibbs and Lala have been able to reconnect with each other after their pre-determined dark future in the prequel. The problem is that it may be too early to confirm that payoff. CBS risks losing the tension between the pair, which is one of the most compelling parts of the NCIS spinoff. In any case, at least viewers get a much-needed update on how Gibbs is.
