In a surprising bit of news, it's been confirmed that NCIS star Mark Harmon will return in the premiere of prequel series NCIS: Origins, and his return can finally clear up one lingering mystery about the spinoff. The prequel spinoff was first announced in January of this year, and two months later, Austin Stowell was announced as the younger Gibbs in the lead role. NCIS: Origins' story is set to explore Leroy Jethro Gibbs' life as a young NCIS agent just starting out in the field and learning underneath his grizzled tutor and NCIS legend Mike Franks. Now, it's been confirmed that Mark Harmon will return for NCIS: Origins – briefly, at least.
Obviously, NCIS fans were excited to learn of the NCIS: Origins spinoff, which can tell a really great story and dive into the mystery surrounding Gibbs. They were more excited to learn Harmon would be serving as a producer on the series, as well as its narrator. Still, it didn't quite repair the sting of Mark Harmon exiting NCIS, which is why the news he'll be returning, albeit for a one-off episode, is so great. Not only will it be great to see him again, but it also helps answer the remaining question of the prequel series: why is he telling the story?
Mark Harmon's NCIS: Origins Premiere Appearance Answers Why He Is Telling The Prequel's Story
His Brief Appearance Is Key To Setting Up The Rest Of The Series
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It would be odd for Mark Harmon to have an on-screen cameo in NCIS: Origins simply for a cameo's sake; not only would it add nothing to the show, but it would be wasteful to squander Harmon returning without a clear reason to do so. Instead, it's likely that Harmon's cameo as the older version of Leroy Jethro Gibbs will play a crucial part in setting up the rest of the story. It's already been long-confirmed that Harmon will be narrating the prequel series, but how and why he's narrating it isn't known. With the news that he'll be making an on-screen appearance, it's fairly certain it will be to set the framework for that narration and why he's telling the story of his life pre-NCIS.
Why Old Gibbs Is Revisiting His Backstory In NCIS: Origins
There Are A Few Ways The Framework Could Be Set Up
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Custom Image by Ana Dumaraog
Custom Image by Ana Dumaraog
Custom image by Brennan Klein
Leroy Jethro Gibbs Timeline | ||
|---|---|---|
Gibbs' First Appearance | JAG Season 8, Episode 20: "Ice Queen" | April 22, 2003 |
First NCIS Episode | "Yankee White" | September 23, 2003 |
Gibbs' Final Appearance | NCIS Season 19, Episode 4: "Great Wide Open" | October 11, 2021 |
Gibbs' Next Appearance | NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 1: "Enter Sandman" | October 14, 2024 |
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We still don't know exactly what that prequel framework will be, but with Mark Harmon's future return as Gibbs, we can be pretty sure that he'll be telling his story to someone. There are a few ways this could be done that would seem reasonable and fit with his character and story. Leroy Jethro Gibbs exited law enforcement, and Mark Harmon the show, early in NCIS season 19. Gibbs' exit was controversial in that he broke the law to do it, dodging the FBI agent working with them, Alden Parker (Gary Cole), on the hitman case and being a driver for the hitman in exchange for information. They solved the case, and Gibbs had broken the law to do it, but Parker declined to arrest him.
After the case, which had brought him and the team to Alaska, Gibbs decided to remain there as he'd finally found peace. Now that he's let go of the past, it's possible that NCIS: Origins' setup will be Gibbs relating his story to a therapist, finally beginning the long journey of unpacking his pain. That would be a great way to show how much the stubborn and taciturn Gibbs has grown since the beginning of the show. It's also possible that he might just be relating his tale to a new friend he's made in Alaska, though that seems somewhat unlikely considering Gibbs' nature.
The last option, and one that would feel like a bit of a cop-out, is that Gibbs has decided to write a book about his time in NCIS. While that would likely be the easiest framework, it would also seem a bit cheap considering other CBS prequel shows, like Young Sheldon, have already used that narrative gimmick of a character writing a memoir to tell a prequel story. On the other hand, if it were Gibbs writing a book to explain how and why he came to adopt each one of his famous NCIS Gibbs rules, then that would be a great way for NCIS: Origins to set up the prequel while remaining true to the spirit of the character.
