Ten months after Leroy Jethro Gibbs informed Tim that he would be staying in Alaska after solving their latest case, NCIS vet Mark Harmon has been weighing the passing of his alter ego.
In a Season 19 DVD featurette shared by ET.com, Harmon explains how the opportunity to tackle “fresh” and “challenging” material led him to lead the CBS drama for 18 seasons.
He then alluded to Gibbs’ final goodbye, which aired Oct. 11, and saw the team’s “boss” say to Special Agent McGee, “I’m not going back, Tim…. I’m not going back home,” as he peacefully casts a line into an Alaskan bay.
“In terms of plot, this character took the path that he took,” reflects Harmon in the DVD featurette. “I thought it was honest and fine.”
Harmon was reportedly willing to hang up Gibbs’ cap after Season 18, but learned that CBS might not renew NCIS if he did. As such, he agreed to return in a limited capacity for season 19 – and ended up leaving four episodes in.
Despite this, Harmon stayed in the opening credits of the long-running, well-watched drama throughout the season. Although Gibbs could possibly be MIA by the time the season 20 credits roll.
As CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl told TVLine, season 19 is a “transitional year” for television’s most-watched drama. But looking ahead to season 20, the opening credits are “something we might look at in the future,” the exec said.
As for when/if we could see Harmon back on screen, Kahl said in May, “Everyone is aware that if they ever want to come by for an episode or episodes, the door is open.”
After all, as Harmon recalls in the DVD clip, “Gibbs still lives in Alaska, as far as I know.”
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