From the moment Mark Harmon shocked NCIS fans with his departure just four episodes into the show’s nineteenth season, fans have been eagerly waiting for Harmon’s return as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. It makes sense that of the show’s many departures over the years, Harmons has hit fans hardest. For 19 seasons, Gibbs was the team’s North Star and the show’s mainstay. Among all of the other cast turnovers over the seasons, Gibbs was always the one constant audiences could rely on.
That was until Gibbs chose to turn in his gun and badge in the fourth episode of season 19, walking away from his job with NCIS in a storyline designed to serve as Harmon’s exit storyline. Harmon’s departure marked a major shift for the show leading to the introduction of a new team leader in Gary Cole’s
Special Agent Alden Parker. Parker has quickly won over audiences, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope among the fans that Harmon could return as Gibbs.
Is Gibbs coming back to NCIS?
Although the door has remained open for Mark Harmon to return to NCIS ever since his departure in season 19, there are no active plans to bring Gibbs back in the show’s upcoming season.
When Harmon stepped away in season 19, it was clear the storyline used to explain his exit was designed to keep the door open for a possible return in the future. However, Harmon has not expressed any desire to return to the show nor has there been any indication the writers are planning to bring Gibbs back.
Although there is always a chance the show could pull off a surprise return for Harmon’s Gibbs in season 21, with the show facing its shortest season yet due to the strikes it’s hard to imagine they’d try to juggle a major moment such as Giibbs’ return in season 21.
What’s more likely to happen is that we’ll get a few updates on the character at various points in the season, similar to what we saw in season 20 which incorporated subtle references to Gibbs as a way to keep his presence on the show alive.
