Mark Harmon is returning to NCIS: Origins. And by returning, we mean it’s not just his voice we’ll be hearing in the upcoming season. No, Harmon, who famously originated the character of Leroy “Jethro” Gibbs on NCIS over twenty years ago, is set to appear in all 10 episodes of the upcoming season of the show. Yes, you read that right. All 10.
His arc is reportedly tied to a season-long mystery that connects to Gibbs’ ’90s Camp Pendleton days.
NCIS: Origins ended with a cliffhanger: Randy (Caleb Foote) got kidnapped because of his work digitizing all NIS files, and Lala (Mariel Molino) and Gibbs (Austin Stowell) finally kissed in a scene worthy of a rom-com. All of this came after the NIS-turned-NCIS team finally took down the season’s big bad, Abe Pruitt.
But what do we know about Harmon’s role on NCIS: Origins? Here are all the details.
Announcement
His return was announced on social media,
“The next chapter in the Gibbs story…Mark Harmon returns,” the video says, with Harmon himself saying, “You’ll see.”
What will we see? We have no idea yet. But there’s also a shot of two chairs reading Gibbs, because we’re getting two different Gibbs. And we’re fine. All is good. We’re not emotional or anything.
NCIS: Origins has yet to release an official trailer for the season, but they also recently released another tease of Harmon’s return, with old footage.
And this video of the man himself, teasing his return:
What Do We Know About His Storyline?
David J. North told Deadline, “When we first see Gibbs in the season premiere, he is still in Alaska with his trusted rescue dog but soon finds that the peace he found there isn’t going to be easy to hold on to. Ghosts from his past are catching up to him, and it may be enough to pull him out of retirement. Over the course of the season, we’ll discover that what’s happening in present day is directly tied to events that occurred during his ‘90s Camp Pendleton days.”
He also teased the possibility we’d see other NCIS legends as part of this storyline.
First Episode Synopsis
We’ve now got a synopsis for the first episode of Season 3, and though it gives very little away, it does tease that we’ll go back to Alaska very early on. On Instagram, the NCISverse account also shared some pictures from the premiere, in collaboration with Deadline.
“Don’t You Forget About Me” — In the present day, ghosts from Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ (Mark Harmon) past finally catch up to him, shattering his peaceful retirement in Alaska. In 1992, the team races to rescue a kidnapped Randy (Caleb Foote) while Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Lala (Mariel Molino) deal with the aftermath of their kiss.
Have We Seen Mark Harmon Before on NCIS: Origins?
Indeed, we have. He previously appeared in the series premiere and as part of the NCIS/NCIS: Origins crossover last year. He also narrates every episode.
Who is in the NCIS: Origins Cast?
The show stars Austin Stowell, Mariel Molino, Kyle Schmid, Caleb Foote, Tyla Abercrumbie, and Diany Rodriguez. Executive producers for Season 3 include showrunner David J. North, Harmon, Sean Harmon, Michele Greco, and Eric Christian Olsen. The series is produced by CBS Studios. Series co-creator Gina Lucita Monreal exited the show at the end of Season 2.
When Will NCIS: Origins Air?
The show will air on Tuesdays this Fall, alongside NCIS and the new spinoff NCIS: New York. It’s set to premiere on October 6 at 10/9c.
what an amazing day to FINALLY have some news to talk about! (plus, Eric Olsen from LA will be joining on as producer).