Mark Harmon Finally Explains Why He Returned to NCIS as Gibbs
NCIS is going big: NCIS and NCIS: Origins are crossing over, and Mark Harmon is back as Leroy Jethro Gibbs with fresh intel on his past.
Clear your schedule: Gibbs is back, and not just in a nostalgic flashback. CBS is pulling NCIS and NCIS: Origins into a two-part crossover that drags a case across decades and brings Mark Harmon back in the role that made this whole machine run.
The short version
- Air date: Monday, November 11 (Veterans Day)
- Episodes: 'Funny How Time Slips Away' (NCIS: Origins) and 'Now and Then' (NCIS)
- Who returns: Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs; Roma Maffia as retired Special Agent Vera Strickland
- Premise: A murder from the 90s in 'Origins' ties directly to a present-day manhunt in 'NCIS' — same killer, two timelines
- Tease from the top: Showrunner David J. North says Gibbs is 'no longer alone'
How Mark Harmon ended up back in the boat shed
Harmon says the invite came from NCIS boss David J. North and producer Gina Lucita Monreal, who pitched him on a fresh angle for Gibbs. He liked it enough to step back in front of the camera — his first on-screen Gibbs appearance since Season 19, Episode 4 ('Great Wide Open') in 2021.
'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.'
Also worth noting: CBS already dropped a crossover trailer, and Screen Rant called Harmon almost unrecognizable in it. Your mileage may vary, but the point is, they are playing with time and we are not getting a cameo-for-cameo's-sake.
So what exactly is this crossover?
Think one mystery told in two different decades. The 'Origins' hour jumps back to the 90s, where young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and his team hit a dusty little California town called Serenity and run into tight-lipped locals, an unhelpful sheriff, and a case that doesn’t stay put. Then the flagship NCIS picks up the thread in the present, with the team tracking an escaped convict — the same killer 'Origins' tangled with years earlier.
That 'no longer alone' line from North sounds like a personal-life breadcrumb for Gibbs. It is a tiny tease, but it suggests they are doing more than a one-and-done nostalgia pass.
Who is where, and when
Part 1 is NCIS: Origins 'Funny How Time Slips Away.' Part 2 is NCIS 'Now and Then.' Both land November 11. It is a neat structural swing for a franchise that started in 2003 and just launched its prequel in October 2024, so the timelines finally cross on purpose.
Cast check
NCIS: Origins centers on Austin Stowell as young Gibbs, with Mariel Molino, Kyle Schmid, and Lori Petty in the mix. On the present-day side, Harmon is back as older Gibbs, and Roma Maffia returns as retired special agent Vera Strickland to lend a hand.
Could this be more than a one-off for Harmon?
Nothing official beyond this event, but between Harmon’s 'good time to check in' comment and the decades-spanning setup, the door is cracked for future pop-ins. Even a flashback ripple from 'Origins' could give the main show a reason to bring him back again.
Odds and ends
If you track scores: NCIS sits at 7.8/10 on IMDb; NCIS: Origins is at 7.4/10 with an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. And if you are catching up, NCIS: Origins is available to stream on Apple TV, while NCIS is available on Hulu.