Mark Harmon Drops Bombshell: ‘I Am Unaware of Gibbs Returning to NCIS’ Shocking Revelation Shakes the NCIS Fandom!
Despite speculation about Leroy Jethro Gibbs returning to give a proper send-off to the late David McCallum’s character, Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, in NCIS Season 21, series veteran Mark Harmon appears to be in the dark about it. Harmon, still an executive producer on the show, hasn’t appeared on-screen as Gibbs since early Season 19.
With McCallum’s passing on September 25, there’s anticipation about how NCIS will pay tribute to the original cast member. Considering Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen as the closest to the originals, a fitting sendoff for Ducky might involve encores from former cast members like Harmon, Weatherly, de Pablo, and/or Perrette. Production on NCIS Season 21 is yet to start.
In a recent Q&A with Entertainment Tonight on November 16, Harmon was questioned about Gibbs and a possible return. He humorously speculated, “He’s probably sitting in a stream up in Alaska fishing. Will he be able to get out of the stream? I’m not sure. But if he is, I’m not aware of it.”
In a Season 19 DVD bonus, Harmon previously commented on Gibbs’ decision to retire in Alaska, noting, “Plot-wise, this character has followed the course that it did…. I thought it was sincere.”
Meanwhile, NCIS producer Steven D. Binder has been cautious about alluding to Gibbs’ current location, emphasizing the intriguing ambiguity surrounding the character. Binder shared, “The writing staff feels he’s both nowhere and everywhere. When I think of Gibbs, I don’t envision him in an apartment in Alaska; instead, I see him as if he’s turned into pixie dust, floating in the sky until duty calls him back.”
Binder argued that providing specific details on Gibbs’ current whereabouts would spoil the carefully crafted conclusion achieved for the character in Season 19. The character has only “appeared” in ways that establish elements like the college trust fund and his influence on Jane Tennant’s career in NCIS: Hawai’i, offering no insight into his current life or its nature.
