Gibbs got suspended on NCIS this week after beating up a man he suspected of murdering dogs. It led to several questions about the actor playing him
Is Mark Harmon leaving NCIS?
The good news is that there has not been a public announcement from CBS or Harmon that he plans to leave the long-running CBS drama.
However, the bad news is that there have been several hints that Gibbs may be reading the end of his road within the NCIS cast.
It got even more dramatic in the episode when Gibbs got arrested for aggravated assault, meaning he could end up in prison due to his actions on the job. That then led right into the reappearance of Laura San Giacomo, who plays Dr. Grace Confalone on the NCIS cast.
Regarding the future of NCIS, there are definitely a lot of questions. CBS has not officially renewed NCIS for Season 19, which is why there have been a lot of rumors about Harmon leaving the show.
Reasons Mark Harmon could return to NCIS
Mark Harmon’s wife is joining NCIS this spring. His wife is Pam Dawber, a long-time actress best-known for her time on Mork & Mindy.
Being able to spend more time with his wife could certainly be a good reason for Harmon to sign on for NCIS Season 19.
At the same time, it’s possible to read into this situation as a hint that Harmon is leaving NCIS. They waited nearly 18 years for Dawber to make a guest appearance on the show, so maybe it indicates time is running out to do it?
Another great reason for Harmon to come back for NCIS Season 19 is the nice salary. The show is still doing extremely well in the ratings, so it would be easy for CBS to renew the show if the network knew that Harmon was returning for at least one more year.
Is Gibbs leaving NCIS?
There are also some reasons to suspect that Gibbs is ready to leave NCIS, meaning Harmon could leave the show.
During NCIS Season 18, there has been a nice flashback episode to when Young Gibbs met Young Ducky, and there have been even more storylines regarding Gibbs that would indicate he has reached his limits.
He misses his wife, Ziva is gone, Sloane just left, and now Emily Fornell has died. The only thing keeping Gibbs tethered to the job is a sense of duty and his current team.
Anyone watching NCIS Season 18, Episode 10 likely also noticed that Gibbs felt McGee has what it takes to solve a tough case and lead the team. We hope that’s not foreshadowing Gibbs leaving the team to McGee.
For now, Mark Harmon and Gibbs are not leaving NCIS, but we will make sure to pass on any official news that we hear about his future on the show or if NCIS gets renewed for Season 19.
NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.
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If it looks like CBS wants to wind down NCIS, I would like to see 2 things happen. One would be a ‘prequel’ series (CIS?) with young Gibbs and young Ducky (like they did on their 400th episode). I’d like to see CIS before computers solving crimes ‘the old fashioned way’. The other would be for a reunion storyline on NCIS bringing back Di Nozzo, Ziva and Abby ‘one more time’ along with Mark Harmon. Those seasons of NCIS were the ‘high water marks’ for the series. I’ve watched every episode of these 18 seasons.