Questions about whether or not Mark Harmon is leaving the NCIS cast this season continue to persist.
Quite a few recent storylines have helped push the rumors that Harmon is ready to leave the show. Plus, when Gibbs got suspended, it caused a lot of fans to think about what the show might look like if Harmon did decide to move on to other things.
NCIS was just renewed for Season 19, which means that CBS feels confident that the drama can do well in the 2021-2022 television season. The network may also know the level of involvement that Harmon plans to have, even if that information has not yet been made public.
We definitely aren’t sure if Gibbs is going to stay the leader of the team, but recent episodes have certainly set the stage for him to retire. There are certainly some clues in the mix that also hint he might want to stay on the job.
Is Mark Harmon leaving NCIS?
In the last episode of the show, a lot of time was spent showing Gibbs doing chores around the house. He even spent some time working on his boat and crossing off a list of things he had planned to get done. When he glanced at the clock, though, it suggested that he finished that list far ahead of schedule. Could this indicate he doesn’t have enough to do outside of the job?
Actor Mark Harmon also hasn’t made any announcements about leaving NCIS. If he was ready to hang up the overcoat, it seems like there would be a lot of fanfare surrounding it and that CBS would be making a big deal about his final episodes. We think that it is a really good sign that CBS isn’t counting down his final moments on the show. Yet.
NCIS could go on without Gibbs
Yes, NCIS could carry on without the character of Gibbs. It is a procedural show that could put a new person in charge and fill a lot of episodes just with the team getting to know their new boss. It could also open up a lot of new storylines.
At the same time, it just wouldn’t be the same if Gibbs wasn’t calling the shots. Gibbs really is the heart and soul of NCIS, even when he is suspended and not leading the team in the field. Fans would really miss him, and we just don’t think that the show would be the same.
Sure, NCIS could go on without Gibbs, but it would be a much different show.
We have heard the NCIS rumors of Mark Harmon possibly cutting back on the number of episodes he works on in Season 19, but we also hope that information is not true. It is something that the show did with the character of Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (played by David McCallum), but there was always someone waiting in the wings to take over in the form of Medical Examiner Jimmy Palmer (played by Brian Dietzen). That isn’t the same situation as Gibbs leaving.
At this point, there is no true answer to the question of if Mark Harmon is leaving NCIS. We will all have to wait and see – and hope that CBS only has good news waiting for us down the road.
Stay tuned, and make sure to tune in for the May 11 episode, as NCIS spoilers indicate a character from Gibbs’ past making a return.
NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.
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