Saying goodbye to Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS was difficult.

When news first broke out that Mark Harmon was leaving NCIS after nearly two decades, questions about whether the show should continue immediately popped up. After all, the actor had been the face of the series since it premiered in 2003, with his character, Gibbs, being the lynchpin of the procedural. By then, NCIS was no longer stranger to various cast reshuffles. It had said goodbye to notable actors like Sasha Alexander, Michael Weatherly, and Abby Sciuto, among others. However, losing Gibbs was different.

The public’s concerns about the future of NCIS after Harmon’s decision to leave was also echoed within the creative team behind the show. Gibbs’ retirement would mean that the MCRT would have to change leaders for the first time in the show’s history. Admittedly, Sean Murray’s veteran Senior Field Agent Timothy McGee was best positioned to take over the role, but he ended up not getting it. Instead, CBS tapped in Gary Cole to come in as Alden Parker and fill the void left by Harmon.

Looking back at that period, Murray revealed what it was really like during his appearance on Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover’s NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast. He shared his concerns at that time and feeling relieved when he was informed that Cole was coming in to join the CBS procedural. Murray also dropped a fun fact, saying that Cole and Harmon actually worked decades before on a different project. Read his full comment below:

“We’ve been so fortunate with the different iterations of cast that we’ve had come through, too. I mean, I remember when Mark [Harmon] was kind of getting ready for Gibbs to appear less and less.

I remember some of the discussions about Gary Cole joining the show, and I remember getting the phone call about, ‘OK, so Gary’s the guy,’ and I remember feeling like, ‘Yeah, thank God. Thank God.’ Because we have real stuff to work like in a big way there. I couldn’t remember the name of it, and he remembered it was called For My Daughter’s Honor.”

Ever since he retired in Alaska, he has yet to physically appear in the show again. That said, NCIS season 23 effectively brought Gibbs back, as Parker worked behind the scenes to make sure that Wayne Rogers, the main culprit that led to Leon Vance’s death, would be punished. It’s a testament to how much their dynamic has changed, considering that Cole’s former FBI character was tapped to hunt down the ex-MCRT leader. Now, they have a good enough rapport to come up with such a stealthy plan.

Harmon has reprised the role of Gibbs physically in NCIS: Origins — the franchise’s first prequel series tackling Gibbs’ earliest years with the agency. Whether he makes a comeback in the flasghip is currently uncertain at this point. Since his departure from MCRT, there have been a few opportunities to see him return to Navy Yard, but CBS has been very disciplined when it comes to taking advantage of his legacy, which is a smart way to handle it. Perhaps, NCIS season 24 will have the perfect avenue to see him again.

While there was criticism of Parker replacing Gibbs, it’s difficult to get mad at that decision looking back at it now. Cole brings a steady presence to the show, but he’s different enough from his predecessor that there’s an evolution to MCRT’s group dynamic. As NCIS season 24 faces major cast changes, it’s safe to say that the core cast will be preserved at the very least. Whatever the case may be, it feels like the series is finally coming out of a long process of rebranding.

NCIS

6/10

Release Date

September 23, 2003

Showrunner

Donald P. Bellisario

Directors

Dennis Smith, Terrence O’Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright

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  Sean Murray

  Timothy McGee

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  David McCallum

  Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard