Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs is one of NCIS's most iconic characters. As a mainstay in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) portrayed in the show, Gibbs served as Supervisory Special Agent and team leader until Season 19, Episode 4, "Great Wide Open." In this episode, he retired from the high-risk environment and chose to stay in Naktok Bay, Alaska.
However, despite his retirement, fans were surprised to see Harmon’s name remain in the NCIS opening credits for the rest of Season 19. While there was no official explanation from the network for this decision, Harmon explained his decision to quit the series in November 2023 on The Kelly Clarkson Show. He said:
"I think for the longest time, I was just tired. Part of taking the job [involved] being home, with a young family, not traveling so much doing movies. The first day, we worked 22 hours. So I thought, 'That's not exactly what I thought this was going to be.' But we had a lot of days like that in the first four years."
It wasn’t until Season 20 that the opening credits were updated to remove Mark Harmon’s name. Season 19 also introduced Gary Cole as Agent Alden Parker and Arrow's Katrina Law as Agent Jessica Knight.
Why did Leroy Jethro Gibbs leave NCIS?
The fourth episode of Season 19, "Great Wide Open," serves as the farewell for NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. However, his retirement had been building up for a while.
The team is investigating Paul LeMere, whom they initially believe to be a serial killer. However, they soon discover that LeMere is actually an assassin for hire, working for Sonova Industries.
In the third episode of Season 19, "Road to Nowhere," LeMere offers to take Gibbs to the location where he committed his first murder, claiming it holds the key to understanding the rest of his killings. However, there’s a catch—he will only take Gibbs, not the rest of the team. While FBI Agent Alden Parker initially joins them, Gibbs manages to give Parker the slip.
At the end of "Road to Nowhere," LeMere leads Gibbs to a dead-end and ultimately steps on an active landmine, blowing himself up without revealing any useful information. This failure leads to an arrest warrant for Gibbs, and Alden Parker is assigned to apprehend him.
Gibbs disappears from his home, and it turns out that he and Senior Field Agent Timothy McGee have escaped to Naktok Bay, Alaska. There, they gather enough evidence to take down Sonova CEO Sonia Eberhart, who had hired LeMere to eliminate anyone opposing the company’s copper mine, which threatened the surrounding ecosystem. Once their mission is complete, Gibbs surrenders to McGee.
However, Parker has a change of heart and decides to let Gibbs go, which results in the FBI firing him. Meanwhile, Gibbs and McGee share an emotional goodbye, as Gibbs finally finds a sense of peace—something he has been missing since the tragic loss of his wife and daughter. Following his retirement, Parker takes over as NCIS Supervisory Special Agent.
Despite Gibbs' departure, viewers were surprised to see Mark Harmon’s name remain in the opening credits of the following episodes.
Why did NCIS opening credits retain Mark Harmon's name?
As mentioned earlier, Mark Harmon had been a part of NCIS for nearly 20 years before his retirement in Season 19. At the time of his departure, showrunner Steven D. Binder released the following statement:
"As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show. Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go. So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years… never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out."
Staying true to this statement, fans saw the return of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on October 14, 2024, through NCIS: Origins. Origins follows a young Gibbs played by actor Austin Stowell. Moreover, Mark Harmon returned as a narrator for the series.
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Follow the exploits of a young Gibbs on NCIS: Origins, which will be airing its finale on March 31, 2025.
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