After months of online debate, NCIS: Origins has finally settled the question that’s divided fans since the show began: can anyone truly replace Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs? The answer came in one perfectly executed crossover scene—one that bridged three decades and united both versions of the iconic character in a way that even skeptics couldn’t deny.
The 30-Year Mystery That Brought Gibbs Full Circle
In the two-part crossover event, a case first investigated by young Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) and a young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) in 1992 resurfaces in the present day. The story began in NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 5, “Funny How Time Slips Away,” and concluded in NCIS Season 23, Episode 5, “Now and Then.”
The investigation—centered on a petty officer’s murder disguised as a train accident—became a bridge between the franchise’s past and present. The episodes opened and closed with appearances from Mark Harmon and Muse Watson, reprising their roles as the older Gibbs and Mike Franks. Their scenes weren’t just nostalgic—they became the emotional and visual bookends that tied the generations of NCIS together.
The Debate: Can Austin Stowell Truly Be Gibbs?
Since the day NCIS: Origins was announced, fans have been divided over whether Austin Stowell could ever capture what made Mark Harmon’s Gibbs so iconic.
Some argued Stowell looked nothing like Harmon. Others focused less on appearance and more on demeanor—claiming his portrayal felt too warm or open compared to the famously stoic and hard-edged Gibbs audiences met in NCIS.
Even physical details became points of contention: differences in voice, posture, and even height. (Though technically, Stowell is only an inch taller than Harmon.)
But for all the nitpicking, there’s one thing nearly everyone agrees on—Stowell has done his homework. From Gibbs’ clipped phrasing to his subtle expressions, Stowell mirrors the essence of Harmon’s performance without resorting to imitation.
And importantly, both Mark and Sean Harmon (who previously portrayed a younger Gibbs in flashbacks) serve as executive producers on NCIS: Origins. Their creative oversight suggests Stowell’s version is not just approved—it’s canon.
The Scene That Changed Everything
The episode’s defining moment comes when the camera lingers on Mark Harmon’s Gibbs reflecting on his past—then slowly morphs into Austin Stowell’s face. The transformation is seamless, symbolic, and emotionally charged.
It’s more than clever editing. It’s a visual statement: this is Gibbs, across time and experience. The transition captures not just aging, but evolution—the idea that the Gibbs we knew in NCIS was once this younger, ambitious version shaped by loss, duty, and mentorship.
For years, flashbacks on NCIS created multiple “young Gibbs” portrayals—making it hard for fans to define what his early years actually looked like. This scene, however, locks it in. By literally merging Harmon and Stowell on screen, Origins establishes a definitive throughline for the character.
Why Mark Harmon’s Return Matters
Harmon’s cameo isn’t just a clever callback—it’s a narrative anchor. His reflection on how quickly time has passed connects directly to the show’s title, Funny How Time Slips Away.
As older Gibbs revisits his formative years, the fade between his face and Stowell’s marks a journey through memory. It’s not just nostalgia—it’s storytelling. The scene bridges the man he was with the man he became, letting audiences feel the weight of those 30 years in a single heartbeat.
This marks Harmon’s first return to NCIS: Origins since the pilot, and only his second on-screen appearance in the franchise since leaving the flagship series in NCIS Season 19.
A Glimpse Into Gibbs’ Future
Beyond the visual poetry of the scene, Harmon’s return hints at where Origins could be headed. Gibbs’ moments of solitude and reflection may foreshadow the franchise connecting his past with his current exile in Alaska. Some fans even speculate that Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino)—the woman from his early years—could reappear, suggesting unfinished business in his life’s story.
The Verdict: A Seamless Legacy
With one powerful transition, NCIS: Origins achieves what months of discourse could not—it makes Austin Stowell’s Gibbs feel like a natural extension of Mark Harmon’s. The visual connection doesn’t erase the differences between them; instead, it celebrates them as part of Gibbs’ evolution.
For fans who’ve followed Gibbs for over two decades, the message is clear:
Harmon built him. Stowell continues him. And together, they keep the heart of NCIS alive.
