After nearly four years off-screen, NCIS icon Mark Harmon is reportedly gearing up for an unexpected—and possibly controversial—return. Once the immovable center of the long-running CBS juggernaut, Harmon’s Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs left behind a massive void when he stepped down in Season 19. Now, with viewership in freefall and the series no longer dominating ratings charts, whispers of his comeback are growing louder—and not everyone is thrilled.
📉 The Fall of a Giant
Once the crown jewel of CBS’s primetime lineup, NCIS now finds itself teetering on unstable ground. Once a regular fixture in the top five broadcast shows, it’s now slipped to No. 10—an unsettling drop for a series that once boasted nearly 20 million weekly viewers. Sources close to production say that the show’s creative team is scrambling, and that includes executive producer Mark Harmon himself.
“NCIS has sunk in the ratings for the first time, and people are nervous,” a production insider told RadarOnline. “Mark sees this as a sign of worse to come. He feels like he has to step in before it’s too late.”
And that step-in may come with more than just notes from the producer’s chair.
🔁 Mark Harmon’s Return: A Hero’s Comeback or a Creative Coup?
While Harmon has technically remained an executive producer on the show, his presence has largely been off-screen—until now. His brief voice cameo in the spinoff NCIS: Origins sparked renewed speculation that Gibbs’ return wasn’t just possible, but imminent.
“There’s talk of Mark coming back on a recurring basis to revive the original series,” the source claimed. “He’s ready to come out of semi-retirement to pull NCIS out of the dumpster. And if anyone can do it, it’s him.”
But not everyone on the NCIS set is welcoming him back with open arms.
😬 Backstage Tension: Not Everyone Wants Gibbs Back
While many fans would celebrate a triumphant return from Gibbs, some insiders are reportedly fuming. According to sources, Harmon’s increasing involvement in production decisions—despite being away from the screen—has already rubbed people the wrong way.
“People are complaining that Mark’s throwing his weight around and telling them what to do,” the source said. “He does enough of that already as an executive producer. Now it feels like he’s interfering with their jobs.”
Still, Harmon reportedly isn’t losing any sleep over the backlash.
“He doesn’t care who he pisses off. If the ratings are this bad, then he has every right to come back and fix it,” the source said. “Mark’s worried the show could go down the drain without him.”
🎬 The End of Gibbs—or Just a Long Intermission?
When Harmon exited the show in Season 19, fans were left in emotional limbo. His final episode, “Great Wide Open,” aired on October 11, 2021, and saw Gibbs solving one last case before quietly disappearing into the Alaskan wilderness—a poetic ending, but one many hoped wasn’t permanent.
Even after his departure, his name remained in the opening credits, stoking theories that the legendary character wasn’t done. Showrunner Steve Binder only fueled that hope when he remarked:
“Never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out.“
That quote continues to echo through fan forums and Reddit threads like a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled.
🧭 A Legacy Worth Saving
With over 400 episodes and an unmatched global following, NCIS is more than just a series—it’s a television institution. And Harmon, whose nearly two-decade-long tenure shaped its DNA, may feel it’s his duty to step back into the boots of Gibbs one final time.
Whether this is a temporary revival or the beginning of a swan song, one thing is certain: the future of NCIS may rest squarely on the shoulders of the man who built it.
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