ForNCIS: Origins,Mark Harmonwears more hats than he did in the flagship series. He is an executive producer and narrator who appeared in person during the series premiere. The show revealedwhat Gibbs was up to in Alaska, as viewers found him by a fireside writing a story he had never told. Harmon’s appearance was a welcome treat for long-time franchise fans who haven’t seen him since the character was written out in Season 19.
The show’s format allows for more appearances from the character, but will he? Co-showrunnersGina Lucita MonrealandDavid J. Northtalked toTV Insiderabout recalling Harmon for the prequel series. When asked if he would appear in future episodes ofNCIS: Origins, the showrunners said the decision was Harmon’s to make. North talked about keeping the door open for an appearance at any time, saying,
“Gina and I have a lot of private discussions, and obviously Mark is first and foremost with all of that. We’re leaving any possibilities open.”
Mark Harmon’s Return to the ‘NCIS’ World Was Emotional.
The co-showrunners reflected on seeingHarmon as Gibbs for the first time in several years. “He stepped out [of his trailer], and I see Mark every day, but he was in the Gibbs wardrobe with the Alaska Gibbs hat and everything else, and I was kind of like, whoa. It had been years and years and funny, just the subtleties of that really took me back," North admitted. Monreal added:
“That was really special, that moment, especially when he put on his boots. I think when he put on his Gibbs boots, David and I looked at each other and it was just an unexpected surge of emotion for us both.”
Having Harmon appear on the showwas not always part of the plan. “Gina and David had asked me to do the voiceover, and that was always part of my understanding,” Harmon had previously toldVariety. North talked about the decision to include Harmon’s appearance inNCIS: Origins, saying,
“It wasn’t always the intention going into this to find Gibbs in Alaska, but it’s just conversations between Gina and I, and then finally we went to Mark and said, we just think it’s important. What a treat for the viewers and also for us, for Gina and I ourselves, and going out there that day and shooting it was a lot of fun.”
In the next episode, “Bend, Don’t Break,” “a murder near Camp Pendleton leads Gibbs and the team to a suburban mall in San Diego, where Gibbs takes matters into his own hands. Jackson Gibbs pays Franks an unexpected visit”, the official synopsis teases.
Watch it on CBS on Monday, October 21, at 10 pm ET. Catch up with the two-part series premiere on CBS.
NCIS: Origins
WATCH ON CBS
