Mark Harmon to reprise role as Gibbs in ‘NCIS: Origins’ season 3

Mark Harmon will return to his iconic role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs for a full-time capacity in season 3 of ‘NCIS: Origins’. While Harmon has previously served as a producer and narrator for the prequel series, this upcoming season will feature his character in a much larger on-screen role.

The season 3 premiere, titled ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’, will depict an older Gibbs living in retirement in Alaska. The storyline will involve events from his past that pull him back into action, specifically linking his current life to cases involving his younger self and Mike Franks’ team. Showrunner David J. North noted that the decision to bring Harmon back was driven by the desire to provide fans with a satisfying conclusion to the character's story.

Separately, actress Cote de Pablo has shared her theory regarding a long-standing character trait of Gibbs: his habit of leaving his front door unlocked. Speaking on the ‘Off Duty: an NCIS Rewatch’ podcast, she suggested the behavior stems from the trauma of losing his wife and daughter, implying the character may have subconsciously left the door open in hopes of facing the criminal responsible for their deaths.