10 NCIS Episodes To Watch In Preparation For Mark Harmon's Comeback As Leroy Jethro Gibbs
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As one of the major focal points of the franchise, Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) returning to NCIS in NCIS: Origins season 3 means it's time to brush up on the lore surrounding the character. While Gibbs has long been one of the most important pieces of the NCIS world, he hasn't been a part of the show consistently since NCIS season 19. After Gibbs' departure, things shifted for NCIS as a franchise, and the flagship series went through some cast changes that have helped push into its current era. With Harmon returning on NCIS: Origins, things are changing again.
Across two decades, Harmon's time as Gibbs became some of the most-watched TV within the franchise's history. A beloved character, Gibbs has always been known for his no-nonsense attitude and his rules for navigating NCIS as a workplace. During his time on the show, viewers got to learn more about Gibbs as a person, revealing key details about his background during massive moments on screen. Episodes explored his heartaches, his losses, and everything in between as he continued to support the MCRT in their darkest moments. Now, with Gibbs returning to the franchise, his best NCIS moments are worth revisiting.
10 NCIS Season 1 Episode 1
“Yankee White”
While the very first episode of NCIS wasn't the franchise's initial introduction to Gibbs (that happened during the show's backdoor pilot on CBS' JAG), it was the first time viewers saw Gibbs as the lead of the MCRT. Gibbs, who does come off a bit different in the early seasons of NCIS, makes a fun first impression as viewers get the chance to see him do what he does best. As the team investigates the murder of a Navy commander aboard Air Force One, Gibbs gets to establish himself as someone who trusts his instincts above everything else on NCIS.
9 NCIS Season 1 Episode 13
“One Shot, One Kill”
In another NCIS season 1 episode, "One Shot, One Kill," Gibbs works with the team on a case that pushes him to draw from his own experience as a Marine sniper, which gives viewers insight into his past. Gibbs is a traditionally reserved person, and throughout NCIS' run, viewers get the chance to see different pieces of his personality and experiences, but only when they keep a close eye. This early episode explores Gibbs' time as a Marine, which is a huge part of what NCIS: Origins bases itself on. The early flagship series episode is a precursor to Origins.
8 NCIS Season 3 Episodes 23 & 24
“Hiatus (Parts 1 & 2)”
The two-part finale of NCIS season 3 is a huge moment for Gibbs, who is critically injured aboard a foreign ship after a bombing and left in a coma throughout the episodes. During his coma, Gibbs relives parts of his past that viewers have yet to see on screen, including memories of his late wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly, as well as his military service. After coming to, Gibbs believes it's decades prior and struggles with memory loss, which causes the team to bring Mike Franks (Muse Watson) in to help. A definitive examination of Gibbs, it's a must-watch.
7 NCIS Season 5 Episode 2
“Requiem”
In an early episode of NCIS season 5, "Requiem," Gibbs encounters a childhood friend of his late daughter, which leads him into a dangerous situation when he feels protective over her. Exposing a side of Gibbs that the series rarely sees, the episode paints Gibbs as a protective parent rather than simply a protector in the sense we've seen before with the MCRT. Directly addressing Gibbs' grief, the episode demonstrates how deeply his daughter's memory continues to influence his decisions, even years later. It gives NCIS viewers context to understand Gibbs' foundation, and why his family is still a focus.
6 NCIS Season 5 Episodes 18 & 19
“Judgment Day (Parts 1 & 2)
In this two-part episode, the MCRT investigates a high-profile murder that sees Gibbs and his team dealing with tragedy after NCIS Director Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly) pursues a dangerous mission connected to her past. Shepard and Gibbs, who once shared a romantic relationship, shared a complicated relationship throughout their time on NCIS, but when her life is taken, Gibbs' reaction is one of the most interesting of the bunch. Highlighting the way Gibbs responds when those who are close to him, even in the past tense, are in danger, the NCIS season 5 episode shows a shift in his character.
5 NCIS Season 6 Episode 4
“Heartland”
With a peek into Gibbs life before NCIS, the season 6 episode "Heartland" reveals some surprising backstory and gives a look into his hometown of Stillwater, Pennsylvania. Gibbs, whose father is revealed for the first time in the episode, is back in his hometown after getting some surprising news when a murder unfolds in front of him. With some important moments between Gibbs and his father, Jackson (Ralph Waite), that shed light on the state of their relationship and how it impacted him overall, the episode is one of the rare moments Gibbs is away from the team to reflect.
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4 NCIS Season 9 Episode 14
“Life Before His Eyes”
During an NCIS season 9 episode, "Life Before His Eyes," Gibbs is caught in an explosion during a routine case and winds up in an alternate reality. While this episode isn't exactly one that works with the present-day Gibbs or a past version of him to tell more about his situation, the episode is a fascinating look into what Gibbs feels could've been if circumstances were different throughout his life. This episode is relevant to his return to Origins because it focuses on his personal journey, which is exactly what will come up during his arc on the NCIS spinoff.
3 NCIS Season 11 Episode 24
“Honor Thy Father”
During the NCIS season 11 finale, Gibbs and the team are in the midst of a major investigation when he learns that his father has died, which brings things to more of a halt than he expects. As the emotional and moral center of NCIS, seeing Gibbs hurting is something that doesn't happen frequently. Watching him in his grief and seeing Gibbs go through such an emotional moment, in part with the help of the MCRT and in part on his own, is a must-watch to understand his character through the years. Gibbs' loss will highlight his overall character evolution.
2 NCIS Season 19 Episode 4
“Great Wide Open”
In the final episode Gibbs appears in of the flagship series, NCIS season 19 episode 4, viewers get to see him travel to Alaska with McGee (Sean Murray) to investigate a case after a long suspension. This mission is the catalyst for Gibbs departure from NCIS, as he chooses to remain in Alaska rather than return to the MCRT, but gives him the chance to do what he does best first. As the final chapter of Gibbs' time on the series in the capacity viewers have known him, Gibbs last episode is a love letter to his character after years.
1 NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 18
“Hollywood Ending”
Although the finale episode of NCIS: Origins season 2 sees the show's ongoing mystery come to a climax, the implications it has going into NCIS: Origins season 3 are the most important. With the younger version of Gibbs and the rest of the NIS team pursuing the Sandman, the exploration of Gibbs' personal life was a major piece of NCIS: Origins season 2, and will lead into next season, where Harmon is set to return. With Gibbs investigating a mystery in the present day that has ties to his past in Origins season 3, seeing the NCIS legend feels right.
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NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
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NCIS: Origins
- Release Date
- October 14, 2024
- Network
- CBS
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Austin Stowell
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
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Kyle Schmid
Special Agent Mike Franks
NCIS: Origins is set in 1991, preceding the events of the original series. The series introduces Leroy Jethro Gibbs as a new special agent at NCIS Camp Pendleton. Under the leadership of NCIS legend Mike Franks, Gibbs navigates his role within a tenacious, unconventional team.
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