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NCIS rumors: Could Gibbs return for Season 20 episodes?

Gibbs Says Goodbye NCIS
Gibbs said goodbye to McGee while in Alaska on a Season 19 NCIS mission. Pic credit: CBS

Among the NCIS rumors that continue to float around social media, is the thought that Mark Harmon could return to play Gibbs in Season 20 episodes.

Regarding those rumors, yes, it is entirely possible that Gibbs could pop up again. Harmon remains one of the producers of the show, he is still in contact with other NCIS cast members, and he is open to playing the character again in the future.

It was early in Season 19 that NCIS fans last saw Gibbs appear in a new episode of the show. Harmon had agreed to come back for a few more episodes to start off the season and retire his character in a way that fans would accept.

But the inherent problem with retiring a beloved television character is that no matter how good the writing is for that particular storyline, there will always be fans who will remain upset that the character is gone. That has definitely been the case with Gibbs.

Addressing the rumors of Gibbs returning in NCIS Season 20

“There’s always head space for him to come back. It just has to be the right story, I think, to get him excited about it and to get us excited about it,” NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder told TV Insider.

Binder’s response definitely makes sense, as there isn’t a need to bring Gibbs back for an episode (or more), just to say he has returned to NCIS. An episode arc needs to make sense, and if done correctly, it should be both seamless and surprising to the regular NCIS fans who don’t read all about upcoming installments.

“It’s a card to play, and I don’t think we want to play it cheaply. I think when we do play it, it really needs to be the right thing,” Binder also stated, underscoring that they might only get one shot to have Harmon return as Gibbs, and they want to do it right.

More news from the world of NCIS

Recently, a possible return of Michael Weatherly to NCIS was addressed, giving fans some interesting news about the actor who used to play Anthony DiNozzo on the show. Weatherly had been working on his new show named Bull, but he decided to bring an end to that one, leaving him wide-open for new (or familiar) endeavors.

As for NCIS Season 20 getting ordered by CBS, that goes back to some impressive TV ratings on Monday nights. Even though there were quite a few NCIS fans that were frustrated that the show had been moved away from Tuesdays, it still dominated the 9/8c timeslot on Mondays with each new episode.

We are on a long break until NCIS Season 20 episodes arrive in September 2022, but past seasons and episodes can be streamed using Paramount+. It’s a way for fans to go back and watch some of Gibbs’ final episodes, as well as some of the classic installments from the past.

NCIS airs Monday nights at 9/8c on CBS.

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Gary Hoeffken
Gary Hoeffken
1 year ago

When there is a problem, like right now, possibly, have a need for a sniper that no one knows is there.