Did Gibbs Return For Ducky’s Funeral In NCIS Season 21? Mark Harmon’s Involvement Explained

Warning! Spoilers ahead for NCIS season 21, episode 2.

The NCIS season 21 Ducky Mallard tribute episode didn’t feature Mark Harmon, but Leroy Jethro Gibbs did have an involvement. David McCallum played the original medical examiner in the long-running procedural. Known for having a wealth of knowledge on top of his excellent abilities as NCIS’ established ME. Over time, however, Ducky’s role in the show was decreased in order to cater to McCallum’s age and personal request. He wanted to spend more time with his family, so NCIS gave him an equally important but less taxing role as the organization’s historian.

Ducky’s last role kept him as a main character in the series without forcing him to be on the set for long days. He was the last original character in NCIS, with his former co-stars, Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Sasha Alexander, and Pauly Perrette leaving the show in the years prior. With McCallum dying in 2023, NCIS decides to send off its beloved character with an emotional tribute episode. In “The Stories We Leave Behind,” the team solves Ducky’s last case. While the circumstances could have been better, it’s also the perfect time for Harmon’s return as Gibbs.

Mark Harmon Didn’t Appear In The NCIS Ducky Episode Tribute

Sadly, the former NCIS boss doesn’t come back to Washington.

Despite theories, Harmon didn’t appear as Gibbs in the NCIS season 21 Ducky tribute episode. Instead, the outing is focused on solving the medical examiner-turned-NCIS historian’s final quest to clear the name of a man who is being used in a propaganda campaign by a high-ranking player in Washington. The outing has Agent Parker’s team go through Ducky’s files to understand the specifics of the case since their focus is on fulfilling Dr. Mallard’s final endeavor. Doing this allows them to reminisce on their time with him.

NCIS Season 21 Gibbs Cameo Explained

NCIS season 21, episode 2 features a special Gibbs and Ducky moment.

Gibbs may not have appeared in the NCIS Ducky tribute, but it doesn’t mean that the season 21 episode is devoid of any kind of presence from him. The CBS show incorporates him via a flashback sequence that involves the two long-time friends. The scene starts with the team sifting through Ducky’s diaries over the year when Jessica Knight discovers an entry where he discusses his grudge about Gibbs not informing him of his family, let alone their murder, despite being friends for decades. For context, Gibbs’ first wife, Shannon, and Kelly were murdered on base by a drug lord.

Eventually, the scene cuts to a flashback of the pair’s conversation about the matter in NCIS season 4, episode 10, “Smoked.” After Gibbs’ near-death experience that unveiled what had happened to his family, he briefly quit the force and moved to Mexico to spend time with his mentor, Mike Franks. Eventually, he returned, but Ducky took offense at his deliberate move to hide facts about him despite their long-standing friendship. They patched things up, with Gibbs apologizing.

Why Mark Harmon Didn’t Return As Gibbs In Ducky’s NCIS TributeEpisode

Harmon will return to NCIS, albeit in the future.

For what it’s worth, Harmon has claimed that nobody has reached out to him for a potential return. Gibbs exited in NCIS season 19 when he decided to retire in Alaska after a case brought him there. Already in hot water with the FBI, he chose to walk away from the job to which he devoted himself for decades. Before leaving, he did have a final interaction with Ducky, which was somehow a great farewell between friends.

Related

NCIS’ Gibbs Spinoff Has A Big Mark Harmon Problem

Mark Harmon’s upcoming NCIS spinoff prequel on CBS tackling Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ origins story has one big problem when it comes to casting.

The good news is that Harmon is already confirmed to make his return to the NCIS universe with the brand new spinoff — NCIS: Origins, which will tackle Gibbs’ early days in the organization. The series will be set in the early ’90s, which means that he and Ducky are already friends around this time. So while he didn’t come down to the DMV for his friend’s final tribute, the pair can still be reunited on the screen via the new NCIS prequel.

In any case, not bringing in Harmon is somehow made up by Weatherly’s unexpected return as DiNozzo. The NCIS episode didn’t include any clues about the actor being involved in the special, although he released a statement on the heels of McCallum’s death last year. Ideally, a reunion between Gibbs and DiNozzo would have been better, considering that they haven’t shared the screen since Weatherly left the series. That being said, the “Very Special Agent’s” return is better than no cameo, and it also inches NCIS closer to him coming face-to-face with his old boss.

NCIS

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Special Agent Alden Parker, a quirky former FBI agent who solves his cases with calm professionalism and sharp, sarcastic charm, leads the NCIS team, which includes NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate with a knack for computers who has now graduated to senior field agent; the charismatic, unpredictable and resilient NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres, who has spent most of his career on solo undercover assignments; and sharp, athletic and tough NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight, a formidable REACT agent who specializes in hostage negotiations and high-risk operations. The naïve Jimmy Palmer is assisting the team, who graduated from assistant to fully licensed medical examiner and now runs the morgue; and forensic scientist Kasie Hines, Ducky’s former graduate assistant. Overseeing operations is NCIS Director Leon Vance, an intelligent, highly trained agent who can always be counted on to shake up the status quo. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Cast

sean murray , Wilmer Valderrama , Katrina Law , Brian Dietzen , david mccallum , Mark Harmon , Rocky Carroll , Gary Cole , Joe Spano

Release Date

September 23, 2003

Seasons

21