‘NCIS’ Should Have Ended 5 Years Ago After Its Game-Changing Exit

As NCIS continues to air, fans of the series are all missing the void left by the most iconic and important character from the show. At the conclusion of Season 19, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the supervisory special agent played by Mark Harmon, bid farewell to the agency with a retirement to idyllic Alaska. The significance of this departure could not be understated: Harmon was one of two original regular cast members to complete 19 seasons and was the foundation around which the rest of the show was built. Gibbs first appeared in the backdoor pilot for NCIS in 2003 as part of the JAG series and has appeared in every season since.

Although Harmon’s position as leader has been replaced by Alden Parker (Gary Cole), the show doesn’t feel quite the same. Shows that have aired for so many years are destined to evolve, but sometimes those changes aren’t for the better. So with a drastic change for such a renowned and popular series, it begs the question: should the series have ended with Gibbs’ departure?

The Special Agents Were Always the Most Important Characters in ‘NCIS’

NCIS and other crime procedurals have always been familiar with rotating and dynamic casts, but have always been reliant on a strong foundation of special core members. Given the episodic nature of the show, there are few recurring villains, which makes the antagonists of the series a far less memorable feature of the show. This puts an even greater burden on a strong cast of protagonists who help keep the series consistent and engaging over countless seasons. Gibbs was there from the beginning of the show and served as the grounding force to keep the series true to itself. He may not have been the only agent in NCIS, but he was the one who made this version of the series as memorable as it was. He had a gruff, unreadable exterior atop a loyal and virtuous heart. It was Gibbs who spearheaded the rest of the team, pushing them to maximize their potential by leading by example on how to get the job done.

Jethro Gibbs Was the Leader Who Set the Tone of the Flagship Series

Image via Eric McCandless / © CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection

One of the defining features of the NCIS franchise is the variety of demeanors between its characters across different spin-off series. There are definitive tone setters for each version of NCIS, and for the original series, that job was handled by Jethro Gibbs. NCIS: LA is set in Los Angeles, so the team interrogates suspects in a boathouse, is based in an open-air Spanish-style building, and features a former LAPD liaison as one of their prominent characters. Compared to the original, their characters are more laid-back and casual. This NCIS is based out of Washington D.C., a setting of paramount importance to the national safety these agents are meant to protect. Jethro Gibbs was the leader of that team for two decades and was the only character on the show who could truly embody everything that made the original NCIS unique to its spin-offs.

Gibbs’ character was the textbook definition of an NCIS agent— or at least the perfect version of an agent for viewers to engage with. He was incredibly effective in his job but had little patience for bureaucratic nonsense. He was patient with his squad, but held them to high standards and showed little weakness. He had a complex, tragic past but forged ahead to make sure justice was attained. The layers and depths of Gibbs set the tone for the intricate, engaging narrative arcs and relationships. He was not only the leader of the team but the backbone of the entire series.

Is Gibbs Coming Out of Retirement?

However, saying that Gibbs is the only important member of the DC-based team would be doing a disservice to Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), who has been a series regular since its second season. Characters like Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) have both found a place in the hearts of fans since their arrival in Season 14 and Season 18, respectively. Although NCIS has found some stability since the departure of Gibbs, the franchise still seems to be missing the rudder that kept the show focused for so long.

Thankfully, for those who want more of Gibbs, NCIS: Origins follows Gibbs’ early life as an agent, with Austin Stowell playing his younger self. Though the show still follows Gibbs’ past, Season 3 of Origins has confirmed that Harmon will be featured prominently in the show. Showrunner David J. North hinted that after everything that’s happened, Gibbs might be coming out of retirement. And with the events of the present day confirmed to be tied to the events in the 90s, perhaps Gibbs’ departure from NCIS is no longer a permanent one.