Mark Harmon, after 18 seasons playing the lead role in TV’s most watched drama-NCIS-has appeared in his final episodes. His character Leroy Jethro Gibbs will not be recast. Several sources have confirmed that there will be a 19th season that will feature a new protagonist.
The production team had time to prepare for Harmon’s departure. They’ve known since April that the actor was making plans to retire from the show. The big question for them was how many episodes in season 18 should Harmon be featured before his character is written off. They chose four episodes. His final episode is entitled “Great Wide Open.”
The following information may contain some spoilers. If you’re a fan of the show, it’s a good idea to watch “Great Wide Open” first before continuing as part of the proceeding report will summarize what happens during the episode.
Gibbs and Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murry) are in Alaska, attempting to solve a murder case with a killer that was hired by a local company. Gibbs has some flashback sequences throughout the episode. Afterwards, he decided to let his partner know that he is retiring and wishes him luck on continuing the investigation.
It is expected that McGee will be the main protagonist for the rest of the season. However, the production team is considering adding a new character, potentially a new partner for McGee.
Gibbs’ retirement is similar to the one depicted in the film Avengers: Endgame in which Captain America time travels into the future where he prefers his tranquil life rather than life as a crime fighter. The only difference is that Captain America found a replacement hero for his character. Gibbs is leaving without doing so, and replacing him for the next season will be a point of interest for many fans of the show.
The spoilers are now over.
Mark Harmon will go down in history as one of the strongest television actors of his era. For 18 years, he has consistently delivered stellar performances on the show. While he will be missed, the character will never truly be away as fans can observe the previous seasons with thousands of episodes on DVD, through streaming apps and syndication.