Mark Harmon’s NCIS Exit Explained: What Happened To Gibbs?
NCIS agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) left the team in season 19; here's why, and what the actor's future looks like on the hit CBS show.
- Mark Harmon’s departure from NCIS changed the dynamic of the show, but he continued as an executive producer.
- Agent Gibbs left NCIS after solving his final case and finding peace, choosing not to retire but to face the consequences of breaking the law.
- Mark Harmon left NCIS to pursue fresh and challenging material, but Gibbs’ character is not retired and may return for special appearances.
Why did Mark Harmon leave NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service in season 19? Mark Harmon has been the face of NCIS as Special Agent In Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs since its inception in 2003, so his departure changed the show’s dynamic from that point on. While Harmon continued to serve as an Executive Producer on the series despite Gibbs’ absence from the show, his character remained out of the picture. NCIS currently holds the honor as CBS’ longest-running scripted primetime series, following the lives and adventures of the federal special agents responsible for investigating felony military crimes, preventing terrorism, and protecting secrets for the Navy and Marine Corps.
Created by Don McGill and prolific creator-producer Donald P. Bellisario, the man behind Detroit Lions baseball cap-sporting Magnum P.I. — among many others — NCIS has featured many significant cast departures over its storied 18 years, but none as impactful as Harmon’s. CBS is no stranger to replacing leading faces on their series, but NCIS somehow survived without Agent Gibbs, although he is still missed. Harmon’s departure came early in season 19, leaving CBS with plenty of time to see if the show could work without him.