Mark Harmon Back on NCIS?! Gibbs’s Shocking Season 22 Cameo Explained!

Is Gibbs Back?! Mark Harmon’s Surprise Return in NCIS Season 22, Explained

Even after leaving NCIS in Season 19, Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs continues to cast a long shadow over the team. While fans saw a younger version of Gibbs in the NCIS: Origins premiere, many are still hoping for Harmon himself to return — and Season 22 just gave them a glimmer of hope.

In Episode 19, titled “Irreconcilable Differences,” Gibbs makes a surprise appearance — sort of. While he doesn’t show up in person, he appears in a dream sequence as Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) wrestles with doubts during an investigation into Deputy Director LaRoche (Seamus Dever). In a late-night scene, McGee imagines Gibbs in a basement, wearing his signature sweatshirt and holding a postcard from Alaska. The moment blends nostalgia with humor, especially when Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) admits he’s dreamed of Gibbs too — who told him to “stop slouching.”

Later, Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) explains that the dream reflects McGee’s internal struggle to live up to Gibbs’s legacy — something still very present in the team’s culture. The episode also nods to Gibbs’s famous Rule #45: “Left a mess I gotta clean up.”

Is Mark Harmon Retired?

Not quite. In a 2023 interview with Parade, Harmon clarified he’s not retired, just being selective. “If the right thing comes along, I’ll probably go to work. If it doesn’t, I have plenty of other things to do,” he said. In the meantime, fans can catch him in Freakier Friday, set to hit theaters August 8, 2025.

While Gibbs may be enjoying the quiet life in Alaska, his presence is still deeply felt on NCIS — and the door for a real return remains wide open.