Like many procedurals, NCIS has gone through a number of cast changes over its nearly 20 years on the air, but up until Season 19, Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been one of the show’s few constants since the beginning.
10 months after that episode aired, Harmon has finally spoken out about the big Gibbs farewell.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs was suspended from NCIS for assaulting a suspect who was abusing dogs, and it became clear that he wasn’t interested in getting his badge back.
The groundwork for Mark Harmon’s departure from NCIS began forming in the latter half of Season 18, shortly after the show said goodbye to Maria Bello’s Jacqueline Sloane.