For 18 years, Mark Harmon was the dependable and iconic face of the NCIS franchise, particularly its flagship show. He portrayed Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the major crimes unit’s stoic, intimidating and admirable leader who we always knew had a haunted past. That backstory was finally addressed in 2024 with the franchise’s first-ever prequel spin-off, NCIS: Origins. However, Harmon himself exited the show in Season 18, and while, at the time, it was hard to consider an NCIS without Harmon’s Gibbs, it was even harder to conceive of a prequel about Gibbs without Harmon. Luckily for us, Harmon did get involved in the production of Origins as an executive producer, narrator, and cameo star.

Mark Harmon Returns to the ‘NCIS’ Franchise in ‘Origins’

Image via CBS

While Harmon isn’t necessarily a part of the main on-screen cast of Origins, he plays a major role in telling the story and technically appears in every episode, in the form of his voice. Each episode is bookended with voice-overs by Harmon, explaining some aspects of the story but mainly delivering ambiguous and thought-provoking lines that make us understand why the events resonate with Gibbs. These narrations are delivered with a vulnerability and gravity that frames the story of Origins, contrasting the more headstrong and energetic young Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell, we see. The past and present collide in this story, creating a nuanced perspective on the events that offers a take fresher than just a linear retelling of Gibbs’ origin story.

As such, this makes Origins essentially one massive, ongoing flashback, emphasized by the fact that Harmon makes a cameo in the premiere. We see the older version of Gibbs sitting by the warm glow of a fire, writing in his journal about the story he could never tell: the story about Lala (Mariel Molino). Between this image of Harmon’s Gibbs and his narrations, it is almost as if we are cozying up next to that fire and listening to Gibbs tell us this story. By simply adding his face and voice, the show already feels more intimate, especially since we are already somewhat aware of the personal cost to Gibbs as we are well-acquainted with the present version of him.

The narration also adds another interesting layer to Gibbs’ character, one that Harmon expressed in an interview with Parade. Harmon had been on board with the project for a while and wasn’t surprised that he would be narrating Gibbs, but he goes on to describe the strange experience of voicing a man-of-few-words kind of character. “What is the surprise is talking about Gibbs…and that’s putting words in the mouth of a character that traditionally said a lot with very little.” Origins may be the first time we have consistently heard older Gibbs speak about his traumas, past, and general emotions for an extended period of time, once again giving us a new and exciting take on the character.

Why Is Harmon’s Influence in ‘NCIS: Origins’ Important?

The allure of Harmon’s more on-screen and auditory involvement in Origins could essentially be chalked up to fan service — yes, it adds a personal and nostalgic touch to the series, but really, we’re just happy to see the actor again in this context. However, Harmon’s role behind the camera is likely more consequential to the narrative and execution of the show itself. In the aforementioned interview, Harmon also recalls his experience as an EP on the show, mainly his hand in casting Stowell — “all the weeks we spent in casting offices trying to put that cast together, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Arguably, Stowell was under the most pressure on the cast as he had Harmon’s 18-year-deep footsteps to follow, with the added complexity of conveying a more immature and emotional version of the renowned character. By keeping Harmon close to the project, the linear progression from the younger to older versions of Gibbs can be maintained, as being faithful to such a juggernaut of a character is always integral to a prequel story. As such, in Stowell’s performance, we see a mix of the fresh-faced probie we are used to in NCIS as well as the precursors to the reserved leader we love. And, of course, he gives a far more emotional performance than we are used to seeing from Gibbs due to Gibbs’ age in Origins and his recent loss that would harden him into the character we are familiar with. So, even though Harmon may not be part of Origins‘ central cast, he still carries a lot of weight through his various roles in the production, giving the prequel a meaningful link to the original series and to fans alike.