“He’s coming back. I can feel it. You don’t drop ‘clues’ about an Alaska lifestyle unless there’s a camera crew ready to film it,” wrote one user on the r/NCIS subreddit.
Others were more emotional, expressing that just knowing the character is “okay” and “finding his light” is enough. The “journey of healing” that started with the loss of his wife and daughter decades ago seems to be reaching a new chapter in the Alaskan tundra.
The Prequel Factor: ‘NCIS: Origins’
It’s impossible to discuss Gibbs’ future without mentioning his past. With the upcoming series NCIS: Origins, which Mark Harmon is executive producing and narrating, the character of Leroy Jethro Gibbs is more relevant than ever.
By exploring a young Gibbs in the 1990s, the franchise is keeping the character’s DNA at the forefront of the audience’s mind. Harmon’s involvement in the prequel suggests he isn’t ready to hang up the jacket just yet. If he is narrating the past, it’s only a matter of time before he has to address the present.
The Legacy of Rule 51: “Sometimes You’re Wrong”
Perhaps the most poignant clue Harmon dropped was a subtle reference to Rule 51: Sometimes you’re wrong.
When Gibbs left, he thought he was done. He thought the fire had gone out. But Harmon’s latest insight suggests that the fire is merely a slow-burn ember. Whether it’s a full-time return, a guest appearance for the show’s 25th anniversary, or a standalone “Alaskan Chronicles” special, one thing is certain:
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is still the boss. And he still has a story to tell.
