Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ best NCIS team just had a fun reunion after 10 years, and now I desperately want Mark Harmon to join them. Police procedurals have always been good for long-form storytelling. Some of the longest-running scripted series fall in the category, including NCIS, which is about to enter its 22nd season. One big drawback with this is the tendency to regularly lose cast members over the years. NCIS season 21 no longer had anyone from the original ensemble that kicked off the project in 2003. Somehow, however, the show continues to thrive.
Sure, NCIS has been able to maintain its popularity. But as much as I like the dynamic of Alden Parker’s team, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been going back to the earliest years of the show. Gary Cole is the perfect leader for this new Major Case Response Team (MCRT) selection, but sometimes, I just miss Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ more serious and quiet approach to the job. I also understand that Gibbs’ effectiveness was dependent on the people he managed. While he spearheaded different teams, there was only one combination that is regarded as NCIS’ best roster.
Sean Murray Reunites With Cote de Pablo And Michael Weatherly For The First Time In 10 Years
McTiva Back Together Again
For the first time in 10 years, Sean Murray, Michael Weatherly, and Cote de Pablo came together for a reunion. Playing Tim McGee, Tony DiNozzo, and Ziva David, they were the longest-serving core cast of NCIS until de Pablo exited the show in season 11. She did return in season 17 as Ziva for a final mission with Gibbs, but by then, Tony was already gone from the show. It wasn’t until NCIS season 21 that Weatherly came back as Tony for Ducky Mallard’s tribute episode but without her. McGee shared the screen with them but separately, however.
Somehow, the group’s off-screen dynamic was also similar to McGee, Tony, and Ziva’s, which means that there were a lot of laughs and banter during the session.
Because of timing issues, McGee’s appearance in Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch podcast marks their first trio reunion in a decade. They discussed their individual and collective time on the show, which made me nostalgic for their time in the Navy Yard bullpen. Granted that they reunited as their real selves and not their characters, the podcast outing is a reminder of how great they are together as a group. Somehow, the group’s off-screen dynamic was also similar to McGee, Tony, and Ziva’s, which means that there were a lot of laughs and banter during the session.
The NCIS Reunion Would Have Been Better With Mark Harmon
Harmon Could Have Offered Unique Insight Into Murray, Weatherly, and de Pablo’s Stories
Since all the years that McGee, Tony, and Ziva were NCIS’ core agents served under Gibbs, I can’t help but wish that Harmon had also been there to sit with Murray, Weatherly, and de Pablo. Many of the stories that the trio talked about during the said Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch episode involved Harmon and Gibbs anyway, so he wouldn’t feel out of place during the whole conversation. On the contrary, he could have offered his insight and perspective into these memories and how it was for him to be the leader of this small but beloved tribe.
Harmon offering his perspective of seeing Murray, Weatherly, and de Pablo would have been very interesting. Since Weatherly was the only character from the original Gibbs team, perhaps the seasoned actor could also share his thoughts on what it was like for him when NCIS brought in McGee and Ziva as new MCRT agents. Personally, I would also have wanted Harmon’s insight on what it was like when David and Weatherly, respectively, and his sentiments over leaving the show to Murray, who is currently the longest-serving cast member who is still on the project.
Will Harmon Ever Appear In Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch?
Harmon Can Promote NCIS: Origins In Weatherly And De Pablo’s Podcast
A few years since Harmon left the flagship series, he is slated to return to the universe via NCIS: Origins — a prequel that tackles Gibbs’ start in the agency. The show is set to premiere in the fall, as part of CBS’ 2024-2025 TV programming. While he won’t play the character on-screen, he will be providing the narration and also producing it. This means that he will be involved in doing the press rounds for the show.
I believe that one of the best ways to market the series is for Harmon to appear in Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch podcast. That way, Harmon can talk about the project and the history of the character with people he worked with for years in the main NCIS series. It could also function as a double-promotional play as Weatherly and de Pablo also gear up for their own spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva.