Mark Harmon's Gibbs Appears In NCIS' 1000th Episode (But Not How You Think)

Mark Harmon left "NCIS" in Season 19, and fans didn't hold back when Harmon didn't return in Season 21, Episode 2 to honor his late friend, David McCallum, who played Ducky since the beginning of the procedural. Harmon also didn't come back for "A Thousand Yards," the monumental 1,000th "NCIS" franchise episode, which occurred in Season 21, Episode 7 of the flagship series. However, Gibbs was still part of the story in the same way that he was part of Ducky's tribute episode.

Just as "The Stories We Leave Behind" used archival footage from earlier "NCIS" episodes to honor the friendship between Gibbs and Ducky, "A Thousand Yards" did something similar. The plot of the franchise's 1,000th episode harkens back to the very first "NCIS" episode, "Yankee White," in which Gibbs help prevent an assassination attempt on the President of the United States, ultimately ending with Gibbs killing would-be assassin Leonard Rush (Robert Bagnell). "A Thousand Yards" picks up with Leonard's daughter, Lindsey (Shelby Flannery), who wants to complete her father's plan by taking down Air Force One while it's mid-flight, thereby killing the President. 

Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano) segues into the first Gibbs cameo during a flashback of Gibbs eliminating Leonard Rush. More clips of Gibbs appear at the episode's end, when Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) explains to his son the importance of the NCIS' work. Harmon may not return, but his presence is all over this action-packed installment. 

There have been 1,000 episodes of "NCIS" and its various spinoffs, so it's only appropriate this milestone harkens back to where it all began. The show has changed tremendously over the past 20 years, particularly given the fact that none of the original characters from "Yankee White" are still in the main cast for "A Thousand Yards." This could explain why it takes so long for the newer NCIS crew to put together the pieces of the plot. After all, as Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) mentions in the episode, she was only in junior high when the events of "Yankee White" took place. 

Not only is there a reference to the very first "NCIS" episode in "A Thousand Yards," there's a clip from the second, "Hung Out to Dry," which shows Gibbs building a treehouse for a boy who recently lost his father. The juxtaposition between the prior violent scene of Gibbs shooting an assassin and then helping a child demonstrates the complexity and depth of his character. Everything is done for the greater good.

Gibbs continues to influence "NCIS" Season 21 through archival footage, but undoubtedly, many fans want to know if Gibbs could return to "NCIS" in 2024 or beyond. While he'll provide voiceover duties on "NCIS: Origins," which will center on a young Special Agent Leroy Gibbs, he's yet to appear in the flesh again. Since he's already missed out on appearing in Ducky's tribute show and the 1,000th episode, if he does return eventually, it better be for something incredible.