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When the characters of Jethro Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo reunite for the first time in a decade in Tuesday night’s episode of “NCIS: Origins,” there will be no head slaps — something that may disappoint a few original “NCIS”
but will probably be a relief to most. After all, there’s been a lot of water under the bridge since these two characters first established a somewhat fraternal but definitely hierarchal bond when the mothership series began 23 years ago. Michael Weatherly is back on “NCIS” this season in the DiNozzo character’s new and matured role as director of the agency, while Mark Harmon’s Gibbs remains retired but has a case of his own to solve across this entire season of the spinoff series. Their reunion at the beginning and end of the Oct. 20 “Origins” episode is short but will be extremely sweet to the fans who’ve longed to see the fictional and real men share a frame again.
The hunger to see it happen was hardly lost on “NCIS: Origins” showrunner David North, who wrote for these characters on “NCIS” back in the day. The spinoff, which portrays Gibbs as an up-and-comer in the early ’90s, has intimately involved Harmon as an executive producer and narrator, but not so much an on-screen presence until a present-day flash-forward story was added for season 3. That was coup enough, in terms of bringing in some older “NCIS” fans who hadn’t yet checked out the new series, but bringing in Weatherly for a crossover moment is a cherry on top for the conjoined procedurals.
North talked with Variety about what this old-home week means for himself as well as franchise fans, and also addressed what we might see transpire between the young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and his love interest, Special Agent Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) before the season wraps up… plus, the eternality of Ducky.
For longtime “NCIS” fans, a Gibbs/DiNozzo reunion is an event. Was it something you’d hoped could happen for a long time, or does it count as much more spur of the moment than that?
For a long time, as just a fan of the franchise, it was something I’d always hoped would happened. But to be honest, I didn’t really ever foresee it happening in “Origins,” until after season 2, when I really started coming up with this idea of a story that would happen in present-day. Once I approached Mark and pitched him a story, and he was down to do it, then we really started talking about, “OK, well, what opportunities are here and what would we want to see as fans?” Obviously getting Mark and Michael back together on set was really an ambitious idea. I’m so glad it came to fruition because it was unbelievably special to see it happen there on the day, and then we’re really proud of how it came out.
It was awesome to see them together and to see them chatting in-between shots. And they both hit the ground running. You wouldn’t have thought there was 10 years in between. I know for all of us there, we kind of just were watching and admiring them and thinking of what they had accomplished together. It brought back a lot of memories for me, as someone who’d spent a lot of time writing the original “NCIS.”
There is something very funny about the moment where they catch up — the “What have you been doing the last 10 years?” interchange — and DiNozzo has a lot to say, and Gibbs… does not.
Yeah, it really was a combination of two things. Those characters, that’s just how they are. DiNozzo’s just gonna go on runs and say whatever is in his head, and Gibbs doesn’t say much. But also think about the recent years at least — DiNozzo’s gone and been doing so much, within the story [as portrayed in the “Tony and Ziva” series that aired for one season on Paramount+], so there’s room for a little recap there, and Gibbs really has been kicking back in Alaska.
Obviously Michael Weatherly would not be here for a cameo if not for Mark Harmon’s wholesale return to his character. In establishing “Origins,” where originally Harmon was not on-screen for more than a few moments, was it always your intention, or at least hope, that he might show up for more of a present-day flash-forward, or did that really only come up after the series was underway?
A little bit of both. You know, it’s hard when you’re producing a show and making it with Mark; of course you’re always thinking how it would be cool to see him a little bit more. But that certainly wasn’t why we got into this. Last season, we did a crossover with the original — with the mothership “NCIS” — where Mark appeared in our hour of that, and the fan response, of course, was incredible. So really it was one of those things where, after Season 2 ended, I just started thinking, “Would it be possible? Would Mark be at all interested?” In going to him and pitching him an idea, he was, and we kind of just ran from there.
In this episode, the modern-day characters just appear at the beginning and end, in framing the ’90s storyline, which takes up most of the hour. At some point, to really develop the present-day story, you’ll probably have to devote more screen time to what the present-day Gibbs is up to. But is it fair to assume that for a lot of the season, that ratio will continue, with most of the hour set in the ’90s?
Yeah, I mean, what we’ve seen in the first three weeks is roughly what this season is. It’s mostly our 1993 storyline, with our close-ended cases, our cool mystery of the week that we’re having a lot of fun with — some really fresh, interesting twists that we’ve come up with this year and within those cases. But then what’s happening in the serialized story in 1993 is directly informing what’s happening with Mark in present-day. And yeah, it’s been fun to be able to see Gibbs — or Mark Harmon’s Gibbs — and see how what happened in the past has come back to haunt him in the present, and things are really changing for him quickly.
Do you think Mark ultimately has enjoyed coming back? He certainly seemed content being retired from the franchise for a while, so it was a bit of a surprise to see him coming back into the role as much as he has, and not just doing the narration.
Certainly, I never want to speak for Mark, although I guess I’ve kind of been doing it for years, a little bit. But, yes, he’s definitely had fun, and I think he just loves this cast and crew of “Origins” so much, and the cast and crew love him. I mean, for the first two years, of course, he did his narration in a sound studio, but he popped onto set, and certainly gives feedback on scripts and things. But when I walk on the set with him, you just see the respect and the love that everyone has for him. So I think personally that was why he responded so well when he was asked to come and do this — just because he really likes these people and enjoys being around them. And so I think he’s had a lot of fun.
For O.G. “NCIS” fans, the amount of young Ducky in this episode as well will be pleasing. and satisfying. What Adam Campbell brings to his interpretation of the role is a kick.
Adam Campbell’s just phenomenal, and David McCallum, of course, who played Ducky for so many years, loved Adam and thought the world of him [when Campbell came in to “NCIS” for flashback scenes], which I think is pretty special. We always love doing young Ducky stories because they’re just so much fun. And, yeah, knowing that this would be an episode that we were putting Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly together, I had a thought there would be some new fans that maybe weren’t watching “Origins” that were gonna tune in, and I definitely wanted to give them something that felt comfortable for them.
You have a moment in this episode where 1990s Gibbs and Ducky make a plan to get to know each other a little better, and Harmon’s narration suggest that is a key moment in their initial bonding.
Yeah, exactly. I mean, that friendship is, to me, one of the most legendary and epic friendships in the history of television.
And there’s a poignant moment when present-day Gibbs sort of wishes he had reconnected with Ducky before he died, which maybe offers just a few seconds of recognizing the fact that McCallum’s not around anymore, along with establishing a character beat about how most people would feel about not having kept up with a friend who’s gone.
Yeah. I didn’t have a lot of discussions about that with Mark. But in us writing Mark saying how much he misses him, I think that’s a really special thing for the fans, and I know Gibbs does miss Ducky just the same as Mark misses David.
Anything to say about the young Gibbs’ love interest in this, Lala, and how that’s developing through the season?
Yeah, we started this show as saying this was kind of the story of this great love that got away, which we’ve had a lot of fun with. And I’ll say it’s not going to be a typical procedural thing this season where you’re seeing the “will they, won’t they?” We’re going all in. Things are gonna progress fast, for better or worse.
Of course, people wonder what the end game is, since that’s not a character referred to in the mothership show. People may be steeling themselves for tragedy or something, or at the least just wondering how you get out of this in the ultimate storyline.
I’ll say I read the Reddit threads, and I haven’t had anyone predict what’s actually gonna happen yet. So that’s been cool for me. I keep thinking that at some point someone’s gonna get it. And maybe some people do, and they just don’t go to the internet and type about it. But yeah… This was a great love for Gibbs, and we get a lot of our answers this season.
And then, of course, Gibbs fans would love to see Mark interact with every current or past cast member of “NCIS” now that he’s back on screen. You probably don’t have a lot of leeway to make it the “former ‘NCIS’ guest star of the week.” But is there a possibility for seeing more NCIS characters cross over? Or is getting Michael a big enough deal you feel you’ve fulfilled that quotient?
No, we will. We will. [Following this interview, Emily Wickersham was announced as reprising her “NCIS” role as Ellie Bishop in several “Origins” episodes, starting Oct. 27.] Mark Harmon calls this the season of “grip it and rip it” — an old quote from John Daly, the golfer. And it has been that. So we’re not holding anything back, and we will have some special guest stars this year.
For you personally, you go so far back with this franchise, but you’re not wanting to live in the past when you’re very much committed to a show that’s pretty different. But does it strike any kind of personal chord in you, or feel like exercising an old muscle or something, bringing back a character for a reunion that never seemed too likely to happen?
Yeah. When working on that script with the writers, I commented one day, “This is crazy,” writing Gibbs and DiNozzo. The franchise means a lot to me; it’s been a big, big, huge part of my adult life, and seeing Mark and Michael together was really meaningful. It was an unbelievably incredible thing that day, and everyone there felt it. And I’m hoping that Tuesday night the fans at home will too. I think I told my dad it was a special day in my career. But really, it was a special day in my life, honestly, to see that happen after a decade.
