‘NCIS’ Bosses Explain Why Mark Harmon Was a No-Show in Ducky Tribute

Dan Clarendon February 24, 2024, 11:24 am

Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS — Bill Inoshita/CBS

As the NCIS team mourned the death of Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard — and his portrayer, the late David McCallum — in February 19’s “The Stories We Leave Behind,” Michael Weatherly made a surprise return to the show. At the end of the episode, Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo popped by the autopsy room and gave a consoling pep talk to Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen).

If the NCIS showrunners had their druthers, though, it wouldn’t have been just Tony coming back. It would have been everyone, including Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

“Our original thought was, ‘Can we get everybody?’” co-showrunner Steven D. Binder told TVLine, adding that they imagined an all-star reunion akin to one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Avengers movies.

But budgetary and logistical issues arose, and so Binder and fellow showrunner David J. North zeroed in on Weatherly’s cameo.

“We really gave a lot of thought to who, you know, is it who Ducky is connected to most, which on one level would be Gibbs,” Binder said. “But it was Jimmy who was there, and we thought who Jimmy would connect with, and also bring some levity to the moment … and, you know, that’s Michael Weatherly. It really is a no-brainer once you realize what that scene needs.”

Dietzen, the actor behind Jimmy and the co-writer of that episode, reflected on Weatherly’s cameo on our aftershow, NCIS: Case Closed, and explained how Tony’s return made sense. “This character, in addition to being close with Ducky, was Jimmy’s good friend, so when he comes to visit, it is to help the person who’s left behind,” he said. “It’s really to be there for his friend.”

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Talking to TVLine, Binder said the “door is always open” for Harmon to come back to NCIS, too. “He’s such a pivotal part of the show, and we left him in such an ethereal place, where you’re not quite sure what that man is doing,” the EP explained. “I think when we bring him back — which we’d love to do — we’re not going to bring him back for two minutes. It’s gonna be something special.”

Added North, “We all know what Gibbs and what Mark means to the fans and to this show, and I think Gibbs’ story isn’t done being told, but in this case, it just didn’t work out.”

NCIS, Mondays, 9/8c, CBS