‘NCIS’ Recap: What Question Did Mark Harmon’s Gibbs Finally Answer Before He Said Goodbye?
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- Gibbs tells McGee to his grab his gear on ‘NCIS’ one last time
- What question did Gibbs answer before leaving ‘NCIS’?
- Will fans see Mark Harmon again?
NCIS fans, it’s the end of an era. After 18+ seasons and more than 400 episodes, Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs has finally found some peace and has said goodbye to his team. Season 19, Episode 4 — titled “Great Wide Open” — was Harmon’s last as the star of television’s most-watched drama. Before he left, he finally answered a burning question that fans have been asking for years.
Gibbs tells McGee to his grab his gear on ‘NCIS’ one last time
The episode began with Gary Cole’s FBI Agent Alden Parker kicking down the door at Gibbs’ home to serve an arrest warrant. But he’s already skipped town with McGee (Sean Murray) after getting a lead on their Sonova case.
The duo is in Alaska, and Gibbs orders McGee to grab his gear one last time as they head out to investigate and follow their lead. McGee doesn’t know it yet, but he’s part of Gibbs’ final mission. As the very first NCIS probie and the final OG agent, McGee joins Gibbs to talk to the father of freelance writer and LeMere victim, Libby.
The goodbyes begin
Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) refuses to help Parker locate Gibbs, who wants to arrest the suspended agent for obstruction of justice. This comes after Gibbs stole a government vehicle in episode 3 and kidnapped a suspect before he died under mysterious circumstances.
It’s at this point that we jump back in time a bit to see the first of Gibbs’s many goodbyes. Vance meets Gibbs at his beloved diner before he leaves for Alaska. The director gives his former agent a sat phone and lends him McGee for his trip. As Gibbs dramatically drops his cell phone into his cup of coffee, he starts to choke up a bit while thanking the director for everything.
While running out the door with his gear, Gibbs is interrupted by Ducky (David McCallum). Fans get a final scene between the two OG characters, as Ducky tells Gibbs he’s worried about him.
The former Marine sniper admits that he’s been searching for something without knowing what it is he’s looking for. Then, the two share a hug while Gibbs tells Ducky he’s been a great friend. And every NCIS fan grabs a box of tissues.
What question did Gibbs answer before leaving ‘NCIS’?
The episode wasn’t just filled with sad goodbyes. Fans also got the answer to a question they’ve been asking for nearly two decades. At the beginning of the episode — when Agent Parker served the FBI warrant at Gibbs’ home — fans finally got to see how Gibbs has been getting boats out of his basement all these years.
The answer: through the wall. Agent Parker discovered a boat-sized hole in the wall that clued him into the fact that Gibbs wasn’t anywhere near his house. It also sent Parker to Alaska to arrest Gibbs.
Gibbs and Parker work together
The NCIS agents quickly solve the Sonova case and find evidence that points to CEO Sonia Eberhard. She appears to be the person behind the murders that Gibbs started investigating in season 18 with journalist Marcie Warren (Pam Dawber). It’s also the same case that Parker has been working on, and now he and Gibbs are working together.
The team figured out that Sonova’s copper mine at Naktok Bay would destroy the entire area. But instead of taking no for an answer, Sonova and Eberhard killed the people in the way so they could build their mine without any problems.
As Parker cleverly takes Eberhard into custody, fans also get a flashback to Gibbs saying goodbye to Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) as he drives him to the airport.
“Don’t let this job become all that there is. Take care of you,” he tells the young agent.
Agent Parker loses his job to help Gibbs
With the CEO in custody and the case solved, McGee takes Gibbs to Parker so he can arrest him. But, Parker decides that he doesn’t want to be the FBI’s errand boy and cuts Gibbs loose. He made that decision after doing his own research on Gibbs and talking to his colleague, Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano).
His decision not to arrest Gibbs and his refusal to testify against him about the vehicle theft and suspect kidnapping ended up getting Parker fired from the FBI. And fans can be sure that will pave the way for him to join NCIS as soon as next week.
Gibbs passes the torch to McGee on ‘NCIS’
The episode ends with Gibbs and McGee fly fishing, with the 70-year-old agent telling his probie that he needs to find his own rhythm. He says the key is to focus on progress instead of perfection. Of course, they’re not talking about fishing. Instead, Gibbs is officially passing the NCIS torch.
After reminiscing about fishing with his dad, Gibbs tells McGee he isn’t going back to NCIS or Washington DC. He’s still not sure what he’s looking for, but he’s staying behind. For the first time since Shannon and Kelly died, Alaska’s brought him a sense of peace.
“I could not have hoped for anyone better to watch my back for the past 18 years than you, Tim,” Gibbs tells McGee before they hug and each one tells the other that he loves him.
McGee heads back to Washington all alone, and Gibbs stays behind in the water to fly fish. The last shot fans see is Gibbs in waders casting his line, with a smile on his face.
Will fans see Mark Harmon again?
CBS has not issued an official statement about Harmon’s exit from NCIS. However, showrunner Steven D. Binder did say that he’s still an important part of the show as executive producer. This means fans could possibly see him again in the future.
“As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show. Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go. So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years… never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out,” Binder said.
New episodes of NCIS air Monday nights on CBS.
