Warning: Spoilers ahead for\u00a0NCIS: Origins!\n<\/p>\n
NEED TO KNOW
\nMark Harmon reprised his role as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on\u00a0NCIS: OriginsThe NCIS star, who left the original series after 18 seasons in 2021, appears in the opening sequence of the prequel series as fans get a glimpse at his new friend in AlaskaThe episode was part of a two-part crossover with NCIS<\/p>\n
Leroy Jethro Gibbs looked back at his Origins \u2014 this time on camera.\n<\/p>\n
Mark Harmon<\/a> reprised his role as the beloved special agent on Tuesday, Nov. 11 during a NCIS crossover event that spanned decades between the original and prequel series. It marked the actor’s on-screen return as Gibbs following a cameo<\/a>\u00a0in the prequel\u2019s 2024 debut. He first originated the character for 18 seasons on NCIS before departing in 2021.\n<\/p>\n Appearing as Gibbs during the opening of Origins episode \u201cFunny How Time Slips Away,” Harmon, 74, reflected on three decades in the business. In the scene, Gibbs poured himself a drink and recalled his “hell of a long time” on the job. “Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about those early days, back when I was still cutting my teeth,” the character said.\n<\/p>\n Austin Stowell and Mark Harmon at Paramount Studios on May 2, 2024.<\/p>\n Monica Schipper\/Getty\u00a0<\/p>\n After his nostalgic narration, Gibbs was seen speaking with a dog on the other end of his living room. “Over the years, the outside changes. But inside, you still feel all the same things. You’ll see,” the character said while making eye contact with the pup.\n<\/p>\n He added, “I don’t know how you ended up here in the middle of nowhere, but I’m glad we found each other. Nick of time for you too, bud, a big storm’s coming. I’m Leroy, by the way, what are we gonna call you?”\n<\/p>\n Then, while Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” played in the background, Gibbs brings up an old friend of his before looking at some old photos of colleagues. “You know, a long time ago I worked with a dog that had a first and a last name. Special agent Gary Callahan. A good guy, just like you. I was lucky, I worked with a lot of good guys. Three decades, hell of a long time,” he said.\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n After the heart-to-heart with the dog, Harmon de-ages and transforms into Austin Stowell<\/a>‘s younger version of the character thanks to some special effects. That’s when the Origins episode really kicks off, following the mysterious death of a California naval officer in the ’90s. The investigation gets a new set of eyes on it in \u201cNow and Then,” the second-part and NCIS half of the two-part crossover.\n<\/p>\n The Origins episode also ended with a nod to Harmon’s appearance, with Kyle Schmid’s Origins character, Mike Franks, seen aging forward into Muse Watson’s older portrayal of the character on NCIS. “Three decades. That’s a hell of a long time,” Harmon narrated as the elder Gibbs. “Over the years, the outside changes, but inside, you still feel all the same things.”\n<\/p>\n Harmon has largely remained off screen in the NCIS universe in recent years but has still served as executive producer of both shows and the narrator of each episode of\u00a0Origins.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Co-showrunners and executive producers David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal previously said in an October press release that Gibbs was “no longer alone” after disappearing to Alaska in pursuit of solitude. Well, it appears he found a friend in his new K-9.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe know how much fans have missed seeing Mark and have wondered what Gibbs is up to today,” they said at the time.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThey continue to push boundaries and dive deeper into the characters\u2019 backstories,\u201d Harmon added. \u201cThey came to me with an idea for Gibbs that I liked, and it seemed like a good time to check in with him. I hope fans enjoy it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n