Having found peace in Alaska for the first time since his family's death, Gibbs leaves NCIS in the 2021 episode "Great Wide Open" in search of adventure.[7]
Development and casting
Series creator Donald P. Bellisario initially did not think Mark Harmon would fit the role of Gibbs, a "flinty type with a strong sense of honor and respect for the military", but changed his mind after viewing a tape of Harmon's portrayal of a Secret Service agent on The West Wing.[8] Co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson recalls, "We all looked at that work. And everybody said, 'He's Gibbs.'"[9] Harmon was cast in 2003, and Bellisario explained, "I said, 'Oh, my God, he's Gibbs.' He had matured. He's good-looking in a totally different way than he was as a young guy." At another point, he said, "I am so lucky to have Mark Harmon as the lead. You have no idea. This cast is gold. Mark Harmon is a Middle American guy, even if he was raised in Southern California. His values are exactly the same as mine."[10]
Harmon said of his character, "I was attracted by [his] flaws. He has lousy taste in women. He's addicted to coffee."[8]
Gibbs was initially written as "not too far removed" from characters like Dr. Robert "Bobby" Caldwell and Dr. Jack McNeil, both previous roles by Harmon. In an early episode, Gibbs "playfully smacked Weatherly's DiNozzo on the back of the head" resulting in the trademark "headslap" that later appeared in many episodes throughout the seasons.[10]
In later years, he is scripted as more stoic,[11] with Bellisario stating, "I thought the best thing to do was to give him a minimum of dialogue."[12] It was not until the third season that the backstory surrounding his first wife and daughter's murder was revealed.[13] His relationships with his coworkers were developed, with him becoming something of a father figure to Special Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David[14] and Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto.
Mark Harmon's oldest son Sean has appeared on NCIS portraying a younger version of Gibbs in flashbacks.[9]
Background
In the backstory, Gibbs was born on November 21, 1954, and was shown in the episode "Heartland" to have grown up in Stillwater, Pennsylvania.[4] The town is real, and the scenes in the episode were modeled after Bellisario's hometown of Cokeburg. His father, Jackson Gibbs (played by Ralph Waite), owned and ran the Stillwater General Store. He is named after his father's close friend and partner in the store, Leroy Jethro "LJ" Moore, after they worked together in the coal mines (Winslow Mining Company).[4] In "The Namesake", it is revealed that LJ, a World War II veteran and Montford Point Marine, had influenced the teenaged Gibbs to join the Marines. Gibbs left Stillwater in 1976[4] to join the Marine Corps and had little contact with the place for the next thirty years. In a flashback scene in the episode, as a teenager, Gibbs often provoked violence with defiance to his father, who constantly comes to his unwanted aid with a Winchester rifle. He was also known around the area as a delinquent, as said by the new sheriff, one of the other delinquents during his teenage years, stating, "Funny, never expected to find you on the same side of the law." He met his first wife Shannon (portrayed by both Darby Stanchfield and Aviva Baumann) in Stillwater, who worked at the local women's clothing store, Ellen’s Dress Shop, speaking to each other for the first time while both waiting for a train. Gibbs was leaving for Marine Combat Training having just graduated from bootcamp. At that first meeting, Shannon mentioned she had thought about creating a set of life rules for herself; Gibbs later incorporated this idea into his own series of around fifty rules that he now lives by (with the rules in the forties and above supposedly used for emergency situations). Gibbs is known by his first name, Leroy, to family and people in his hometown (as well as his ex-wife Diane), whereas at work he is known as Gibbs, Jethro, or simply "Boss".[4] Shannon called him both Gibbs and Jethro.
Gibbs' mother, Ann, is introduced in "Life Before His Eyes", the 200th episode. She was a redhead, like all of Gibbs' wives. While she was dying of cancer, she took her own life by overdose so her family would not have to watch her suffer ("The Namesake").
Gibbs enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1976 and was a military policenon-commissioned officer at Camp Lejeune[15] before becoming a Scout Sniper. After graduating from bootcamp, Gibbs shipped out to Camp LeJeune for further training. There he befriended fellow Marine Private First Class Joan Matteson, but she was one of several marines killed in a helicopter crash on April 3, 1977, after she was deployed to Okinawa, Japan.
As a junior agent, Gibbs was mentored by Mike Franks, and the two became close friends; Franks continued calling him "Probie" even after retirement. After Franks retired, Gibbs rose to become head of his own Major Case Response Team. Before the time in which NCIS is set, Gibbs was described to have traveled extensively on operations, particularly in Eastern Europe.
Gibbs is a highly skilled marksman with both his agency-issued SIG Sauer P228 pistol (which he replaces with a .45 Colt M1911A1 pistol in Season 15) and a sniper rifle. In the season 7 premiere, "Truth or Consequences", he kills the terrorists holding his team hostage from an exceptionally long distance and in "South by Southwest" he outshoots a professional hit-man in an approaching helicopter. His knowledge of the Marine Corps and training as a sniper often comes into use,[19] as shown in the episodes "Ravenous", "Vanished" and "Twenty Klicks" where he uses his wilderness tracking skills and marksmanship to aid the investigation and/or get the team out of trouble.
Gibbs is a private man of few words who discloses little to nothing about his personal life. He avoids discussing his life or past before he joined NCIS, especially to agents and co-workers under him, which leads to his team members constantly speculating over his private life. Aside from his tendency to use military slang, he rarely mentions or speaks at length about his time in the Marine Corps although he is often referred to as "Gunny" by other Navy and Marine officers,[20] occasionally dons a "USMC" hoodie or T-shirt when off duty[21][22][23][24] and has a replica of the iconic Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima photograph framed and mounted above the fireplace in his home.
Gibbs holds service personnel in the armed forces in high esteem and to a higher standard.[25][20][26] He becomes particularly indignant when the guilty party is someone in a position of trust and authority, and he has reacted violently on several occasions when apprehending corrupt high-ranking officers who committed crimes for monetary gain.[27][28]
Relationships
Family
Gibbs' daughter, Kelly, and her best friend, Maddie.
In the season 6 episode "Heartland", Gibbs' frosty relationship with his father Jackson and the backstory behind it is revealed. His father had rarely been mentioned up to that point and Jackson had not known that Gibbs was a "boss" until Gibbs and his team visited Stillwater to investigate a case.[4] By the end of the episode, they make amends and the two have become closer ever since.[29]
Through a series of episodes over a few years, it becomes clear that Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez in revenge for the death of his wife Shannon and his daughter Kelly. In the episode "Borderland" (Season 7, episode 22), an unknown conspirator manipulates events so that Abby ends up investigating the murder as a cold case and finds irrefutable proof that Gibbs is responsible. Hernandez' now-grown children Paloma Reynosa, the head of the Reynosa drug cartel after taking her spouse's place when he was killed, and Alejandro Rivera, a high-ranking official of the Mexican Justice Department, appear in the episode "Spider and the Fly". In this episode, Gibbs manipulates Alejandro Rivera into killing Paloma, and Alejandro is subsequently arrested. Shortly thereafter, Director Vance files Abby's report proving that Gibbs killed Hernandez deep in the NCIS evidence room. When Gibbs comes under investigation in the Season 10 finale "Damned If You Do", Vance retrieves the report and shreds it, deciding to permanently bury all leads to the truth so that Gibbs will not be found and convicted of murder.
Marriages
Gibbs has been married four times, and divorced three (his first wife was killed).
Shannon Fielding was Gibbs' first wife. In the episode "Heartland", Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met Shannon (portrayed in that episode by Aviva Baumann) while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in summer of 1976, where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS. In "Hiatus (Part II)", they were stated to have married in December 1981, and Kelly was born sometime in 1982. He was unable to be at the birth of Kelly as he was deployed.[30] Shannon, along with their eight-year-old daughter Kelly, was murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of Operation Desert Storm. Gibbs was an active member of the Marine Corps at the time and was still overseas when they were killed. In "Hiatus (Part II)" Director Shepard tells Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard that Shannon had witnessed a murder of a Marine at Camp Pendleton, where Gibbs was based at that time. Shannon had identified the murderer as Mexican-born drug dealer Pedro Hernandez. Afterwards, Hernandez shot the NIS agent driving Shannon and Kelly in a minivan and the subsequent crash took their lives. Gibbs retaliated by seeking out Pedro and assassinating him, leaving behind an empty shell casing as a message. Paloma Reynosa later indicated he left a live round. This secret remained with him for 20 years until it came to light when Abby discovered the truth through a forensic investigation.
Diane Sterling (Melinda McGraw) was Gibbs' second wife. After divorcing Gibbs she married FBI Senior Special Agent Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano). However, this marriage was only slightly more positive than her last, and ultimately failed. As she did with Gibbs, Diane drained Fornell's bank account when she left him. Fornell and Diane have a daughter, Emily, who dies of a drug overdose in Season 18. In the season 9 episode "Devil's Triangle", Gibbs tells Diane that he liked her—he always liked her, and still likes her. Diane tells him their marriage fell apart because she was in love with him, but she could not compete with Shannon.[31] She later asks Gibbs and Fornell to save her third husband Victor. It was later revealed that she invited Gibbs and Fornell to the wedding but they did not attend, although Gibbs did send a wedding present (a waffle iron). During the Season 12 episode "Check", Diane is shown on good terms with his other ex, Rebecca, due to their mutual enjoyment of picking on Gibbs. She is later shot dead by terrorist Sergei Mishnev (Alex Veadov). Gibbs flew into a rage and beat Mishnev but he was able to escape. Gibbs later allows Tobias Fornell (Diane's second ex-husband) to avenge Diane's death.
Rebecca Chase (Jeri Ryan), Gibbs' third wife, is introduced in season 12. She and Gibbs divorced because Rebecca cheated on Gibbs and it is revealed in that season's episode 11 that she is marrying the man with whom she cheated on Gibbs and it was shown that the latter had no idea of her marriage to Gibbs when they got together. She is shown on good terms with his other ex, Diane, due to their enjoyment of picking on Gibbs. She tries to make amends with Gibbs, who is initially uninterested but they do end up talking.
Stephanie Flynn (Kathleen York), Gibbs' most recent wife, also a redhead,[32] lived with him during his service in Moscow, Russia, for about a year. According to Gibbs, she was the one who left him. The reason for this was revealed in the Season 3 episode "Mind Games", in which Ducky notes that Gibbs became so obsessed with catching serial killer Kyle Boone that it incited the collapse of their marriage, which happened no later than 1995, the year Gibbs captured Boone. She is also said in the Season 1 episode, "Hung Out to Dry", to get drunk and dial Gibbs incessantly on the day of their former wedding anniversary, which leads him to aggressively disable or even ruin his phones to shut her out. She is introduced in Season 5 "Ex-Files", when her new boyfriend is accused of murder. As with his other exes, Stephanie is hostile with him and he finds his patience tested when seeing her speak to his current girlfriend. However, at the end, the pair reconcile after she discovers her boyfriend was innocent but cheating on her, and she gives Gibbs back his military dog tags that she held onto. She moves to Philadelphia to care for her aging parents and help her sister with her nieces and nephews.
Other romantic relationships
After Shannon and Kelly's deaths and before he married his second wife, it is suggested that Gibbs had an affair with a woman named Rose Tamayo in Colombia. He was on a classified drug interdiction mission as a Marine Scout Sniper, and was wounded during the mission. In "Deliverance", Rose's now-adult son Tomas is introduced as a person of interest in a case. Gibbs' team suspected that he was the boy's father, but Gibbs later reveals to Tomas that Rose was already pregnant when Gibbs came to their village. It is later revealed that the drug lord Gibbs was sent to assassinate was the boy's father.
Gibbs also had a past romantic relationship with the (now deceased) director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard, who was also his partner at the time. Jenny was also a redhead.[33] In the first, second, and third seasons, he was seen in the company of a mysterious (and never-identified) redheaded woman.[10] According to Bellisario, the purpose of "the mysterious redhead" was "to make everyone speculate".[34]
In season four, he has a steady, serious relationship with Army CID commander Lt. Col. Hollis Mann (Susanna Thompson), but their relationship is revealed to be over at the beginning of season five.
In season 7, Gibbs meets lawyer Margaret Allison Hart (Rena Sofer), who worked for an old enemy of Gibbs, Col. Merton Bell. Although Gibbs and Hart oppose each other over several cases, they are also attracted to one another. When it was discovered that Bell was responsible for the death of Lara Macy in connection with the long-ago murder of Pedro Hernandez, Hart turned her back on Bell, showing her allegiance to Gibbs.
The season 16 episode "Hail and Farewell" revealed that Gibbs was also engaged to a fifth woman, Ellen Wallace, who was thought to have died in the September 11 attacks, but was murdered the night before; Gibbs broke off the engagement about two months before her death.
Since her introduction in the series in season 15 episode 4, forensic psychologist Jack Sloane (Maria Bello) has shared a close bond with Gibbs, to the point that the other team members question if Gibbs and Sloane have "a thing". The two share a kiss in Sloane's final episode (season 18 episode 8).
Awards and citations
At the end of the episode "Murder 2.0", Gibbs was awarded his seventh Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, but as with the other six times, he did not attend the award ceremony and Tony accepts the medal on his behalf. When Gibbs shows no interest in it, Tony locks it in a box containing several similar presentation cases, all of which were awarded to Gibbs. One of these medals is revealed to have been a Silver Star, which Gibbs bestows on Corporal Damon Werth in the episode "Corporal Punishment". It is revealed in the episode "Hiatus Pt. 1" that Gibbs received the Purple Heart after being injured in Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War and was in a coma for nineteen days as a result.[36]
Gibbs was shown wearing the following awards and decorations in the episodes "One Shot, One Kill" and "Honor Code".[22][28] Note: The Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal ribbon is placed as a U.S. non-military personal decoration after U.S. military unit awards in the order of precedence.
In the episode "Heartland", Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met his first wife, Shannon (portrayed in that episode by Aviva Baumann), while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in summer of 1976, where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS - his own series of around fifty rules that he now lives by (with the rules in the forties and above supposedly used for emergency situations).[37]
Reception
Early reception was primarily positive. During NCIS' first season on air, Ross Warneke wrote of Gibbs, "He's still wincing from three failed marriages and is a bit of a renegade within the service." He further called Mark Harmon's performance "convincing" and added that the character "has a heart of gold".[38] Two years later, in November 2005, Noel Holston from the Sun-Sentinel said, "NCIS special agent, Jethro Gibbs, is one of those hard-shelled, soft-centered guys' guys Bellisario loves to write, a clear-thinking, decisive leader in whose crankiness his subordinates take an almost masochistic pleasure."[39]
William Bradly of The Huffington Post wrote an opinion piece in 2011 in response to NCIS being voted America's favorite television show in which he commented, "Gibbs is a hard-ass, but a very nice hard-ass, who usually has all the answers thanks to his well-honed 'gut.' And when he doesn't, the quirky science nerds are there to help him out in their reassuringly civvy ways."[40]
One reviewer wrote a long analysis:
Never, have I seen a show portray such an accurate description of leadership. Agent Jethro Gibbs is a very intimidating leader; to his agents, and to his suspects. No one wants to mess with Gibbs, and that is no surprise. He is incredibly strong emotionally, and a very loving person to his family. His top qualities are leadership and fearlessness. Gibbs is also very impatient, and easily angered, which don't serve him well in his relationships.
Leadership is Gibbs' best quality. On the outside, he is tough as nails, seemingly impossible to break. On the inside, he is a compassionate person, who is extremely supportive of his friends and family.[41]
In 2011, June Thomas from Slate magazine wrote, "Team leader Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is a coffee-slurping stoic, a former Marine often exasperated by his sometimes-silly underlings." She also discussed the show and its characters' appeal to conservatives: "They're intelligent, hard-working, and devoted...Gibbs is an old-fashioned man: strong and silent, a skilled woodworker who doesn't lock his front door."[13] Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Monthly also suggested that Gibbs, "a former Marine with a Bush-like faith in his 'gut'", appeared as a distinctly conservative figure in the series, in contrast to "liberal stand-ins" McGee and Abby Sciuto.[42]
In 2011, it was reported that the role had made Mark Harmon the fourth most popular actor on primetime television. Several other members of the NCIS cast were also listed in the top ten, including Pauley Perrette (Abby Sciuto), Cote de Pablo (Ziva David), David McCallum (Ducky Mallard), and Michael Weatherly (Anthony DiNozzo).[43]
Related Research Articles
Anthony D. "Tony" DiNozzo, Jr. is a fictional character from the CBS TV series NCIS portrayed by American actor Michael Weatherly. An original cast character created by producer Donald P. Bellisario, he appears as a series regular in the first 13 seasons before departing in the season 13 finale. He has also made guest appearances on the spin-offs NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.
Timothy Farragut "Tim" McGee is a fictional character from the CBS television series NCIS, portrayed by Sean Murray. McGee specializes in cybersecurity and computer crime, and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University
Abigail "Abby or Abbs" Beethoven Sciuto is a fictional character from the American television series NCIS. She is portrayed by Pauley Perrette; in the season 10 episode "Hit and Run," a young Abby was played by Brighton Sharbino in flashbacks. The character of Abby was introduced in the episodes "Ice Queen" and "Meltdown" of the television show JAG, and up until May 2018 appeared in every episode of NCIS, in addition to being featured on the show's spin-offs, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. The role made Perrette one of 2011's most popular actresses on U.S. primetime television, according to Q Score.
"Yankee White" is the first episode in the first season of the American crime drama television series NCIS. It first aired on CBS in the United States on September 23, 2003. The episode is written by Donald P. Bellisario & Don McGill and directed by Bellisario. It was seen by 13.04 million viewers.
"Hiatus (Part I)" and "Hiatus (Part II)" are the 23rd and 24th episodes of the third season of the American police procedural drama NCIS and the 69th and 70th episodes overall. They originally aired on CBS in the United States on May 9 and May 16, 2006. Both episodes were written by Donald Bellisario, the show's creator and executive producer at the time, and directed by Dennis Smith. They were seen live by 15.17 million and 16.49 million views, respectively.
"Twilight" is the 23rd and last episode in the second season, and the 46th overall episode, of the American crime drama television series NCIS. It first aired on CBS in the United States on May 24, 2005. The episode is written by John Kelley and directed by Thomas J. Wright, and was seen by 14.74 million viewers.
"Angel of Death " is the 24th episode of the fourth season of the American police procedural drama NCIS, and the 94th episode overall. It originally aired on CBS in the United States on May 22, 2007, and was seen by 14.14 million viewers. "Angel of Death" marks finale of the fourth season and the departure of series creator Donald P. Bellisario, who wrote the script for the episode.
"Requiem" is the seventh episode in the fifth season, and the 101st overall episode, of the American crime drama television series NCIS. It first aired on CBS in the United States on November 6, 2007. The episode was written by Shane Brennan and directed by Tony Wharmby.
Caitlin "Kate" Todd is a fictional character featured in the CBS television drama NCIS portrayed by Sasha Alexander, appearing in 49 episodes of the series. Alexander made her series debut in the pilot "Yankee White", before departing the regular cast in the season two finale "Twilight". Alexander was credited as a guest star for her appearances in the season 3 episodes "Kill Ari " and "Kill Ari ," and appeared uncredited as a voice actor during season 8's "A Man Walks Into a Bar". Subsequently, Alexander has appeared in photographs, flashbacks, archive footage, and CGI footage. Her most recent appearance was through archive footage in "Two Steps Back".
The third season of the police procedural drama NCIS was originally broadcast between September 20, 2005, and May 16, 2006, on CBS. The third season opens in the aftermath of "Twilight", with the entire team in shock and Gibbs on a vendetta to seek revenge for Kate's murder. Matters are complicated by the intervention of Gibbs' former lover and new NCIS director Jenny Shepard, and Mossad officer Ziva David.
The fourth season of the police procedural drama NCIS was originally broadcast between September 19, 2006, and May 22, 2007. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs left NCIS at the end of season three after a terrorist attack had been successful because his superiors did not heed his warnings in time. The team is now led by Anthony DiNozzo for a short time until Gibbs' eventual return. New characters introduced in this season are Michelle Lee, who was briefly on DiNozzo's team and was transferred to the legal department upon Gibbs' return, and Gibbs' former boss and mentor Mike Franks, both as recurring characters. Also, albeit later in the season, Army CID Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann is introduced as another love interest for Gibbs.
The fifth season of the police procedural drama NCIS premiered on September 25, 2007, and marks the end of Donald P. Bellisario's involvement as show runner. The new showrunner, starting from this season, is Shane Brennan. It concludes the La Grenouille storyline which ended with a cliffhanger in season four's finale, "Angel of Death". This season also includes the show 100th episode, and reveals more background information about Gibbs.
The seventh season of the police procedural drama NCIS premiered on September 22, 2009 with NCIS: Los Angeles Season 1 premiering afterwards. At the end of season six, Ziva had left the NCIS team in Israel, returning to work as a Mossad officer. In the closing seconds of that season, Ziva was shown to have been captured and tortured for information about NCIS.
"A Man Walks Into a Bar..." is the 14th episode in the eighth season, and the 176th overall episode, of the American crime drama television series NCIS. It first aired on CBS in the United States on February 8, 2011. The episode is written by Gary Glasberg and directed by James Whitmore, Jr., and was seen by 20.35 million viewers.
"Baltimore" is the 22nd episode in the eighth season, and the 184th overall episode, of the American crime drama television series NCIS. It first aired on CBS in the United States on May 3, 2011. The episode is written by Steven Binder and directed by Terrence O'Hara, and was seen by 17.87 million viewers.
"Devil's Triangle" is the ninth episode of the tenth season of the American police procedural drama NCIS, and the 219th episode overall. It originally aired on CBS in the United States on December 11, 2012. The episode is written by Steven D. Binder and directed by Arvin Brown, and was seen by 17.65 million viewers.
"Kill Ari (Part I)" and "Kill Ari (Part II)" are the first two episodes of the third season of the American police procedural drama NCIS, and the 47th and 48th episodes overall. They originally aired on CBS in the United States on September 20 and 27, 2005. Both episodes are written by Donald Bellisario, the show's creator and executive producer at the time. Part I, directed by Dennis Smith, was seen live by 15.48 million viewers, while Part II, directed by James Whitmore, Jr., was seen live by 15.09 million viewers.
The eleventh season of the police procedural drama NCIS premiered on September 24, 2013, in the same time slot as the previous seasons, Tuesdays at 8 pm. Special Agent Ziva David, departs during the season with her final appearance being in "Past, Present and Future". The episode "Crescent City ", which aired on March 25, 2014, serves as the first of a two-part backdoor pilot of a second spin off from NCIS called NCIS: New Orleans based in New Orleans.
"Ice Queen" and "Meltdown" is the two-part backdoor pilot for the American crime drama NCIS. The episodes aired as the twentieth and twenty-first episodes of the eighth season of the American legal drama JAG. Both episodes were written by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill. "Ice Queen" was directed by Bellisario and aired on CBS on April 22, 2003. "Meltdown" was directed by Scott Brazil and aired on April 29, 2003.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
