NCIS fans convinced Gibbs’ fate is sealed after big emotional moment

For over two decades, Mark Harmon has kept television fans amused as the beloved Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the great show NCIS.

However, it appears like he may be having his final farewells this season. His tragic downfall was foreshadowed on Monday night’s episode, indicating that fans should expect a heartbreaking episode next week.

The episode ended with Gibbs paying his respects at the graves of his late wife and daughter before embarking on his latest mission, which will take him to Alaska. The camera lingered on an image of the family tombstone, which also bears Gibbs’ name and birth year. The date of his death, on the other hand, was left blank.

Many fans of the show took to Twitter to express their concerns, fearing that the scene alluded to Gibbs’ impending death.

One panicked viewer wrote: “Oh no! NO! Please tell that the graves of Shannon and Kelly aren’t a clue of Gibbs’ future! Please, DON’T KILL HIM!!”

Another said: “Bittersweet moment at the end there. It better not anything bad for Gibbs, he’s been through enough,” and a third dismayed fan added: “Nope, I do not like the place this is heading. If he’s exiting, I do not want to see his character end like that. Rather see him retire and finally have love.”

What are your thoughts? The question of Gibbs’ fate “dominates” the first four episodes of the new season, according to executive producer Steven D Binder, suggesting that the episode on Monday 11 October will put an end to speculation about how much involvement his character will have in the rest of the season and the show as a whole.

Rumours about the legendary actor’s departure began to circulate earlier this year, when it was revealed that he had engaged into long contract discussions with CBS. According to sources, Mark, who also works as an executive producer on the show, was eager to retire but was warned that if he did, the network would likely cancel NCIS, pushing him to reconsider.

The 70-year-old is one of the longest-serving American TV performers, having performed in every single episode since 2003. He allegedly intends to retire from acting shortly.

CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl told Deadline earlier this year that the showrunners are eager to keep Mark in team.

She elaborated: “Mark has always been a part of the cast. Mark will always be a part of the program. We’ll simply have to wait and watch how his on-air appearances turn out in the future.”