After a decade apart onscreen, two of television’s most recognizable crime-solving partners are finally coming together again. Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly will reunite as Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo in an upcoming episode of NCIS: Origins, bringing back the beloved partnership that helped establish the original series as a television favorite.
CBS recently unveiled a first-look photograph of the actors together, offering longtime viewers a nostalgic glimpse of their highly anticipated return. The reunion will air on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, marking their first shared onscreen appearance since Weatherly departed the original NCIS series in 2016. However, their characters are returning under circumstances that could place them in serious danger.
Mark Harmon’s Reunion With Michael Weatherly Brings Gibbs and Tony Back Together For The First Time In Too Long
The upcoming episode will see Gibbs return to NCIS headquarters in Washington, D.C., seeking assistance from DiNozzo, who now serves as the agency’s director. His visit follows a mysterious shooting during the Season 3 premiere of NCIS: Origins, when unidentified attackers targeted the retired agent. Although Gibbs survived, one of the assailants suggested that another person could be in danger. The newly released photograph shows the former colleagues together inside the NCIS morgue, raising questions about the investigation that brings them face-to-face again.
Showrunner David J. North described the experience of filming Harmon’s return to the familiar NCIS headquarters as deeply emotional. He told TV Insider that seeing the actor back on the set felt like coming home, particularly after years of working together on the franchise. North also praised the upcoming scenes, predicting that longtime viewers would be thrilled by the reunion. Meanwhile, Weatherly previously described his former co-star as “the OG,” acknowledging the important place Harmon continues to hold in the show’s history.
Remembering Gibbs and DiNozzo’s Beloved Partnership on ‘NCIS’
Harmon and Weatherly first appeared together in the two JAG episodes that introduced the NCIS team before the original series premiered in September 2003. Their characters quickly developed one of television’s most memorable working relationships, combining Gibbs’ disciplined leadership with Tony’s playful humor and unconventional investigative style. For 13 seasons, their entertaining exchanges and occasional disagreements helped define the popular CBS drama. Weatherly eventually departed in the Season 13 finale, while Harmon continued playing Gibbs until leaving the original series in 2021.
Now, both actors are returning to familiar territory through new chapters of the franchise. Weatherly has rejoined the main series for Season 24, while Harmon appears throughout the ten-episode third season of NCIS: Origins. The prequel explores Gibbs’ early years at Camp Pendleton during the 1990s, with Austin Stowell portraying his younger self. However, its present-day storyline has created an opportunity to revisit familiar characters and relationships. For longtime viewers who remember the original team’s adventures, the upcoming reunion promises a nostalgic return to the partnership that helped make NCIS a television institution. Fans can watch the episode on CBS at 10 p.m. Eastern, with streaming available through Paramount+.