NCIS is heading into uncharted territory in the wake of Gibbs crossing some lines that can't be uncrossed, and that's not something that can always be said about a show that is 18 seasons in. Gibbs has gone so far in risking his job that even Vance has said outright that he can no longer save Gibbs, and it's hard to see how Gibbs could return to his work at NCIS with the team at this point. That said, new episode images reveal how Gibbs can still contribute despite his potential departure from the job.
At this point in Season 18, Gibbs is indefinitely suspended, but the bombshell interview he gave to Marcie (played by Mark Harmon's real-life wife Pam Dawber) was a confession of pretty much everything the NCIS brass wanted kept quiet, with the exception of the involvement of McGee, Bishop, and Torres. Whether that suspension truly results in termination remains to be seen; what's obvious from photos for the next episode of NCIS, called "Sangre," is that members of the team will still seek him out. Take a look:
Torres will evidently pay Gibbs a visit, and that visit will involve food. It also looks like Torres brought a file with him, but Gibbs is very much in casual wear, so he's probably not chatting with Torres in any kind of official capacity. If anything, he might be just the listener that Torres needs in "Sangre."
The episode, which airs on April 20, will see Torres meet with his father Miguel, played by Steven Bauer, who left Torres when he was just a child. Father and son reunite after evidence from the stabbing of a Marine Sergeant leads Torres to find his dad, so it's pretty easy to understand that he might need to lean on somebody like Gibbs (and possibly Bishop). And if that involves steak, all the better for Torres!
That said, Torres won't be the only member of the team who pays Gibbs a visit for some reason or other. McGee also will spend some time with Gibbs at Gibbs' house in "Sangre," as you can see here:
McGee and Gibbs are having a chat down in the basement where Gibbs is working on his boat, but it's hard to say much else just based on the image, and the episode description doesn't mention McGee. Still, it's nice to see a familiar face other than a grim-looking Vance with bad news down in that basement! As for who is mentioned in the episode description, fans can expect to see Pam Dawber back as the journalist Marcie.
The return of Marcie presumably means that Gibbs won't spend the entire episode tooling around his house, but it's not clear what further business they might have with each other after Gibbs spilled some details on her. Could they spend some time together for personal reasons, with art imitating life between Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber? Or will Marcie recruit him to another project?
Find out when the next episode of NCIS airs on CBS Tuesday, April 20 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. NCIS is not yet guaranteed a Season 19 despite solid ratings, and it's possible that the future of the series (or lack thereof) rests on what Mark Harmon decides about continuing to play Gibbs.
