NCIS is about to enter its historic 20th season, but would Michael Weatherly DiNozzo’s return be better than Mark Harmon’s Gibbs?
Could Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo’s return to NCIS season 20 be better than Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs? When CBS’ longest-running police procedural returns to the small screen this fall, it will mark a significant milestone. NCIS will begin its 20th season, making it one of the longest-running scripted American prime time television series, along with Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order. Given this, it is expected that CBS will go all out to commemorate this rare achievement.
Bringing back characters from the show’s past is one of the best ways to make NCIS season 20 as memorable as possible. After nearly two decades on the air, the show has seen several cast reshuffles to keep things fresh and adapt to actors leaving the show. Among a slew of departures, Harmon and Weatherly’s departures are arguably the most significant. So it’s not out of the question that either of them will be brought back by CBS.
In an ideal world, both Weatherly and Harmon would appear in season 20 of NCIS. However, if only one can return, Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo would be preferable to his former boss. To begin with, it has been nearly ten years since the “Very Special Agent” appeared on the police procedural. Since Weatherly’s departure from NCIS, a lot has happened to him off-screen, as evidenced by Ziva’s reappearance (Cote de Pablo). It’s worth noting that DiNozzo left the force after discovering the existence of his daughter with his former flame, who was thought to have d1ed at the time.
NCIS later contradicted this, revealing that Ziva is not only alive, but has also reunited with DiNozzo in Paris, where they are raising their child. It will be interesting to see how these events have changed (or not changed) the usually upbeat Tony DiNozzo. While it would be great to see Gibbs return, given Harmon’s recent departure from NCIS, seeing him return so soon does not have the same impact as seeing Michael Weatherly.
Will Michael Weatherly or Mark Harmon ever return to NCIS..?
NCIS season 20 will begin with a crossover event. Following that, it appears that the shows will revert to their regular procedural format. With the special event out of the way, it’s safe to say that CBS has some other surprises in store for NCIS fans to commemorate the show’s historic 20th season, including some major cameos. Michael Weatherly has expressed interest in reprising his role as Tony DiNozzo, particularly now that Bull has concluded.
Sean Murray’s Instagram post of a throwback photo with Tim McGee and DiNozzo has fueled speculation that the actor is returning. As for Harmon, it would be relatively simple to have Gibbs return to NCIS because he has recently retired; the actor is also an executive producer for the show. He, like Weatherly, has stated publicly that he is open to returning to NCIS. At this point, their appearances will be limited to the season 20 overarching story of the police procedural.
For what it’s worth, bringing back Weatherly and Harmon would only benefit NCIS. DiNozzo’s reunion with his old unit would be more surprising given how long he has been gone, but Gibbs’ reappearance would also be greatly appreciated. If CBS can find a way to bring both of them back at the same time, it would be a wise decision to provide audiences with some much-missed Gibbs-DiNozzo interaction.
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