For years, fans of CBS’s hit show NCIS have puzzled over how Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, gets his hand-carved wooden boats out of his basement. As NCIS continues its 19th season with a changing cast, this long-standing question has finally been answered.
Gibbs, the heart of the Naval Cr1minal Investigative Service, is famed for both his investigative abilities and his carpentry skills. In his basement, he methodically constructs boats from the ground up, creating the structure, constructing the body, and perfecting the wood finish. However, each boat unexpectedly vanishes from the basement with no visible means of escape, leaving viewers and other characters perplexed.
Theories have abounded, from moveable walls to secret tunnels. Even within the show, characters like Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) have speculated wildly about the boat’s egress, noting that the mystery extends beyond their team to the wider Navy Yard.
In the critical episode “Great Wide Open” of season 19, the FBI, lead by Gibbs’ NCIS replacement Alden Parker, arrives at Gibbs’ house to discover him missing and a boat-shaped hole in the basement wall. Gibbs merely removes the bricks to create a hole, allowing the boat to pass through, before meticulously reconstructing the wall—a chore reflecting his character’s patient and precise nature.
Actor Brian Dietzen, who plays Jimmy Palmer, confirmed the reveal on Twitter, settling the debate for good. With this enigma solved, fans are now left to wonder if Gibbs will return to NCIS and resume his boat-building. Mark Harmon has stepped down as a series regular, and given Gibbs’ own rule, “When you decide to walk away, never look back,” his return remains uncertain.
Whether or not Gibbs returns, his legacy and the mystery he embodied will continue to be a beloved part of NCIS lore.
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