NCIS introduced fans to the character of investigative journalist Marcie Warren during the final episodes of season 18. Played by Mark Harmon’s (Gibbs) real-life wife Pam Dawber, Marcie enlisted Gibbs’ help to find a serial killer that murdered her childhood friend.
The season ended in the middle of that storyline, leaving fans with a lot of unanswered questions. Does this mean Dawber will return for season 19 along with her husband?
Gibbs was suspended indefinitely on ‘NCIS’
Midway through season 18, Gibbs was suspended indefinitely from NCIS after he used excessive force against a suspect. Instead of issuing an apology so he could return to work, Gibbs opted to work on his boat – named “Rule 91” – and help Marcie with her cold case.
Fans also found out that Rule 91 was “when you decide to walk away, don’t look back.” It appeared in the episode’s final moments that Gibbs was trying to do just that, as he was cruising through a lake. But, then his boat exploded and he was left floating in the water. We do know he survived, though, as he quickly swam out of the final shot before the credits rolled.
Gibbs and Marcie were getting too close
Before the explosion in the closing seconds of the season 18 finale, it seemed like Gibbs and Marcie were getting close to cracking their case. He discovered a listening device in his home and in Marcie’s office. That’s when Gibbs cranked up the music and started scribbling notes to Marcie. Gibbs told her to “walk away” and “don’t be the story” when she asked if she was in danger.
It seems pretty likely that the person behind the explosion was the same person Gibbs and Marcie were after. There’s also the chance the bomb was planted to make someone think Gibbs is dead. There’s even a fan theory that the serial killer is Marcie.
Will Marcie return for season 19 of ‘NCIS’?
With so many questions still needing answers — and the fact that they are still in the middle of Marcie’s storyline — it seems very likely that Dawber will be back in season 19 with Harmon. According to Express, some fans are sure she’ll be back for more episodes because they believe a devastating twist is coming.
“Am I the only one who thinks there could be a possible swerve here with Marcie being the serial killer?” user Fantasygod1990 asked on Reddit. “0 suspects have even been mentioned to my knowledge. “Maybe Marcie wants to be the one to have the scoop on the death of Gibbs? If Gibbs is going truly dark and undercover, maybe he catches Marcie in the act?”
Another fan named ptazdba agreed. They wrote, “It took a couple of her appearances for me to get into what they were trying to do with her. Things they haven’t explained: Why did she zero in on Gibbs for his story and why did he trust her enough to give it to her. It smelled of a setup from the gitgo.”
Could Pam Dawber’s character be the villain?
When CBS announced that Dawber would be appearing on NCIS for a four-episode arc in season 18, she made it clear that she wouldn’t be a love interest for Gibbs. Producers had asked the Mork & Mindy star numerous times over the years to appear on NCIS. But, she had always refused.
She says she changed her mind this time because she really liked the character of Marcie. And, because producers promised she wouldn’t be a love interest for her husband’s character.
“The character is so good. I just fell in love with what they wrote,” Dawber told Entertainment Weekly. “I talked to the writers and the producers before I signed on and said, ‘If this is a romantic interest, I’m not interested.’ They said not at all, that’s not where we’re going with this.”
Pam Dawber isn’t sure her time is over on ‘NCIS’
The theory that Marcie is the serial killer comes from the fact that there is no evidence pointing to anyone else on the show. It’s all been extremely vague, with no names mentioned.
Some fans thought Dawber’s appearance at the end of season 18 was Harmon’s “final love letter to fans.” But he ended up signing on for season 19. And Dawber insisted that her guest starring role happened because “this is just a good storyline.”
“A good story line is a good story line, and honest to God, we don’t even know how it’s going to end,” Dawber explained.
When asked if her four-episode arc at the end of season 18 was a one-time thing, she replied, “I’m not sure it’s over.”
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