Did Gibbs Return For Ducky’s Funeral In NCIS Season 21? Mark Harmon’s Involvement Explained

The NCIS season 21 Ducky Mallard tribute episode didn’t feature Mark Harmon, but Leroy Jethro Gibbs did have an involvement. David McCallum played the original medical examiner in the long-running procedural. Known for having a wealth of knowledge on top of his excellent abilities as NCIS’ established ME. Over time, however, Ducky’s role in the show was decreased in order to cater to McCallum’s age and personal request. He wanted to spend more time with his family, so NCIS gave him an equally important but less taxing role as the organization’s historian.

Ducky’s last role kept him as a main character in the series without forcing him to be on the set for long days. He was the last original character in NCIS, with his former co-stars, Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Sasha Alexander, and Pauly Perrette leaving the show in the years prior. With McCallum dying in 2023, NCIS decides to send off its beloved character with an emotional tribute episode. In “The Stories We Leave Behind,” the team solves Ducky’s last case. While the circumstances could have been better, it’s also the perfect time for Harmon’s return as Gibbs.