Posted in: CBS, TV | Tagged: NCIS, ncis: origins

NCIS: Origins Season 3: Mark Harmon Returning for Season-Long Mystery

Mark Harmon is returning to the "NCIS" universe this Fall, playing a key role in a season-long mystery during CBS's NCIS: Origins Season 3.

Published Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:41:09 -0500

by Ray Flook

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Article Summary

NCIS: Origins Season 3 brings Mark Harmon back for all 10 episodes, expanding his role beyond narration this fall.
Harmon’s Gibbs anchors a present-day, season-long mystery tied to his 1990s Camp Pendleton past in NCIS: Origins.
This marks Mark Harmon’s third NCIS: Origins appearance after the 2025 premiere and the NCIS crossover event.
NCIS: Origins Season 3 premieres this fall on Tuesdays at 10 PM on CBS, with streaming available on Paramount+.

While fans of CBS's Austin Stowell-starring NCIS: Origins may still not be too thrilled with the prequel series's episode count being reduced for its third season, those ten episodes are going to count in some very big ways, with the news that Mark Harmon is returning for the entire season. After playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs for 18 seasons on NCIS, Harmon will be a part of a present-day mystery tied to his '90s Camp Pendleton days in an action-packed story that unfolds all season long – and will also narrate each episode. This marks Harmon's third appearance in the spinoff prequel series, having previously appeared onscreen as Gibbs in the NCIS: Origins series premiere in 2025, and making a special guest appearance during the first crossover event between NCIS and NCIS: Origins in November 2025. The third season of CBS's NCIS: Origins is set to debut this fall, on Tuesdays at 10 PM ET/PT, and streaming on Paramount+. As for when NCIS: Origins and a number of other CBS shows will return or premiere, the rollout of dates is expected to hit sometime in early July.

CBS's NCIS: Origins follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) in the early '90s, years prior to the events of NCIS, and is narrated by Mark Harmon. Season two delves deeper into the unstoppable NCIS Camp Pendleton team, led by the legendary Mike Franks, as well as Gibbs' early career as a special agent, and reveals the fate of Lala after last season's devastating car crash. Facing new threats, higher stakes and defining moments that shape their professional and personal lives, one fact is certain: This team always has each other's backs. The series also stars Mariel Molino (Lala Dominguez), Kyle Schmid (Mike Franks), Tyla Abercrumbie (Mary Jo Hayes), Diany Rodriguez (Vera Strickland), and Caleb Foote (Bernard "Randy" Randolf).

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