Ever since former “NCIS” Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) acquired a dog friend in “NCIS: Origins” — in the older Gibbs’ first onscreen appearance since departing “NCIS” in Season 19 — fans have been wondering what he named the pooch. While the quasi-pet has no official onscreen name at this point, Harmon has weighed in with his thoughts on the topic after being prompted by a curious viewer.
“Dog? Yeah, I don’t know the name. I just know he’s got a friend sometimes. Maybe the dog goes back in the evening somewhere else or I think he’d be all in for letting that happen. I don’t know,” he offered on “NCIS: Partners & Probies,” an official podcast co-hosted by Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover, during the episode’s q&a segment.
Fans of “NCIS” and all its spin-offs will recall that Gibbs gained his companion during Season 2, Episode 5 of “NCIS: Origins,” “Funny How Time Slips Away.” In the outing, the older Gibbs is hunkering down in his Alaskan home when the dog arrives after seemingly wandering in from the woods. He feeds the fuzzy fellow scraps and consults with him as if he were a human, allowing him to stick around with no promises or commitments.
Gibbs’ Alaskan existence remains somewhat mysterious
It’s interesting to note that the first half of the viewer’s question Brian Dietzen poses to Mark Harmon — how Gibbs is spending his time these days — isn’t addressed by the actor. This episode of “NCIS: Origins” fleetingly addresses the question — showing him working on various gadgets and his beloved boats, tippling his favorite booze, and keeping in touch with the world by listening to the radio — but his other activities remain veiled. At least Gibbs’ emotional state is made clear: Harmon has spoken up about how he thinks Gibbs deals with solitude — and how finding the mutt changes his outlook.
After noting that Gibbs enjoys being by himself, Harmon said, “He probably has more challenges being around lots of people than he does being alone, but he’s not alone anymore, right? So that part was intriguing. This is an idea David [J. North, “NCIS: Origins” executive producer] and Gina [Lucita Monreal, executive producer] had, and it was like, oh, that’s cool,” he told TV Insider.
At the core of the story is puppy love. Gibbs has a long history of adoring hounds, and several have entered and left his life before on the mothership program. The mystery of how this particular dog came out of nowhere and landed on his doorstep hasn’t been solved yet — but while the animal’s future is currently unclear, it’s obvious that Gibbs is secretly happy to have a furry buddy nearby.