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{{short description|fictional character in the television series NCIS}} {{Short description|Fictional character in the television series NCIS}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox character {{Infobox character
| image = ] | image = NCIS - Leroy Jethro Gibbs.jpg
| caption = ] as "Leroy Jethro Gibbs" | caption =Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs
| portrayer =]<br />]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/ncis-origins-casts-austin-stowell-young-gibbs-prequel-1235845156/|title='NCIS: Origins' Finds Its Young Gibbs: Austin Stowell To Star In CBS Prequel Series|website=]|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=March 4, 2024|access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref> (adult)<br>] (young adult)<br>Micah Tayloe Owens (child)<br> Beckett Blomberg (child)
| portrayer = ]<br />Sean Harmon (teenager)<br />Micah Tayloe Owens (child)
| voice = ] (''NCIS: The Video Game'')<ref>{{cite web|title=Voice Of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs - NCIS: The Video Game <nowiki>|</nowiki> Behind The Voice Actors|url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/NCIS-The-Video-Game/Special-Agent-Jethro-Gibbs/|work=Behind The Voice Actors|accessdate=September 25, 2017|postscript=. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources}}</ref> | voice = ] (''NCIS: The Video Game'')<ref>{{cite web|title=Voice Of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs NCIS: The Video Game <nowiki>|</nowiki> Behind The Voice Actors|url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/NCIS-The-Video-Game/Special-Agent-Jethro-Gibbs/|work=Behind The Voice Actors|access-date=September 25, 2017|postscript=. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources}}</ref>
| first = "]" ('']'') | first = "]" ('']'')
| last = | last =
| name = Leroy Jethro Gibbs | name = Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Line 11: Line 13:
| gender = Male | gender = Male
| nationality = American | nationality = American
| occupation = ] ]<br />Former ] (] and ]) (]) | occupation = ] ] (retired)<br>] (] and ]) (]) (separated)
| affiliation = NCIS | affiliation = NCIS
| family = Jackson Gibbs (father, deceased)<br />Ann Gibbs (mother, deceased) | family = Jackson Gibbs (father, deceased)<br>Ann Gibbs (mother, deceased)
| spouse = {{Plainlist| | spouse = {{Plainlist|
* Shannon Fielding Gibbs (deceased) * Shannon Fielding Gibbs (deceased)
* Diane Sterling<ref name="Devil's Triangle">{{cite news |url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/10/gibbs-ex-wife-on-ncis-first-look/ |title=Gibbs' Ex-Wife on NCIS: First Look! |last=Marsi |first=Steve |publisher=TV Fanatic |date=October 21, 2011 |accessdate=October 21, 2011}}</ref> (divorced, deceased)<!-- They were divorced before she was killed. --> * Diane Sterling<ref name="Devil's Triangle">{{cite news |url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/10/gibbs-ex-wife-on-ncis-first-look/ |title=Gibbs' Ex-Wife on NCIS: First Look! |last=Marsi |first=Steve |publisher=TV Fanatic |date=October 21, 2011 |access-date=October 21, 2011}}</ref> (divorced, deceased)<!-- They were divorced before she was killed. -->
* Rebecca Chase (divorced) * Rebecca Chase (divorced)
* Stephanie Flynn (divorced) * Stephanie Flynn (divorced)
* Ellen Wallace (ex-fiancée, deceased) * Ellen Wallace (ex-fiancée, deceased)
}} }}
| children = Kelly Gibbs (deceased) | children = ] (deceased)
| extra-hdr = Career at NCIS | extra-hdr = Career at NCIS
| lbl31 = Position | lbl31 = Position
| data31 = Supervisory Special Agent | data31 = *Acting Director (temporarily)
*Major Case Response Team, Washington, D.C. office *Special Agent in Charge, Major Case Response Team, Washington, D.C. office
*Undercover operative, Europe *Undercover operative, Europe
*Senior Field Agent
*Agent Afloat
*Field Agent, NCIS Fed Five
*Probationary Field Agent, NIS Camp Pendleton Field Office
| lbl32 = Rank | lbl32 = Rank
| data32 = Senior field agent | data32 = Special Agent in Charge
| lbl33 = Years of Service | lbl33 = Years of Service
| data33 = ] 1991–present | data33 = {{circa|1991}}–2021
| lbl34 = Awards | lbl34 = Awards
| data34 = ], ], ] | data34 = ], ], ]
| franchise = | franchise = ]
| alt = | alt =
| first_major = | first_major =
| first_minor = | first_minor =
| first_issue = | first_issue =
| first_date = | first_date =
| last_major = | last_major =
| last_minor = | last_minor =
| last_issue = | last_issue =
| last_date = | last_date =
| firstgame = | firstgame =
| creator = | creator =
| based_on = | based_on =
| adapted_by = | adapted_by =
| full_name = | full_name =
| origin = | origin =
| home = | home =
}}'''Leroy Jethro Gibbs'''<ref name="Heartland"/> (born November 21, 1954<ref>''NCIS'' Season 15 Episode 24</ref>) is a fictional character and the original ] of the ] TV series '']'', portrayed by ].<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |last=Carter |first=Bill |title=Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/arts/television/25ncis.html?pagewanted=all |work=] |date=October 27, 2005 |access-date=June 7, 2013}}</ref> He is a former ] turned ] who commands a team for the ].
}}


'''Leroy Jethro Gibbs'''<ref name="Heartland"/> is a fictional character of the ] TV series '']'', portrayed by ].<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |last=Carter |first=Bill |title=Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/arts/television/25ncis.html?pagewanted=all |work=] |date=October 27, 2005 |accessdate=June 7, 2013}}</ref> He is a former ] turned ] who commands a team for the ]. Gibbs is the most accomplished ] on the team and the most skilled at handling violent standoffs; he depends on his other agents heavily for technical ] and ]s. He is patient but firm with his team and has little patience for ]; he commands most other main characters—including his current staff ], ], ] and ] and previous staff ] (killed in the line of duty), ] (left to look after his newly found daughter), ] (presumably killed after leaving NCIS; later revealed to have gone into hiding), ] (left to look after her sick mother) and ] (killed defending ]). Leroy Jethro Gibbs was born in 1954 as confirmed in the episode "Date with Destiny", in which he visits Shannon's grave and the date is shown on the headstone.<ref>''NCIS'' Season 15 Episode 24</ref> Gibbs is the most accomplished ] on the team and the most skilled at handling violent standoffs; he depends on his other agents heavily for technical ] and ]s. He is patient but firm with his team and has little patience for ]; he commands most other main characters—including his current staff ], ] and, briefly, Jessica Knight and previous staff ] (killed in the line of duty), ] (left to look after his newly found daughter), ] (presumed as killed after leaving NCIS; later revealed to have gone into hiding), ] (left to look after her sick mother), ] (killed while defending ]), ] (left presumably for a CIA undercover mission with Odette Malone) and ] (left to pursue humanitarian work in Afghanistan). Having found peace in Alaska for the first time since his family's death, Gibbs leaves NCIS in the 2021 episode "]" in search of adventure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/mark-harmon-exits-ncis-after-18-seasons-showrunner-steve-binder-pays-tribute-1234854364/|title=Mark Harmon Exits 'NCIS' After More Than 18 Seasons; Showrunner Steve Binder Pays Tribute|date=October 11, 2021|last=Grobar|first=Matt|work=]|access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref>


==Development and casting== ==Development and casting==
Series creator ] initially did not think Mark Harmon would fit the role of Gibbs, a "flinty type with a strong sense of honor and respect for the military", but changed his mind after viewing a tape of Harmon's portrayal of a Secret Service agent on '']''.<ref name="Keveney">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-01-10-ncis_x.htm|title='NCIS': CBS' invisible success|last=Keveney|first=Bill|date=January 11, 2005|work=]|accessdate=June 6, 2008}}</ref> Co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson recalls, "We all looked at that work. And everybody said, 'He's Gibbs.'{{-"}}<ref name=USA>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Keveney |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-03-02-Harmon02_CV_N.htm |title=Team player Mark Harmon leads 'NCIS' cast by example |work=] |date=March 2, 2010 |accessdate=June 8, 2013}}</ref> Harmon was cast in 2003, and Bellisario explained, "I said, 'Oh, my God, he's Gibbs.' He had matured. He's good-looking in a totally different way than he was as a young guy." At another point, he said, "I am so lucky to have Mark Harmon as the lead. You have no idea. This cast is gold. Mark Harmon is a Middle American guy, even if he was raised in ]. His values are exactly the same as mine."<ref name="Owen"/> Series creator ] initially did not think Mark Harmon would fit the role of Gibbs, a "flinty type with a strong sense of honor and respect for the military", but changed his mind after viewing a tape of Harmon's portrayal of a ] on '']''.<ref name="Keveney">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-01-10-ncis_x.htm|title='NCIS': CBS' invisible success|last=Keveney|first=Bill|date=January 11, 2005|work=]|access-date=June 6, 2008}}</ref> Co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson recalls, "We all looked at that work. And everybody said, 'He's Gibbs.'{{-"}}<ref name=USA>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Keveney |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-03-02-Harmon02_CV_N.htm |title=Team player Mark Harmon leads 'NCIS' cast by example |work=] |date=March 2, 2010 |access-date=June 8, 2013}}</ref> Harmon was cast in 2003, and Bellisario explained, "I said, 'Oh, my God, he's Gibbs.' He had matured. He's good-looking in a totally different way than he was as a young guy." At another point, he said, "I am so lucky to have Mark Harmon as the lead. You have no idea. This cast is gold. Mark Harmon is a Middle American guy, even if he was raised in ]. His values are exactly the same as mine."<ref name="Owen"/>


Harmon said of his character, "I was attracted by flaws. He has lousy taste in women. He's addicted to coffee."<ref name="Keveney"/> Harmon said of his character, "I was attracted by flaws. He has lousy taste in women. He's addicted to coffee."<ref name="Keveney"/>


Gibbs was initially written as "not too far removed" from characters like Dr. Robert "Bobby" Caldwell and Dr. Jack McNeil, both previous roles by Harmon. In an early episode, Gibbs "playfully smacked Weatherly's Dinozzo on the back of the head" resulting in the trademark "headslap" that later appeared in many episodes throughout the seasons.<ref name="Owen"/> Gibbs was initially written as "not too far removed" from characters like Dr. Robert "Bobby" Caldwell and Dr. Jack McNeil, both previous roles by Harmon. In an early episode, Gibbs "playfully smacked Weatherly's DiNozzo on the back of the head" resulting in the trademark "headslap" that later appeared in many episodes throughout the seasons.<ref name="Owen"/>


In later years, he is scripted as more stoical,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Exclusive-NCIS-Cast-Roundtable-1055590.aspx |title=Exclusive: NCIS Cast Gathers for Roundtable Tell-All! |work=] |date=November 6, 2012|accessdate=March 5, 2013}}</ref> with Bellisario stating, "I thought the best thing to do was to give him a minimum of dialogue."<ref>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Chozick |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704240504574586271381624280 |title=Deconstructing TV's No. 1 Show |work=] |date=December 11, 2009 |accessdate=June 7, 2013}}</ref> It was not until the third season that the backstory surrounding his first wife and daughter's murder was revealed.<ref name="Slate"/> His relationships with his coworkers were developed, with him becoming something of a father figure to Special Agent Ziva David<ref>{{Cite web |last=Halterman |first=Jim |date=January 14, 2013 |url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/01/ncis-exclusive-gary-glasberg-on-vances-loss-zivas-revenge-and-be/ |title=NCIS Exclusive: Gary Glasberg on Vance's Loss, Ziva's Revenge & Beyond |publisher=TV Fanatic |access-date=March 9, 2013}}</ref> and Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto. In later years, he is scripted as more stoic,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Exclusive-NCIS-Cast-Roundtable-1055590.aspx |title=Exclusive: NCIS Cast Gathers for Roundtable Tell-All! |work=] |date=November 6, 2012|access-date=March 5, 2013}}</ref> with Bellisario stating, "I thought the best thing to do was to give him a minimum of dialogue."<ref>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Chozick |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704240504574586271381624280 |title=Deconstructing TV's No. 1 Show |work=] |date=December 11, 2009 |access-date=June 7, 2013}}</ref> It was not until the third season that the backstory surrounding his first wife and daughter's murder was revealed.<ref name="Slate"/> His relationships with his coworkers were developed, with him becoming something of a father figure to Special Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David<ref>{{Cite web |last=Halterman |first=Jim |date=January 14, 2013 |url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/01/ncis-exclusive-gary-glasberg-on-vances-loss-zivas-revenge-and-be/ |title=NCIS Exclusive: Gary Glasberg on Vance's Loss, Ziva's Revenge & Beyond |publisher=TV Fanatic |access-date=March 9, 2013}}</ref> and Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto.


Mark Harmon's oldest son Sean has appeared on ''NCIS'' portraying a younger version of Gibbs in flashbacks.<ref name=USA/> Mark Harmon's oldest son Sean has appeared on ''NCIS'' portraying a younger version of Gibbs in flashbacks.<ref name=USA/>


==Background== ==Background==
In the backstory, Gibbs was born on November 21, 1954, and was shown in the episode "]" to have grown up in ], Pennsylvania.<ref name="Heartland"/> His father, ], owned and ran the Stillwater General Store.
In the backstory, Gibbs was born on May 2, 1954, and was shown in the episode "]" to have grown up in ], Pennsylvania.<ref name="Heartland"/> The town is real, and the scenes in the episode were modeled after Bellisario's hometown of ]. His father, ] (played by ]), owned and ran the Stillwater General Store. He is named after his father's close friend and partner in the store, Leroy Jethro "LJ" Moore, after they worked together in the coal mines (Winslow Mining Company).<ref name="Heartland">{{cite episode|title=Heartland|episodelink=NCIS (season 6)#ep117|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=October 14, 2008|season=6|number=4}}</ref> In "]", it is revealed that LJ, a World War II veteran and ], had influenced the teenaged Gibbs to join the Marines. Gibbs left Stillwater in 1976<ref name="Heartland"/> to join the ] and did not return for over thirty years. In a flashback scene in the episode, as a teenager, Gibbs often provoked violence with defiance to his father, who constantly comes to his unwanted aid with a ]. He was also known around the area as a delinquent, as said by the new sheriff, one of the other delinquents during his teenage years, stating, "Funny, never expected to find you on the same side of the law." He met his first wife Shannon (portrayed by both ] and ]) in Stillwater, who worked at the local department store, speaking to each other for the first time while both waiting for a train (Gibbs was leaving to join the Marines). At that first meeting, Shannon mentioned she had thought about creating a set of life rules for herself; Gibbs later incorporated this idea into his own series of around fifty rules that he now uses for his profession (with the rules in the forties and above supposedly used for emergency situations). Gibbs is known by his first name, Leroy, to family and people in his hometown (as well as his ex-wife Diane), whereas at work he is known as Gibbs, Jethro, or simply "Boss".<ref name="Heartland"/>


He is named after his father's close friend and partner in the store, an African American Leroy Jethro "LJ" Moore, after they worked together in the coal mines (Winslow Mining Company).<ref name="Heartland">{{cite episode|title=Heartland|episode-link=NCIS season 6#ep117|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=October 14, 2008|season=6|number=4}}</ref> In "]," it is revealed that LJ, a World War II veteran and ], had influenced the teenaged Gibbs to join the Marines.
Gibbs' mother, Ann, is introduced in "]", the 200th episode. She was a redhead, like all of Gibbs' wives. While she was dying of cancer, she committed suicide by overdose so her family would not have to watch her suffer ("]").


When Gibbs was about 9 years old, his father helped him build his first boat, named "Chickadee," after a nickname his father Jackson called his mother Ann. Her quote about building boats was, "A boat named after a person will live forever." That's when he got his love of building boats and other things by hand with hand tools.
Gibbs enlisted in the ] in 1976 and was a ] ] at ]<ref>{{cite episode|title=My Other Left Foot|episodelink=NCIS (season 1)#ep12|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=February 3, 2004|season=1|number=12}}</ref> before becoming a ]. He served on tours of duty in ] (])<ref name="killari1">{{cite episode|title=Kill Ari (Part I)|series=NCIS|network=CBS|date=September 20, 2005|season=3|number=1|episodelink=Kill Ari|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> and with the ] in the Persian Gulf (]).<ref>{{cite episode|title=Family Secret|episodelink=NCIS (season 3)#ep62|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=February 28, 2006|season=3|number=16|minutes=13:56}}</ref> In the season 6 episode "]", it is revealed that he was also deployed to ] on a classified mission. Not long after returning from the Gulf, he retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of ] and joined the Naval Investigative Service (as the ] was then called) in August 1991.<ref name="hiatus2">{{Cite episode|title=Hiatus (Part II)|series=NCIS|network=]|date=May 16, 2006|season=3|number=24|minutes=07:20|episodelink=NCIS (season 3)#ep70|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> As a junior agent, Gibbs was mentored by ], and the two became close friends; Franks continued calling him "Probie" even after retirement. After Franks retired, Gibbs rose to become head of his own Major Case Response Team. Before the time in which ''NCIS'' is set, Gibbs was described to have traveled extensively on operations, particularly in Eastern Europe.


Gibbs had a very quiet upbringing but suffered a tragedy at the age of 14 when his mother died of cancer. It was revealed that she had committed suicide so that her husband and son would not have to watch her suffer, leaving Jackson a widower and also forcing him to raise young Gibbs all by himself. Jackson blamed Moore for her death as she had confided in him about what she was going to do, and he had not stopped her, with this secret breaking apart their friendship and neither Gibbs nor his father seeing Moore again for many years.
Gibbs is a highly skilled marksman with both his agency-issued ] pistol (which he replaces with a .45 ] pistol in Season 15) and a sniper rifle. In the season 7 premiere, "]", he kills the terrorists holding his team hostage from an exceptionally long distance and in "]" he outshoots a professional hit-man in an approaching helicopter. His knowledge of the Marine Corps and training as a sniper often comes into use,<ref name="witchhunt">{{Cite episode|title=Witch Hunt|episodelink=NCIS (season 4)#ep76|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=October 31, 2006|season=4|number=6}}</ref> as shown in the episodes "]", "]" and "]" where he uses his wilderness tracking skills and marksmanship to aid the investigation and/or get the team out of trouble.


Gibbs is known by his first name, Leroy, to family and people in his hometown (as well as his ex-wife Diane), whereas at work he is known as Gibbs, Jethro, or simply "Boss".<ref name="Heartland" /> Shannon called him both Gibbs and Jethro.
Gibbs is a private man of few words who discloses little to nothing about his personal life. He avoids discussing his life or past before he joined NCIS, especially to agents and co-workers under him, which leads to his team members constantly speculating over his private life. Aside from his tendency to use military slang, he rarely mentions or speaks at length about his time in the Marine Corps although he is often referred to as "]" by other Navy and Marine officers,<ref name="enigma">{{cite episode|title=Enigma|episodelink=NCIS (season 1)#ep15|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=February 24, 2004|season=1|number=15}}</ref> occasionally dons a "]" ] or T-shirt when off duty<ref name="vanished">{{cite episode|title=Vanished|episodelink=NCIS (season 2)#ep26|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=October 12, 2004|season=2|number=3}}</ref><ref name="oneshot"/><ref>{{cite episode|title=Pyramid|episodelink=NCIS (season 8)#ep186|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=May 17, 2011|season=8|number=24}}</ref><ref name="Honor Thy Father">{{cite episode|title=Honor Thy Father|series=NCIS|network=]|date=May 13, 2014|season=11|number=24|episodelink=NCIS (season 11)#ep258|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> and has a replica of the iconic '']'' photograph framed and mounted above the fireplace in his home.


As a teenager, Gibbs often provoked violence with defiance to his father, who constantly comes to his unwanted aid with a ]. He was also known around the area as a delinquent, as said by the new sheriff, one of the other delinquents during his teenage years, stating, "Funny, never expected to find you on the same side of the law."
In the season 4 episode "Singled Out", McGee asks Gibbs how long he has been a special agent, to which Gibbs responds, "16 years". This contradicts Gibbs' statement in the ''JAG'' season 8 episode "Ice Queen", when in response to ]'s question, "How long have you been doing this, Gibbs?", Gibbs responds, "19 years".


He met his first wife Shannon (portrayed by both ] and ]) in Stillwater, who worked at the local women's clothing store, ''Ellen's Dress Shop'', speaking to each other for the first time while waiting for a train.<ref name="Heartland"/>
Gibbs holds service personnel in the armed forces in high esteem and to a higher standard.<ref name="engaged1">{{cite episode|title=Engaged (Part I)|episodelink=NCIS (season 9)#ep194|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=November 8, 2011|season=9|number=8}}</ref><ref name="enigma" /><ref>{{cite episode|title=Head Case|episodelink=NCIS (season 3)#ep61|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=February 7, 2006|season=3|number=15}}</ref> He becomes particularly indignant when the guilty party is someone in a position of trust and authority, and he has reacted violently on several occasions when apprehending corrupt high-ranking officers who committed crimes for monetary gain.<ref name="seenoevil">{{cite episode|title=See No Evil|episodelink=NCIS (season 2)#ep24|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=September 28, 2004|season=2|number=1}}</ref><ref name="honorcode">{{cite episode|title=Honor Code|series=NCIS|network=CBS|date=November 1, 2005|season=3|number=7|episodelink=NCIS (season 3)#ep53|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref>


At that first meeting, Shannon mentioned she had thought about creating a set of life rules for herself; Gibbs later incorporated this idea into ] that he now lives by (with the rules in the forties and above supposedly used for emergencies).
==Relationships==


Gibbs left Stillwater in 1972 to join the ] and had little contact with the place for the next 30 years. Gibbs was leaving for Marine Combat Training after graduating from ].
===Marriages===
Gibbs has been married four times, and divorced three (his first wife was killed).
* Shannon Fielding- In the episode "Heartland", Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met his first wife, Shannon (portrayed in that episode by ]), while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in 1976, where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS. In "]", they were stated to have married in April 1982, and Kelly (]) was born in July 1984. He was unable to be at the birth of Kelly as he was deployed.<ref name="newborn">{{cite episode|title=Newborn King|series=NCIS|network=]|date=December 13, 2011|season=9|number=11|episodelink=Newborn King|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> Shannon, along with their eight-year-old daughter Kelly, was murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of ]. Gibbs was an active member of the Marine Corps at the time and was still overseas when they were killed. In "Hiatus (Part II)" Director Shepard tells ] that Shannon had witnessed a murder of a Marine at ], where Gibbs was based at that time. Shannon had identified the murderer as Mexican-born drug dealer Pedro Hernandez. Afterwards, Hernandez shot the NIS agent driving Shannon and Kelly in a minivan and the subsequent crash took their lives. Gibbs retaliated by seeking out Pedro and assassinating him, leaving behind an empty shell casing as a message. This secret remained with him for 20 years until it came to light when Abby discovered the truth through a forensic investigation.
* Diane Sterling (]), was Gibbs' second wife. After divorcing Gibbs she married ] Senior Special Agent Tobias Fornell (]). However, this marriage was only slightly more positive than her last, and ultimately failed. As she did with Gibbs, Diane drained Fornell's bank account when she left him. Fornell and Diane have a daughter, Emily. In the season 9 episode "]", Gibbs tells Diane that he liked her—he always liked her, and still likes her. (Diane tells him their marriage fell apart because she was in love with him, but she could not compete with Shannon.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/11/ncis-review-devils-triangle/|title=NCIS Review: Can Diane Be All Bad?|last=Marsi|first=Steve|date=November 2, 2011|publisher=TV Fanatic|accessdate=March 12, 2013}}</ref> Diane is later shot dead by terrorist Sergei Mishnev (]) during the Season 12 episode "Check".
* Rebecca Chase (]), Gibbs' third wife, is introduced in season 12. She and Gibbs divorced because Rebecca cheated on Gibbs and it is revealed in that season's episode 11 that she is marrying the man with whom she cheated on Gibbs.
* Stephanie Flynn (]), Gibbs' most recent wife, also a redhead,<ref name="exfile">{{cite episode|title=Ex-File|series=NCIS|network=CBS|date=October 9, 2007|season=5|number=3|episodelink=NCIS (season 5)#ep97|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> lived with him during his service in ], for about a year. According to Gibbs, she was the one who left him. The reason for this was revealed in the Season 3 episode "Mind Games", where Ducky noted Gibbs became so obsessed with catching serial killer Kyle Boone it incited the collapse of their marriage, which happened no later than 1995, the year Gibbs captured Boone. She is also said in the Season 1 episode, "Hung Out to Dry", to get drunk and dial Gibbs incessantly on the day of their former wedding anniversary, which causes him to aggressively disable or even ruin his phones to shut her out.


After graduating from Bootcamp, Gibbs shipped to Camp LeJeune for further training. He befriended fellow Marine ] Joan Matteson. Still, she was one of several marines killed in a helicopter crash on April 3, 1973, after she was deployed to ], Japan. Later he became a ] ] at ]<ref>{{cite episode|title=My Other Left Foot|episode-link=NCIS season 1#ep12|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=February 3, 2004|season=1|number=12}}</ref>
=== Other romantic relationships ===
before becoming a ].
After Shannon and Kelly's deaths and before he married his second wife, it is suggested that Gibbs had an affair with a woman named Rose Tamayo in ]. He was on a classified drug ] mission as a Marine Scout Sniper, and was wounded during the mission. In "]", Rose's now-adult son Tomas is introduced as a person of interest in a case. Gibbs team suspected that he was the boy's father, but Gibbs later reveals to Tomas that Rose was already pregnant when Gibbs came to their village. It is later revealed that the drug lord Gibbs was sent to assassinate was the boy's father.


In 1980, as a Sergeant, he was accepted to Scout Sniper School in Camp Pendleton. He briefly broke up with Shannon out of fear of losing her because of his marine status. In Washington D.C. while going to a wedding, he is abducted by Vito Zucado and meets Dr. Donald ”Ducky” Mallard after the latter accidentally saves him by crashing into Vito's car. After giving his story to NIS (predecessor of NCIS), he and Ducky were abducted by Vito's cousin Johnny Zucado, who beat Gibbs until he knocked out a tooth. Thanks to Ducky, they were spared. Taking advice from Ducky, Gibbs reconciled with Shannon, and they married in December 1981. They had a baby girl sometime in 1982, whom they would name ].
Gibbs also had a past romantic relationship with the (now deceased) director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard, who was also his partner at the time. Jenny was also a redhead.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Silver War |episodelink=NCIS (season 3)#ep50 |series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=October 11, 2005|season=3|number=4}}</ref> In the first, second, and third seasons, he was seen in the company of a mysterious (and never-identified) redheaded woman.<ref name="Owen">{{cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20031116owen1116p2.asp |title=TV Preview: 'Navy NCIS' attempts to cover new ground |last=Owen |first=Rob |accessdate=June 6, 2008 |work=] |date=November 16, 2003}}</ref> According to Bellisario, the purpose of "the mysterious redhead" was "to make everyone speculate".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5679-2004Oct4.html |title=TV: JAG and NCIS |last=Bellisario |first=Donald |accessdate=June 7, 2013 | work=] | date=October 5, 2004}}</ref>


He served on tours of duty in ] (])<ref name="killari1">{{cite episode|title=Kill Ari (Part I)|series=NCIS|network=CBS|date=September 20, 2005|season=3|number=1|episode-link=Kill Ari|series-link=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> and with the ] in the Persian Gulf War (]).<ref>{{cite episode|title=Family Secret|episode-link=NCIS season 3#ep62|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=February 28, 2006|season=3|number=16|minutes=13:56}}</ref> His Commanding Officer during Desert Storm was Lieutenant Colonel William Ryan. Gibbs' Lieutenant, ], died in Gibbs's arms during a battle after trying to save Gibbs' life. As a Marine, Gibbs befriended Bushnell, future Senator ], and ], three people he would once encounter during his time as an NCIS agent.
In season four, he has a steady, serious relationship with ] agent Lt. Col. ] (]), but their relationship is revealed to be over at the beginning of season five.


In February 1991, Shannon witnessed the murder of a marine by Mexican drug cartel leader Pedro Hernandez and agreed to testify against him, with her and their daughter Kelly being placed under the protection of NIS Special Agent Kurt Mitchell. However, Mitchell was shot in the head by Hernandez while he was driving them and died instantly; both Shannon and Kelly were killed when the van crashed into a wall.
In season 7, Gibbs meets lawyer ] (]), who worked for an old enemy of Gibbs, Col. Merton Bell. Although Gibbs and Hart oppose each other over several cases, they are also attracted to one another. When it was discovered that Bell was responsible for the death of ] in connection with the long-ago murder of Pedro Hernandez, Hart turned her back on Bell, showing her allegiance to Gibbs.


During his deployment in Desert Storm, Gibbs received the news that both Shannon and Kelly had been murdered. Being understandably grief-stricken and devastated, he was wounded during an engagement and was left unconscious for 19 days. Gibbs was awarded the Purple Heart medal as he had been injured in combat with an enemy force.
In season 9, Gibbs begins a romance with ] (]), a psychologist with the ] ], who has collaborated with his team in several episodes.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Missionary Position|episodelink=The Missionary Position (NCIS)|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=April 10, 2012|season=9|number=20}}</ref>


Gibbs was an in-patient at Bethesda up until June 1991. During his recovery process, Gibbs visited the graves of his dead wife and daughter, who were buried while he was in a coma. They did have a memorial service for the girls; however, once Gibbs was physically well enough to attend. He also met NIS agent ] who was investigating the girls’ deaths.
The season 16 episode "Hail and Farewell" revealed that Gibbs was also engaged to a fifth woman, Ellen Wallace, who was thought to have died in the ], but was murdered the night before; Gibbs broke off the engagement about two months before her death.


Not long after his mission in Colombia, he retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of ].<ref name="hiatus2">{{Cite episode|title=Hiatus (Part II)|series=NCIS|network=]|date=May 16, 2006|season=3|number=24|minutes=07:20|episode-link=NCIS season 3#ep70|series-link=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref>
===Family===
], and her best friend, Maddie.]]
In the season 6 episode "]", Gibbs' frosty relationship with his father Jackson and the backstory behind it is revealed. His father had rarely been mentioned up to that point and Jackson had not known that Gibbs was a "boss" until Gibbs and his team visited Stillwater to investigate a case.<ref name="Heartland"/> By the end of the episode, they make amends and the two have become closer ever since.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Spider and the Fly|episodelink=NCIS (season 8)#ep163|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=September 21, 2010|season=8|number=1}}</ref>


Following that, in August 1991, Gibbs joined the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) after being recruited by Franks. He subsequently became a Probationary Agent, with Franks handling most of Gibbs' training in the Camp Pendleton Field Office. In October of that year, Gibbs became a member of his team and met SA ], Franks' partner, SA ], and SA ].
Through a series of episodes over a few years, it becomes clear that Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez in revenge for the death of his wife Shannon and his daughter Kelly. In the episode "Borderland" (Season 7, episode 22), an unknown conspirator manipulates events so that Abby ends up investigating the murder as a cold case and finds irrefutable proof that Gibbs is responsible. Hernandez' now-grown children Paloma Reynosa, the head of the Reynosa drug cartel after taking her spouse's place when he was killed, and Alejandro Rivera, a high-ranking official of the Mexican Justice Department appear in the episode "]". In this episode, Gibbs manipulates Alejandro Rivera into killing Paloma, and Alejandro is subsequently arrested. Shortly thereafter, Director Vance files Abby's report proving that Gibbs killed Hernandez deep in the NCIS evidence room. When Gibbs comes under investigation in the Season 10 finale "Damned If You Do", Vance retrieves the report and shreds it, deciding to permanently bury all leads to the truth so that Gibbs will not be found and convicted of murder.

As a junior agent, Gibbs was mentored by ], and the two became close friends; Franks continued calling him "Probie" even after retirement. After Franks retired, Gibbs became head of his own Major Case Response Team. Before the time when ''NCIS'' was set, Gibbs was described as having traveled extensively on operations, particularly in Eastern Europe.


==Personality== ==Personality==
Gibbs is a highly skilled marksman with both his agency-issued ] pistol (which he replaces with a .45 ] pistol in Season 15) and ] sniper rifle.
A decorated Marine, Gibbs is portrayed as a consummate organizer, disciplined and demanding. These traits often put him in a stand-off with other authorities when they exert pressure on his team. He is a no-nonsense agent who displays a continuous urgency about the investigation he pursues, specifically when being given technical information about complex subject matter. The typical response to such information is "Give it to me in English", thus forcing the expert to get to the point, as well as making it easy for the audience to understand. It is a well-known fact with his agents that he dislikes any ambiguous references and terms such as "assuming" and "maybe" when discussing a case or dealing with evidence. He also displays elements of sarcasm, particularly in relation to someone in his company stating something obvious. The typical sarcastic answer "Ya think?" is his preferred retort.

* He is known for communicating displeasure with a single look or the "silent treatment". One of his interrogating techniques is to sit and glare at the suspect for twenty minutes or until the suspect buckles under pressure. Gibbs' "steely gaze can cool a room by five degrees".<ref name="collateral">{{cite episode|title=Collateral Damage|series=NCIS|network=CBS|date=November 11, 2008|season=6|number=7|episodelink=NCIS (season 6)#ep120|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> In direct contrast, when enraged, Gibbs will often slam his hands down on the interrogation room table very violently and rattle a tight-lipped suspect with the sudden outburst.
In the season 7 premiere, "]", he kills the terrorists holding his team hostage from an exceptionally long distance and in "]" he outshoots a professional hit-man in an approaching helicopter. His knowledge of the Marine Corps and training as a sniper often comes into use,<ref name="witchhunt">{{Cite episode|title=Witch Hunt|episode-link=NCIS season 4#ep76|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=October 31, 2006|season=4|number=6}}</ref> as shown in the episodes "]", "]" and "]" where he uses his wilderness tracking skills and marksmanship to aid the investigation and/or get the team out of trouble.
* He is acknowledged as one of the "best interrogators in law enforcement"<ref>{{cite episode|title=Out of the Frying Pan|episodelink=NCIS (season 8)#ep180|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|season=8|number=18|date=March 22, 2011}}</ref> and has occasionally been requested by external agencies to conduct interrogations.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Ice Queen|episodelink=Ice Queen (JAG)|series=JAG|serieslink=JAG (TV series)|network=CBS|season=8|number=20|date=April 22, 2003}}</ref>

* Gibbs has little patience for the "politics" and bureaucracy his job entails, usually leaving that aspect to his director, and prefers to be out in the field working with his agents. In "]", he briefly served as acting director while Jenny Shepard was in Paris attending an ] conference and displayed an intense dislike of the paperwork that comes with it.
Gibbs is a private man of few words who discloses little to nothing about his personal life. He avoids discussing his life or past before he joined NCIS, especially to agents and co-workers under him, which leads to his team members constantly speculating over his private life. Aside from his tendency to use military slang, he rarely mentions or speaks at length about his time in the Marine Corps although he is often referred to as "]" by Navy and Marine officers,<ref name="enigma">{{cite episode|title=Enigma|episode-link=NCIS season 1#ep15|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=February 24, 2004|season=1|number=15}}</ref> occasionally dons a "]" ] or T-shirt when off duty<ref name="vanished">{{cite episode|title=Vanished|episode-link=NCIS season 2#ep26|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=October 12, 2004|season=2|number=3}}</ref><ref name="oneshot"/><ref>{{cite episode|title=Pyramid|episode-link=NCIS season 8#ep186|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=May 17, 2011|season=8|number=24}}</ref><ref name="Honor Thy Father">{{cite episode|title=Honor Thy Father|series=NCIS|network=]|date=May 13, 2014|season=11|number=24|episode-link=NCIS season 11#ep258|series-link=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> and has a replica of the iconic '']'' photograph framed and mounted above the fireplace in his home.
* One of Gibbs' most noted traits is his gut instinct. Tony explained to Ziva that "the Boss moves in mysterious ways" when she challenged Gibbs' judgment in "Honor Code" (later in the episode Gibbs is proven right).<ref name="honorcode" />

* He has no patience with high-tech hardware, as seen in the Season 4 episode "Witch Hunt" when he stomps a ] to pieces in order to prevent it from vacuuming up evidence at a crime scene. He is also known for destroying many other electronic devices (especially mobile phones), and his adherence to a ] long after the rise of the ]. It is also heavily implied that he obstructed the main office's technological upgrades, such as the switch to digital monitors and instant video chat capabilities beyond the communications center, which deeply upset ] graduate McGee.
Gibbs holds service personnel in the armed forces in high esteem and to a higher standard.<ref name="engaged1">{{cite episode|title=Engaged (Part I)|episode-link=NCIS season 9#ep194|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=November 8, 2011|season=9|number=8}}</ref><ref name="enigma" /><ref>{{cite episode|title=Head Case|episode-link=NCIS season 3#ep61|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=February 7, 2006|season=3|number=15}}</ref> He becomes particularly indignant when the guilty party is someone in a position of trust and authority, and he reacts violently on several occasions when apprehending corrupt high-ranking officers who committed crimes for monetary gain.<ref name="seenoevil">{{cite episode|title=See No Evil|episode-link=NCIS season 2#ep24|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=September 28, 2004|season=2|number=1}}</ref><ref name="honorcode">{{cite episode|title=Honor Code|series=NCIS|network=CBS|date=November 1, 2005|season=3|number=7|episode-link=NCIS season 3#ep53|series-link=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref>
* On rare occasions, if the usual judicial process is incapable of bringing a suspect to justice, he will turn a blind eye and allow "street justice" to run its course. One example occurs in the Season 3 episode "]", when a street gang member suspected of killing three of his subordinates must be released for lack of evidence. Gibbs drops him off on a street corner where he runs into several angry gang members, who have learned of the circumstances through a visit to the NCIS morgue; the team later sees a TV news report that the suspect has been shot dead.

]
==Relationships==
* His ] is ]. Gibbs is shown to have a wooden-hulled sailboat under construction in his basement, which he builds entirely by hand without power tools. In the episode "Tribes", he tells FBI Agent Langer: "Finished it twice. This is number three." He later tells NCIS Director Jenny Shepard that he is working on his fourth boat, and that he named one of the previous boats after his (then current) wife when he finished it, then burned it after their divorce. Team members and acquaintances often question (with no explanation) as to how the completed boats are removed from the basement. Gibbs has also been shown making wooden toys with his father around Christmas time, repairing doors and furniture, fixing the roof on Mike Franks' beach house, and offering to build Franks a teak hot tub. In "Pyramid", it is revealed that Gibbs built Mike Franks' coffin.
===Family===
* One of Gibbs' "trademarks" is that he will often slap the members of his team on the back of the head when displeased with their performance or, if they get sidetracked on another topic, to get them focused back on the case. DiNozzo is usually the recipient, due to his outlandish behavior and offensive remarks. Sometimes, his team will copy the slap and apply it to their other team members, but out of dread of what bodily harm would follow, will never slap Gibbs back. It's shown in Season's "Hiatus" that Mike Franks bestowed the habit upon Gibbs in the same manner. The only people Gibbs does not slap in his work circle are his directors and other outranking officials, Abby, who he views like a daughter, and Ducky, his longtime respected friend. On one occasion (Season 3's "Family Secrets"), Gibbs slaps himself for covering up evidence of an organ transplant.
], and her best friend, Maddie.]]
* Another of Gibbs' quirks is his tendency to stop the building's elevator between floors if he needs to have a short, urgent, private conversation with someone. He does this most often with his agents, and occasionally with his superiors or other law enforcement personnel. He also used it in several episodes for conversations with FBI agent Fornell, with Fornell joking that it was their favorite conference room. In the Season 13 two-part story "Sister City", Dwayne Pride claims that this was actually his trick that he conceived and Gibbs stole, and the two are in disagreement as to who started it.
* In the episode "]", it is revealed that Gibbs speaks fluent Russian, and he at least speaks a little Japanese and Chinese ("Call of Silence" and "My Other Left Foot", respectively). He also signs ], which appears in many episodes in conversations with forensic scientist ], whose parents are deaf.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Knockout |episodelink=List of NCIS episodes#ep131 |series=NCIS |serieslink=NCIS (TV series) |date=March 17, 2009 |season=6 |number=18 |minutes=13:49}}</ref> In the season 6 episode "]", Gibbs' frosty relationship with his father Jackson and the backstory behind it is revealed. His father had rarely been mentioned up to that point and Jackson had not known that Gibbs was a "boss" until Gibbs and his team visited Stillwater to investigate a case.<ref name="Heartland"/> By the end of the episode, they make amends and the two have become closer ever since.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Spider and the Fly|episode-link=NCIS season 8#ep163|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=September 21, 2010|season=8|number=1}}</ref>

* Gibbs follows a series of at least 51 rules, which he appears to have memorized, that apply to life situations and casework. These include "never go anywhere without a knife". His team is known to quote them by heart after learning them via osmosis from working around him. There was no evidence that the rules existed in writing prior to Season 16 ("She"), when Gibbs opened a small metal box with each written on a slip of paper and burnt the slip with "10: Never get personally involved in a case." Later that season ("Perennial"), he says that once he has gotten rid of a rule, the rule is gone for good.
Through a series of episodes over a few years, it becomes clear that Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez in revenge for the death of his wife Shannon and his daughter Kelly. In the episode "Borderland" (Season 7, episode 22), an unknown conspirator manipulates events so that Abby ends up investigating the murder as a cold case and finds irrefutable proof that Gibbs is responsible. Hernandez' now-grown children Paloma Reynosa, the head of the Reynosa drug cartel after taking her spouse's place when he was killed, and Alejandro Rivera, a high-ranking official of the Mexican Justice Department, appear in the episode "]". In this episode, Gibbs manipulates Alejandro Rivera into killing Paloma, and Alejandro is subsequently arrested. Shortly thereafter, Director Vance files Abby's report proving that Gibbs killed Hernandez deep in the NCIS evidence room. When Gibbs comes under investigation in the Season 10 finale "Damned If You Do", Vance retrieves the report and shreds it, deciding to permanently bury all leads to the truth so that Gibbs will not be found and convicted of murder.
* Gibbs wants useful information as fast as possible and under the assumption his team has already done all the necessary legwork in advance; when this is not so, they lose face with him very quickly. Gibbs is also remarkably hostile towards idle chatter without a purpose, and things that go over his head like ] and medical jargon, wanting conversations to be curt and decisive. Additionally, Gibbs prefers to avoid deep conversations and will tell people if they are making him uncomfortable.

* He has a constant habit of sneaking up on his team members from behind and dropping in on their conversations unannounced, generally as he tells them to grab their gear before heading out to investigate a crime. It is later revealed in Season 13 that the ] above the main office of the NCIS building reverberates when people speak and Gibbs is able to hear echoes of what they say coming into the room and eavesdrop.
===Marriages===
* Gibbs is a habitual coffee drinker. When his coffee is spilled or someone else takes and/or drinks it without knowing (this also translates to stolen food that is his), it almost always causes his temper to flare, and he will demand a new one; at least once, however, he has done so simply to haze somebody, in particular McGee when he was a new team member. He even considers coffee the equivalent of breakfast, as seen when he was offered a selection of food from a diner, Abby asked him to at least have something before he left, and Gibbs merely grabbed the coffee cup.
Gibbs has been married four times, and divorced three (his first wife was killed).
* Up until the middle of ], Gibbs has more or less abandoned the upstairs bedroom of his house in favor of sleeping on the couch downstairs, since he has no prerogative to keep his domestic habits attractive living by himself, especially with no romantic partner most of the time to appease. This can be attributed to the fact that he has slept in the master bedroom in the company of several women who no longer are a part of his lives, stirring up bad memories. The bedroom now serves as a store of his keepsakes and an extra place for those he considers special guests to sleep. This changes in the season 13 episode "Scope" when Gibbs starts sleeping in his bedroom again, slowly letting go his bad memories.
* Shannon Fielding was Gibbs' first wife. In the episode "Heartland", Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met Shannon (portrayed in that episode by ]) while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in summer of 1976, where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS. In "]", they were stated to have married in December 1981, and Kelly was born sometime in 1982. He was unable to be at the birth of Kelly as he was deployed.<ref name="newborn">{{cite episode|title=Newborn King|series=NCIS|network=]|date=December 13, 2011|season=9|number=11|episode-link=Newborn King|series-link=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> Shannon, along with their eight-year-old daughter Kelly, was murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of ]. Gibbs was an active member of the Marine Corps at the time and was still overseas when they were killed. In "Hiatus (Part II)" Director Shepard tells ] that Shannon had witnessed a murder of a Marine at ], where Gibbs was based at that time. Shannon had identified the murderer as Mexican-born drug dealer Pedro Hernandez. Afterwards, Hernandez shot the NIS agent driving Shannon and Kelly in a minivan and the subsequent crash took their lives. Gibbs retaliated by seeking out Pedro and assassinating him, leaving behind an empty shell casing as a message. Paloma Reynosa later indicated he left a live round. This secret remained with him for 20 years until it came to light when Abby discovered the truth through a forensic investigation.
* He does not tolerate submissiveness. When someone on his team allows another person to manipulate them, Gibbs takes it personally as an affront to his work ethic. Gibbs is unapologetic by nature as well, as he considers apologizing to be a sign of weakness when it is done fearfully in light of intimidation, and suggests to his team members that they should refrain from doing so; a sincere apology given when someone is distraught or has meaningful reasons to apologize is acceptable.
*Diane Sterling (]) was Gibbs' second wife. After divorcing Gibbs she married ] Senior Special Agent Tobias Fornell (]). However, this marriage was only slightly more positive than her last, and ultimately failed. As she did with Gibbs, Diane drained Fornell's bank account when she left him. Fornell and Diane have a daughter, Emily, who dies of a drug overdose in Season 18. In the season 9 episode "]", Gibbs tells Diane that he liked her—he always liked her, and still likes her. Diane tells him their marriage fell apart because she was in love with him, but she could not compete with Shannon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/11/ncis-review-devils-triangle/|title=NCIS Review: Can Diane Be All Bad?|last=Marsi|first=Steve|date=November 2, 2011|publisher=TV Fanatic|access-date=March 12, 2013}}</ref> She later asks Gibbs and Fornell to save her third husband Victor. It was later revealed that she invited Gibbs and Fornell to the wedding but they did not attend, although Gibbs did send a wedding present (a waffle iron). During the Season 12 episode "Check", Diane is shown on good terms with his other ex, Rebecca, due to their mutual enjoyment of picking on Gibbs. She is later shot dead by terrorist Sergei Mishnev (]). Gibbs flew into a rage and beat Mishnev but he was able to escape. Gibbs later allows Tobias Fornell (Diane's second ex-husband) to avenge Diane's death.
* Gibbs has taken strong displeasure at being rewarded for his services in the military because he has a deep sense of regret attached to his career and prefers to be commended privately. Much of it has to do with the deaths of Shannon and Kelly. Moreover, Gibbs holds himself responsible for the estrangement with his former mother-in-law in taking her daughter and granddaughter away from her, due to his absence leaving them vulnerable and indirectly causing their murder. This left his mother-in-law in so much grief that it led to the dissolution of her own marriage. Eventually, he found peace with most of his regrets in the 200th episode of the series "Life Before His Eyes", where Gibbs learned that even if he had been present in their lives and thus prevented the sequence of events that ended in their deaths from ever coming to be, the path his life would have taken would have instead led to his own demise.
Stephanie Flynn (]), Gibbs' third, also a redhead,<ref name="exfile">{{cite episode|title=Ex-File|series=NCIS|network=CBS|date=October 9, 2007|season=5|number=3|episode-link=NCIS season 5#ep97|series-link=NCIS (TV series)}}</ref> lived with him during his service in ], for about a year. According to Gibbs, she was the one who left him. She is also said in the Season 1 episode, "Hung Out to Dry", to get drunk and dial Gibbs incessantly on the day of their former wedding anniversary, which leads him to aggressively disable or even ruin his phones to shut her out. She is introduced in Season 5 "Ex-Files", when her new boyfriend is accused of murder. As with his other exes, Stephanie is hostile with him and he finds his patience tested when seeing her speak to his current girlfriend. However, at the end, the pair reconcile after she discovers her boyfriend was innocent but cheating on her, and she gives Gibbs back his military dog tags that she held onto. She moves to Philadelphia to care for her aging parents and help her sister with her nieces and nephews.
* Gibbs' trademark outfit is a suit jacket and trousers paired with a white undershirt and a polo shirt. In some episodes, he wears a dress shirt instead of a polo shirt; this change became permanent from season 13 forward. In ], he appears to be alternating in-between both these looks; wearing a dress shirt on some days and polo shirts on other days. Gibbs also is noted for his hair being trimmed very tight at the sides, a reference to him being a former Marine.
*Rebecca Chase (]), Gibbs' fourth wife, is introduced in season 12. She and Gibbs divorced because Rebecca cheated on Gibbs and it is revealed in that season's episode 11 that she is marrying the man with whom she cheated on Gibbs and it was shown that the latter had no idea of her marriage to Gibbs when they got together. She is shown on good terms with his other ex, Diane, due to their enjoyment of picking on Gibbs. She tries to make amends with Gibbs, who is initially uninterested but they do end up talking.

===Other romantic relationships===
After Shannon and Kelly's deaths and before he married his second wife, it is suggested that Gibbs had an affair with a woman named Rose Tamayo in ]. He was on a classified drug ] mission as a Marine Scout Sniper, and was wounded during the mission. In "]", Rose's now-adult son Tomas is introduced as a person of interest in a case. Gibbs' team suspected that he was the boy's father, but Gibbs later reveals to Tomas that Rose was already pregnant when Gibbs came to their village. It is later revealed that the drug lord Gibbs was sent to assassinate was the boy's father.

Gibbs also had a past romantic relationship with the (now deceased) director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard, who was also his partner at the time. Jenny was also a redhead.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Silver War |episode-link=NCIS season 3#ep50 |series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=October 11, 2005|season=3|number=4}}</ref> In the first, second, and third seasons, he was seen in the company of a mysterious (and never-identified) redheaded woman.<ref name="Owen">{{cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20031116owen1116p2.asp |title=TV Preview: 'Navy NCIS' attempts to cover new ground |last=Owen |first=Rob |access-date=June 6, 2008 |work=] |date=November 16, 2003}}</ref> According to Bellisario, the purpose of "the mysterious redhead" was "to make everyone speculate".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5679-2004Oct4.html |title=TV: JAG and NCIS |last=Bellisario |first=Donald |access-date=June 7, 2013 | newspaper=] | date=October 5, 2004}}</ref>

In season four, he has a steady, serious relationship with ] commander Lt. Col. ] (]), but their relationship is revealed to be over at the beginning of season five.

In season 7, Gibbs meets lawyer ] (]), who worked for an old enemy of Gibbs, Col. Merton Bell. Although Gibbs and Hart oppose each other over several cases, they are also attracted to one another. When it was discovered that Bell was responsible for the death of ] in connection with the long-ago murder of Pedro Hernandez, Hart turned her back on Bell, showing her allegiance to Gibbs.

In season 9, Gibbs begins a romance with ] (]), a psychologist with the ] ], who has collaborated with his team in several episodes.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Missionary Position|episode-link=The Missionary Position (NCIS)|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=CBS|date=April 10, 2012|season=9|number=20}}</ref>

The season 16 episode "]" revealed that Gibbs was also engaged to a fifth woman, Ellen Wallace, who was thought to have died in the ], but was murdered the night before; Gibbs broke off the engagement about two months before her death.

Since her introduction in the series in season 15 episode 4, forensic psychologist ] (]) has shared a close bond with Gibbs, to the point that the other team members question if Gibbs and Sloane have "a thing". The two share a kiss in Sloane's final episode (season 18 episode 8).


==Awards and citations== ==Awards and citations==
At the end of the episode "Murder 2.0", Gibbs was awarded his seventh ], but as with the other six times, he did not attend the award ceremony and Tony accepts the medal on his behalf. When Gibbs shows no interest in it, Tony locks it in a box containing several similar presentation cases, all of which were awarded to Gibbs. One of these medals is revealed to have been a ], which Gibbs bestows on Corporal Damon Werth in the episode "Corporal Punishment". It is revealed in the episode "Hiatus Pt. 1" that Gibbs received the ] after being injured in Operation Desert Storm during the ] and was in a coma for nineteen days as a result.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Hiatus (Part I)|episodelink=NCIS (season 3)#ep69|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=May 9, 2006|season=3|number=23|minutes=24:07}}</ref> At the end of the episode "Murder 2.0", Gibbs was awarded his seventh ], but as with the other six times, he did not attend the award ceremony and Tony accepts the medal on his behalf. When Gibbs shows no interest in it, Tony locks it in a box containing several similar presentation cases, all of which were awarded to Gibbs. One of these medals is revealed to have been a ], which Gibbs bestows on Corporal Damon Werth in the episode "Corporal Punishment". It is revealed in the episode "Hiatus Pt. 1" that Gibbs received the ] after being injured in Operation Desert Storm during the ] and was in a coma for nineteen days as a result.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Hiatus (Part I)|episode-link=NCIS season 3#ep69|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=May 9, 2006|season=3|number=23|minutes=24:07}}</ref>


Gibbs was shown wearing the following awards and decorations in the episodes "]" and "]".<ref name="oneshot">{{cite episode|title=One Shot, One Kill|episodelink=NCIS (season 1)#ep13|series=NCIS|serieslink=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=February 10, 2004|season=1|number=13|minutes=33:27<!-- shown several times in the episode but this was the best view of the ribbon set. -->}}</ref><ref name="honorcode"/> Gibbs was shown wearing the following awards and decorations in the episodes "]" and "]".<ref name="oneshot">{{cite episode|title=One Shot, One Kill|episode-link=NCIS season 1#ep13|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=]|date=February 10, 2004|season=1|number=13|minutes=33:27<!-- shown several times in the episode but this was the best view of the ribbon set. -->}}</ref><ref name="honorcode"/>
Note: The Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal ribbon is placed as a U.S. non-military personal decoration in the order of precedence. Note: The Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal ribbon is placed as a U.S. non-military personal decoration after U.S. military unit awards in the order of precedence.
{{collapse top|Full list}} {{collapse top|Full list}}
<center>
{| style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center;" {| style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center;"
|+ '''Awards and citations, as worn''' |+ '''Awards and citations, as worn'''
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| colspan="3" | ] | colspan="3" | ]
|- |-
| colspan="3" | ] | colspan="3" | ]
|-
|- |-
|-
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=106}} | {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=106}}
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|other_device=0|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg|width=106}} | {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|other_device=0|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg|width=106}}
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| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Combat Action Ribbon.svg|width=106}} | {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Combat Action Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} | {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} | {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|- |-
| {{ribbon devices|number=6|type=award-star|ribbon=NavMeritMed.gif|width=106}} | {{ribbon devices|number=6|type=award-star|ribbon=NavMeritMed.gif|width=106}}
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|} |}


{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|+ Awards and citations |+ Awards and citations
|- |-
| scope="row" colspan="6" | ] | scope="row" colspan="6" | ]
|- |-
| scope="row" colspan="6" | ] | scope="row" colspan="6" | ]
|- |-
| scope="row" colspan="2" | ] | scope="row" colspan="2" | ]
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| colspan="2"| ] | colspan="2"| ]
|} |}
</center>
{{collapse bottom}} {{collapse bottom}}

==Gibbs' Rules==
In the episode "Heartland", Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met his first wife, Shannon (portrayed in that episode by ]), while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in summer of 1976, where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS - his own series of around fifty rules that he now lives by (with the rules in the forties and above supposedly used for emergency situations).<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/ncis/photos/1003066/gibbs-rules-the-complete-list-from-ncis/ |title=Gibbs' Rules: The Complete List From NCIS |id=CBS}}</ref>


==Reception== ==Reception==
Early reception was primarily positive. During ''NCIS''{{'}} first season on air, ] wrote of Gibbs, "He's still wincing from three failed marriages and is a bit of a renegade within the service." He further called Mark Harmon's performance "convincing" and added that the character "has a heart of gold".<ref name="Warneke">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/12/1084289728261.html?from=storyrhs|title=Death of Sunday movies|last=Warneke|first=Ross|date=May 13, 2004|work=]|location=Melbourne|accessdate=June 6, 2008}}</ref> Two years later, in November 2005, Noel Holston from the '']'' said, "NCIS special agent, Jethro Gibbs, is one of those hard-shelled, soft-centered guys' guys Bellisario loves to write, a clear-thinking, decisive leader in whose crankiness his subordinates take an almost masochistic pleasure."<ref>{{cite news |last=Holston |first=Noel |title=Cowboy Mentality Helps Ncis Grow In Numbers |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-11-29/lifestyle/0511280111_1_ncis-donald-p-bellisario-agent |work=] |location=Broward County, Florida |date=November 29, 2005|accessdate=June 7, 2013}}</ref> Early reception was primarily positive. During ''NCIS''{{'}} first season on air, ] wrote of Gibbs, "He's still wincing from three failed marriages and is a bit of a renegade within the service." He further called Mark Harmon's performance "convincing" and added that the character "has a heart of gold".<ref name="Warneke">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/12/1084289728261.html?from=storyrhs|title=Death of Sunday movies|last=Warneke|first=Ross|date=May 13, 2004|work=]|location=Melbourne|access-date=June 6, 2008}}</ref> Two years later, in November 2005, Noel Holston from the '']'' said, "NCIS special agent, Jethro Gibbs, is one of those hard-shelled, soft-centered guys' guys Bellisario loves to write, a clear-thinking, decisive leader in whose crankiness his subordinates take an almost masochistic pleasure."<ref>{{cite news |last=Holston |first=Noel |title=Cowboy Mentality Helps Ncis Grow In Numbers |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-11-29/lifestyle/0511280111_1_ncis-donald-p-bellisario-agent |work=] |location=Broward County, Florida |date=November 29, 2005 |access-date=June 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220081942/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-11-29/lifestyle/0511280111_1_ncis-donald-p-bellisario-agent |url-status=dead }}</ref>


William Bradly of '']'' wrote an opinion piece in 2011 in response to NCIS being voted America's favorite television show in which he commented, "Gibbs is a hard-ass, but a very nice hard-ass, who usually has all the answers thanks to his well-honed 'gut.' And when he doesn't, the quirky science nerds are there to help him out in their reassuringly civvy ways."<ref>{{Cite news |first=William |last=Bradley |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/ncis-americas-favorite-sh_b_863906.html |title=NCIS: America's Favorite Show and What It Tells Us |work=] |date=May 18, 2011 |access-date=July 23, 2015}}</ref> In 2012, Kyle Smith from the '']'' praised the show's respect for the military and Harmon's portrayal of a Marine.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kyle |last=Smith |date=May 12, 2012 |title=Why 'NCIS' is TV's most popular show |url=https://nypost.com/2012/05/13/why-ncis-is-tvs-most-popular-show/ |work=] |accessdate=July 23, 2015}}</ref> William Bradly of '']'' wrote an opinion piece in 2011 in response to NCIS being voted America's favorite television show in which he commented, "Gibbs is a hard-ass, but a very nice hard-ass, who usually has all the answers thanks to his well-honed 'gut.' And when he doesn't, the quirky science nerds are there to help him out in their reassuringly civvy ways."<ref>{{Cite news |first=William |last=Bradley |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/ncis-americas-favorite-sh_b_863906.html |title=NCIS: America's Favorite Show and What It Tells Us |work=] |date=May 18, 2011 |access-date=July 23, 2015}}</ref>


One reviewer wrote a long analysis: One reviewer wrote a long analysis:
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<blockquote><poem>Never, have I seen a show portray such an accurate description of leadership. Agent Jethro Gibbs is a very intimidating leader; to his agents, and to his suspects. No one wants to mess with Gibbs, and that is no surprise. He is incredibly strong emotionally, and a very loving person to his family. His top qualities are leadership and fearlessness. Gibbs is also very impatient, and easily angered, which don't serve him well in his relationships. <blockquote><poem>Never, have I seen a show portray such an accurate description of leadership. Agent Jethro Gibbs is a very intimidating leader; to his agents, and to his suspects. No one wants to mess with Gibbs, and that is no surprise. He is incredibly strong emotionally, and a very loving person to his family. His top qualities are leadership and fearlessness. Gibbs is also very impatient, and easily angered, which don't serve him well in his relationships.


Leadership is Gibbs' best quality. On the outside, he is tough as nails, seemingly impossible to break. On the inside, he is a compassionate person, who is extremely supportive of his friends and family.<ref>{{cite web |first=Josh |last=Lipovetsky |date=November 10, 2009 |title=NCIS Character Analysis – Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs |url=http://filminsight.net/2009/11/10/ncis-character-analysis-agent-leroy-jethro-gibbs/ |publisher=Film Insight |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114040039/http://filminsight.net/2009/11/10/ncis-character-analysis-agent-leroy-jethro-gibbs/ |archivedate=November 14, 2009 |accessdate=March 8, 2013}}</ref></poem></blockquote> Leadership is Gibbs' best quality. On the outside, he is tough as nails, seemingly impossible to break. On the inside, he is a compassionate person, who is extremely supportive of his friends and family.<ref>{{cite web |first=Josh |last=Lipovetsky |date=November 10, 2009 |title=NCIS Character Analysis – Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs |url=http://filminsight.net/2009/11/10/ncis-character-analysis-agent-leroy-jethro-gibbs/ |publisher=Film Insight |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114040039/http://filminsight.net/2009/11/10/ncis-character-analysis-agent-leroy-jethro-gibbs/ |archive-date=November 14, 2009 |access-date=March 8, 2013}}</ref></poem></blockquote>


In 2011, June Thomas from '']'' magazine wrote, "Team leader Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is a coffee-slurping stoic, a former Marine often exasperated by his sometimes-silly underlings." She also discussed the show and its characters' appeal to conservatives: "They're intelligent, hard-working, and devoted...Gibbs is an old-fashioned man: strong and silent, a skilled woodworker who doesn't lock his front door."<ref name="Slate">{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/11/ncis_the_secret_of_the_long_running_procedural_s_remarkable_success.html |title=''NCIS'', WTF? |last1=Thomas |first1=June |date=November 9, 2011 |work=] |agency=Culturebox (column) |accessdate=February 23, 2013}}</ref> Alyssa Rosenberg of the '']'' also suggested that Gibbs, "a former Marine with a Bush-like faith in his 'gut'{{-"}}, appeared as a distinctly conservative figure in the series, in contrast to "liberal stand-ins" McGee and Abby Sciuto.<ref name="Rosenberg">{{cite news |first=Alyssa |last=Rosenberg |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/mayjune_2011/features/ncis_bureaucrats_with_guns029134.php?page=2 |title=NCIS: Bureaucrats with Guns |work=] |date=May–June 2011 |accessdate=May 25, 2013}}</ref> In 2011, June Thomas from '']'' magazine wrote, "Team leader Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is a coffee-slurping stoic, a former Marine often exasperated by his sometimes-silly underlings." She also discussed the show and its characters' appeal to conservatives: "They're intelligent, hard-working, and devoted...Gibbs is an old-fashioned man: strong and silent, a skilled woodworker who doesn't lock his front door."<ref name="Slate">{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/11/ncis_the_secret_of_the_long_running_procedural_s_remarkable_success.html |title=''NCIS'', WTF? |last1=Thomas |first1=June |date=November 9, 2011 |work=] |agency=Culturebox (column) |access-date=February 23, 2013}}</ref> Alyssa Rosenberg of the '']'' also suggested that Gibbs, "a former Marine with a Bush-like faith in his 'gut'{{-"}}, appeared as a distinctly conservative figure in the series, in contrast to "liberal stand-ins" McGee and Abby Sciuto.<ref name="Rosenberg">{{cite periodical|first=Alyssa |date=May–June 2011 |last=Rosenberg |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/mayjune_2011/features/ncis_bureaucrats_with_guns029134.php?page=2 |title=NCIS: Bureaucrats with Guns |magazine=] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110514005914/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/mayjune_2011/features/ncis_bureaucrats_with_guns029134.php?page=2 |archive-date= May 14, 2011 |access-date=May 25, 2013}}</ref>


In 2011, it was reported that the role had made Mark Harmon the fourth most popular actor on primetime television. Several other members of the ''NCIS'' cast were also listed in the top ten, including Pauley Perrette (]), Cote de Pablo (]), David McCallum (Ducky Mallard), and Michael Weatherly (]).<ref>{{cite news |first=Catherine |last=Lawson |date=August 4, 2011 |title='NCIS' Star Pauley Perrette Named Most Popular Primetime TV Star |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2011/08/04/ncis-star-pauley-perrette-is-named-the-most-popular-primetime/ |work=] |accessdate=February 23, 2013}}</ref> In 2011, it was reported that the role had made Mark Harmon the fourth most popular actor on primetime television. Several other members of the ''NCIS'' cast were also listed in the top ten, including Pauley Perrette (]), Cote de Pablo (]), ] (Ducky Mallard), and Michael Weatherly (]).<ref>{{cite news |first=Catherine |last=Lawson |date=August 4, 2011 |title='NCIS' Star Pauley Perrette Named Most Popular Primetime TV Star |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2011/08/04/ncis-star-pauley-perrette-is-named-the-most-popular-primetime/ |work=] |access-date=February 23, 2013}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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{{NCIS television}} {{NCIS (franchise)}}


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Latest revision as of 03:34, 5 January 2025

Fictional character in the television series NCIS
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Fictional character
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
NCIS character
Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs
First appearance"Ice Queen" (JAG)
Portrayed byMark Harmon
Austin Stowell (adult)
Sean Harmon (young adult)
Micah Tayloe Owens (child)
Beckett Blomberg (child)
Voiced byJosh Robert Thompson (NCIS: The Video Game)
In-universe information
GenderMale
OccupationNCIS Special Agent (retired)
Gunnery Sergeant (Marine sniper and military police) (USMC) (separated)
AffiliationNCIS
FamilyJackson Gibbs (father, deceased)
Ann Gibbs (mother, deceased)
Spouse
  • Shannon Fielding Gibbs (deceased)
  • Diane Sterling (divorced, deceased)
  • Rebecca Chase (divorced)
  • Stephanie Flynn (divorced)
  • Ellen Wallace (ex-fiancée, deceased)
ChildrenKelly Gibbs (deceased)
NationalityAmerican
Career at NCIS
Position
  • Acting Director (temporarily)
  • Special Agent in Charge, Major Case Response Team, Washington, D.C. office
  • Undercover operative, Europe
  • Senior Field Agent
  • Agent Afloat
  • Field Agent, NCIS Fed Five
  • Probationary Field Agent, NIS Camp Pendleton Field Office
RankSpecial Agent in Charge
Years of Servicec. 1991–2021
AwardsSilver Star, Purple Heart, Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Leroy Jethro Gibbs (born November 21, 1954) is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series NCIS, portrayed by Mark Harmon. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned special agent who commands a team for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Gibbs is the most accomplished marksman on the team and the most skilled at handling violent standoffs; he depends on his other agents heavily for technical forensics and background checks. He is patient but firm with his team and has little patience for bureaucracy; he commands most other main characters—including his current staff Timothy McGee, Nick Torres and, briefly, Jessica Knight and previous staff Caitlin Todd (killed in the line of duty), Anthony DiNozzo (left to look after his newly found daughter), Ziva David (presumed as killed after leaving NCIS; later revealed to have gone into hiding), Alexandra Quinn (left to look after her sick mother), Clayton Reeves (killed while defending Abby Sciuto), Ellie Bishop (left presumably for a CIA undercover mission with Odette Malone) and Jacqueline Sloane (left to pursue humanitarian work in Afghanistan). Having found peace in Alaska for the first time since his family's death, Gibbs leaves NCIS in the 2021 episode "Great Wide Open" in search of adventure.

Development and casting

Series creator Donald P. Bellisario initially did not think Mark Harmon would fit the role of Gibbs, a "flinty type with a strong sense of honor and respect for the military", but changed his mind after viewing a tape of Harmon's portrayal of a Secret Service agent on The West Wing. Co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson recalls, "We all looked at that work. And everybody said, 'He's Gibbs.'" Harmon was cast in 2003, and Bellisario explained, "I said, 'Oh, my God, he's Gibbs.' He had matured. He's good-looking in a totally different way than he was as a young guy." At another point, he said, "I am so lucky to have Mark Harmon as the lead. You have no idea. This cast is gold. Mark Harmon is a Middle American guy, even if he was raised in Southern California. His values are exactly the same as mine."

Harmon said of his character, "I was attracted by flaws. He has lousy taste in women. He's addicted to coffee."

Gibbs was initially written as "not too far removed" from characters like Dr. Robert "Bobby" Caldwell and Dr. Jack McNeil, both previous roles by Harmon. In an early episode, Gibbs "playfully smacked Weatherly's DiNozzo on the back of the head" resulting in the trademark "headslap" that later appeared in many episodes throughout the seasons.

In later years, he is scripted as more stoic, with Bellisario stating, "I thought the best thing to do was to give him a minimum of dialogue." It was not until the third season that the backstory surrounding his first wife and daughter's murder was revealed. His relationships with his coworkers were developed, with him becoming something of a father figure to Special Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David and Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto.

Mark Harmon's oldest son Sean has appeared on NCIS portraying a younger version of Gibbs in flashbacks.

Background

In the backstory, Gibbs was born on November 21, 1954, and was shown in the episode "Heartland" to have grown up in Stillwater, Pennsylvania. His father, Jackson Gibbs, owned and ran the Stillwater General Store.

He is named after his father's close friend and partner in the store, an African American Leroy Jethro "LJ" Moore, after they worked together in the coal mines (Winslow Mining Company). In "The Namesake," it is revealed that LJ, a World War II veteran and Montford Point Marine, had influenced the teenaged Gibbs to join the Marines.

When Gibbs was about 9 years old, his father helped him build his first boat, named "Chickadee," after a nickname his father Jackson called his mother Ann. Her quote about building boats was, "A boat named after a person will live forever." That's when he got his love of building boats and other things by hand with hand tools.

Gibbs had a very quiet upbringing but suffered a tragedy at the age of 14 when his mother died of cancer. It was revealed that she had committed suicide so that her husband and son would not have to watch her suffer, leaving Jackson a widower and also forcing him to raise young Gibbs all by himself. Jackson blamed Moore for her death as she had confided in him about what she was going to do, and he had not stopped her, with this secret breaking apart their friendship and neither Gibbs nor his father seeing Moore again for many years.

Gibbs is known by his first name, Leroy, to family and people in his hometown (as well as his ex-wife Diane), whereas at work he is known as Gibbs, Jethro, or simply "Boss". Shannon called him both Gibbs and Jethro.

As a teenager, Gibbs often provoked violence with defiance to his father, who constantly comes to his unwanted aid with a Winchester rifle. He was also known around the area as a delinquent, as said by the new sheriff, one of the other delinquents during his teenage years, stating, "Funny, never expected to find you on the same side of the law."

He met his first wife Shannon (portrayed by both Darby Stanchfield and Aviva Baumann) in Stillwater, who worked at the local women's clothing store, Ellen's Dress Shop, speaking to each other for the first time while waiting for a train.

At that first meeting, Shannon mentioned she had thought about creating a set of life rules for herself; Gibbs later incorporated this idea into his series of around 50 rules that he now lives by (with the rules in the forties and above supposedly used for emergencies).

Gibbs left Stillwater in 1972 to join the Marine Corps and had little contact with the place for the next 30 years. Gibbs was leaving for Marine Combat Training after graduating from bootcamp.

After graduating from Bootcamp, Gibbs shipped to Camp LeJeune for further training. He befriended fellow Marine Private First Class Joan Matteson. Still, she was one of several marines killed in a helicopter crash on April 3, 1973, after she was deployed to Okinawa, Japan. Later he became a military police non-commissioned officer at Camp Lejeune before becoming a Scout Sniper.

In 1980, as a Sergeant, he was accepted to Scout Sniper School in Camp Pendleton. He briefly broke up with Shannon out of fear of losing her because of his marine status. In Washington D.C. while going to a wedding, he is abducted by Vito Zucado and meets Dr. Donald ”Ducky” Mallard after the latter accidentally saves him by crashing into Vito's car. After giving his story to NIS (predecessor of NCIS), he and Ducky were abducted by Vito's cousin Johnny Zucado, who beat Gibbs until he knocked out a tooth. Thanks to Ducky, they were spared. Taking advice from Ducky, Gibbs reconciled with Shannon, and they married in December 1981. They had a baby girl sometime in 1982, whom they would name Kelly Gibbs.

He served on tours of duty in Panama (Operation Just Cause) and with the 1st Battalion 1st Marines in the Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). His Commanding Officer during Desert Storm was Lieutenant Colonel William Ryan. Gibbs' Lieutenant, David Cameron, died in Gibbs's arms during a battle after trying to save Gibbs' life. As a Marine, Gibbs befriended Bushnell, future Senator Patrick Kiley, and Charles T. Ellison, three people he would once encounter during his time as an NCIS agent.

In February 1991, Shannon witnessed the murder of a marine by Mexican drug cartel leader Pedro Hernandez and agreed to testify against him, with her and their daughter Kelly being placed under the protection of NIS Special Agent Kurt Mitchell. However, Mitchell was shot in the head by Hernandez while he was driving them and died instantly; both Shannon and Kelly were killed when the van crashed into a wall.

During his deployment in Desert Storm, Gibbs received the news that both Shannon and Kelly had been murdered. Being understandably grief-stricken and devastated, he was wounded during an engagement and was left unconscious for 19 days. Gibbs was awarded the Purple Heart medal as he had been injured in combat with an enemy force.

Gibbs was an in-patient at Bethesda up until June 1991. During his recovery process, Gibbs visited the graves of his dead wife and daughter, who were buried while he was in a coma. They did have a memorial service for the girls; however, once Gibbs was physically well enough to attend. He also met NIS agent Michael Franks who was investigating the girls’ deaths.

Not long after his mission in Colombia, he retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

Following that, in August 1991, Gibbs joined the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) after being recruited by Franks. He subsequently became a Probationary Agent, with Franks handling most of Gibbs' training in the Camp Pendleton Field Office. In October of that year, Gibbs became a member of his team and met SA Vera Strickland, Franks' partner, SA Lala Domingues, and SA Bernard "Randy" Randolf.

As a junior agent, Gibbs was mentored by Mike Franks, and the two became close friends; Franks continued calling him "Probie" even after retirement. After Franks retired, Gibbs became head of his own Major Case Response Team. Before the time when NCIS was set, Gibbs was described as having traveled extensively on operations, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Personality

Gibbs is a highly skilled marksman with both his agency-issued SIG Sauer P228 pistol (which he replaces with a .45 Colt M1911A1 pistol in Season 15) and M40A1 sniper rifle.

In the season 7 premiere, "Truth or Consequences", he kills the terrorists holding his team hostage from an exceptionally long distance and in "South by Southwest" he outshoots a professional hit-man in an approaching helicopter. His knowledge of the Marine Corps and training as a sniper often comes into use, as shown in the episodes "Ravenous", "Vanished" and "Twenty Klicks" where he uses his wilderness tracking skills and marksmanship to aid the investigation and/or get the team out of trouble.

Gibbs is a private man of few words who discloses little to nothing about his personal life. He avoids discussing his life or past before he joined NCIS, especially to agents and co-workers under him, which leads to his team members constantly speculating over his private life. Aside from his tendency to use military slang, he rarely mentions or speaks at length about his time in the Marine Corps although he is often referred to as "Gunny" by Navy and Marine officers, occasionally dons a "USMC" hoodie or T-shirt when off duty and has a replica of the iconic Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima photograph framed and mounted above the fireplace in his home.

Gibbs holds service personnel in the armed forces in high esteem and to a higher standard. He becomes particularly indignant when the guilty party is someone in a position of trust and authority, and he reacts violently on several occasions when apprehending corrupt high-ranking officers who committed crimes for monetary gain.

Relationships

Family

Gibbs' daughter, Kelly, and her best friend, Maddie.

In the season 6 episode "Heartland", Gibbs' frosty relationship with his father Jackson and the backstory behind it is revealed. His father had rarely been mentioned up to that point and Jackson had not known that Gibbs was a "boss" until Gibbs and his team visited Stillwater to investigate a case. By the end of the episode, they make amends and the two have become closer ever since.

Through a series of episodes over a few years, it becomes clear that Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez in revenge for the death of his wife Shannon and his daughter Kelly. In the episode "Borderland" (Season 7, episode 22), an unknown conspirator manipulates events so that Abby ends up investigating the murder as a cold case and finds irrefutable proof that Gibbs is responsible. Hernandez' now-grown children Paloma Reynosa, the head of the Reynosa drug cartel after taking her spouse's place when he was killed, and Alejandro Rivera, a high-ranking official of the Mexican Justice Department, appear in the episode "Spider and the Fly". In this episode, Gibbs manipulates Alejandro Rivera into killing Paloma, and Alejandro is subsequently arrested. Shortly thereafter, Director Vance files Abby's report proving that Gibbs killed Hernandez deep in the NCIS evidence room. When Gibbs comes under investigation in the Season 10 finale "Damned If You Do", Vance retrieves the report and shreds it, deciding to permanently bury all leads to the truth so that Gibbs will not be found and convicted of murder.

Marriages

Gibbs has been married four times, and divorced three (his first wife was killed).

  • Shannon Fielding was Gibbs' first wife. In the episode "Heartland", Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met Shannon (portrayed in that episode by Aviva Baumann) while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in summer of 1976, where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS. In "Hiatus (Part II)", they were stated to have married in December 1981, and Kelly was born sometime in 1982. He was unable to be at the birth of Kelly as he was deployed. Shannon, along with their eight-year-old daughter Kelly, was murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of Operation Desert Storm. Gibbs was an active member of the Marine Corps at the time and was still overseas when they were killed. In "Hiatus (Part II)" Director Shepard tells Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard that Shannon had witnessed a murder of a Marine at Camp Pendleton, where Gibbs was based at that time. Shannon had identified the murderer as Mexican-born drug dealer Pedro Hernandez. Afterwards, Hernandez shot the NIS agent driving Shannon and Kelly in a minivan and the subsequent crash took their lives. Gibbs retaliated by seeking out Pedro and assassinating him, leaving behind an empty shell casing as a message. Paloma Reynosa later indicated he left a live round. This secret remained with him for 20 years until it came to light when Abby discovered the truth through a forensic investigation.
  • Diane Sterling (Melinda McGraw) was Gibbs' second wife. After divorcing Gibbs she married FBI Senior Special Agent Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano). However, this marriage was only slightly more positive than her last, and ultimately failed. As she did with Gibbs, Diane drained Fornell's bank account when she left him. Fornell and Diane have a daughter, Emily, who dies of a drug overdose in Season 18. In the season 9 episode "Devil's Triangle", Gibbs tells Diane that he liked her—he always liked her, and still likes her. Diane tells him their marriage fell apart because she was in love with him, but she could not compete with Shannon. She later asks Gibbs and Fornell to save her third husband Victor. It was later revealed that she invited Gibbs and Fornell to the wedding but they did not attend, although Gibbs did send a wedding present (a waffle iron). During the Season 12 episode "Check", Diane is shown on good terms with his other ex, Rebecca, due to their mutual enjoyment of picking on Gibbs. She is later shot dead by terrorist Sergei Mishnev (Alex Veadov). Gibbs flew into a rage and beat Mishnev but he was able to escape. Gibbs later allows Tobias Fornell (Diane's second ex-husband) to avenge Diane's death.

Stephanie Flynn (Kathleen York), Gibbs' third, also a redhead, lived with him during his service in Moscow, Russia, for about a year. According to Gibbs, she was the one who left him. She is also said in the Season 1 episode, "Hung Out to Dry", to get drunk and dial Gibbs incessantly on the day of their former wedding anniversary, which leads him to aggressively disable or even ruin his phones to shut her out. She is introduced in Season 5 "Ex-Files", when her new boyfriend is accused of murder. As with his other exes, Stephanie is hostile with him and he finds his patience tested when seeing her speak to his current girlfriend. However, at the end, the pair reconcile after she discovers her boyfriend was innocent but cheating on her, and she gives Gibbs back his military dog tags that she held onto. She moves to Philadelphia to care for her aging parents and help her sister with her nieces and nephews.

  • Rebecca Chase (Jeri Ryan), Gibbs' fourth wife, is introduced in season 12. She and Gibbs divorced because Rebecca cheated on Gibbs and it is revealed in that season's episode 11 that she is marrying the man with whom she cheated on Gibbs and it was shown that the latter had no idea of her marriage to Gibbs when they got together. She is shown on good terms with his other ex, Diane, due to their enjoyment of picking on Gibbs. She tries to make amends with Gibbs, who is initially uninterested but they do end up talking.

Other romantic relationships

After Shannon and Kelly's deaths and before he married his second wife, it is suggested that Gibbs had an affair with a woman named Rose Tamayo in Colombia. He was on a classified drug interdiction mission as a Marine Scout Sniper, and was wounded during the mission. In "Deliverance", Rose's now-adult son Tomas is introduced as a person of interest in a case. Gibbs' team suspected that he was the boy's father, but Gibbs later reveals to Tomas that Rose was already pregnant when Gibbs came to their village. It is later revealed that the drug lord Gibbs was sent to assassinate was the boy's father.

Gibbs also had a past romantic relationship with the (now deceased) director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard, who was also his partner at the time. Jenny was also a redhead. In the first, second, and third seasons, he was seen in the company of a mysterious (and never-identified) redheaded woman. According to Bellisario, the purpose of "the mysterious redhead" was "to make everyone speculate".

In season four, he has a steady, serious relationship with Army CID commander Lt. Col. Hollis Mann (Susanna Thompson), but their relationship is revealed to be over at the beginning of season five.

In season 7, Gibbs meets lawyer Margaret Allison Hart (Rena Sofer), who worked for an old enemy of Gibbs, Col. Merton Bell. Although Gibbs and Hart oppose each other over several cases, they are also attracted to one another. When it was discovered that Bell was responsible for the death of Lara Macy in connection with the long-ago murder of Pedro Hernandez, Hart turned her back on Bell, showing her allegiance to Gibbs.

In season 9, Gibbs begins a romance with Dr. Samantha Ryan (Jamie Lee Curtis), a psychologist with the DOD PsyOps, who has collaborated with his team in several episodes.

The season 16 episode "Hail and Farewell" revealed that Gibbs was also engaged to a fifth woman, Ellen Wallace, who was thought to have died in the September 11 attacks, but was murdered the night before; Gibbs broke off the engagement about two months before her death.

Since her introduction in the series in season 15 episode 4, forensic psychologist Jack Sloane (Maria Bello) has shared a close bond with Gibbs, to the point that the other team members question if Gibbs and Sloane have "a thing". The two share a kiss in Sloane's final episode (season 18 episode 8).

Awards and citations

At the end of the episode "Murder 2.0", Gibbs was awarded his seventh Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, but as with the other six times, he did not attend the award ceremony and Tony accepts the medal on his behalf. When Gibbs shows no interest in it, Tony locks it in a box containing several similar presentation cases, all of which were awarded to Gibbs. One of these medals is revealed to have been a Silver Star, which Gibbs bestows on Corporal Damon Werth in the episode "Corporal Punishment". It is revealed in the episode "Hiatus Pt. 1" that Gibbs received the Purple Heart after being injured in Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War and was in a coma for nineteen days as a result.

Gibbs was shown wearing the following awards and decorations in the episodes "One Shot, One Kill" and "Honor Code". Note: The Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal ribbon is placed as a U.S. non-military personal decoration after U.S. military unit awards in the order of precedence.

Full list
Awards and citations, as worn
Gold starGold star
Bronze star
Silver starGold star Silver star
Bronze star Bronze star
Bronze starBronze starBronze star Bronze star
Awards and citations
Combatant Diver Insignia
US Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia
Silver Star Purple Heart Navy and Marine Corps
Commendation Medal

with two stars
Combat Action Ribbon Navy Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation
with one star
Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award
with six stars
Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
with five stars
Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
National Defense Service Medal
with one star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal
with one star
Humanitarian Service Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
with three stars
Overseas Service Ribbon
with one star
United Nations Truce Supervisory
Organization (UNTSO) Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Gibbs' Rules

In the episode "Heartland", Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met his first wife, Shannon (portrayed in that episode by Aviva Baumann), while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in summer of 1976, where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS - his own series of around fifty rules that he now lives by (with the rules in the forties and above supposedly used for emergency situations).

Reception

Early reception was primarily positive. During NCIS' first season on air, Ross Warneke wrote of Gibbs, "He's still wincing from three failed marriages and is a bit of a renegade within the service." He further called Mark Harmon's performance "convincing" and added that the character "has a heart of gold". Two years later, in November 2005, Noel Holston from the Sun-Sentinel said, "NCIS special agent, Jethro Gibbs, is one of those hard-shelled, soft-centered guys' guys Bellisario loves to write, a clear-thinking, decisive leader in whose crankiness his subordinates take an almost masochistic pleasure."

William Bradly of The Huffington Post wrote an opinion piece in 2011 in response to NCIS being voted America's favorite television show in which he commented, "Gibbs is a hard-ass, but a very nice hard-ass, who usually has all the answers thanks to his well-honed 'gut.' And when he doesn't, the quirky science nerds are there to help him out in their reassuringly civvy ways."

One reviewer wrote a long analysis:

Never, have I seen a show portray such an accurate description of leadership. Agent Jethro Gibbs is a very intimidating leader; to his agents, and to his suspects. No one wants to mess with Gibbs, and that is no surprise. He is incredibly strong emotionally, and a very loving person to his family. His top qualities are leadership and fearlessness. Gibbs is also very impatient, and easily angered, which don't serve him well in his relationships.

Leadership is Gibbs' best quality. On the outside, he is tough as nails, seemingly impossible to break. On the inside, he is a compassionate person, who is extremely supportive of his friends and family.

In 2011, June Thomas from Slate magazine wrote, "Team leader Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is a coffee-slurping stoic, a former Marine often exasperated by his sometimes-silly underlings." She also discussed the show and its characters' appeal to conservatives: "They're intelligent, hard-working, and devoted...Gibbs is an old-fashioned man: strong and silent, a skilled woodworker who doesn't lock his front door." Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Monthly also suggested that Gibbs, "a former Marine with a Bush-like faith in his 'gut'", appeared as a distinctly conservative figure in the series, in contrast to "liberal stand-ins" McGee and Abby Sciuto.

In 2011, it was reported that the role had made Mark Harmon the fourth most popular actor on primetime television. Several other members of the NCIS cast were also listed in the top ten, including Pauley Perrette (Abby Sciuto), Cote de Pablo (Ziva David), David McCallum (Ducky Mallard), and Michael Weatherly (Anthony DiNozzo).

References

  1. Andreeva, Nellie (March 4, 2024). "'NCIS: Origins' Finds Its Young Gibbs: Austin Stowell To Star In CBS Prequel Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  2. "Voice Of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs – NCIS: The Video Game | Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 25, 2017. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. Marsi, Steve (October 21, 2011). "Gibbs' Ex-Wife on NCIS: First Look!". TV Fanatic. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  4. ^ "Heartland". NCIS. Season 6. Episode 4. October 14, 2008. CBS.
  5. NCIS Season 15 Episode 24
  6. Carter, Bill (October 27, 2005). "Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker". The New York Times. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  7. Grobar, Matt (October 11, 2021). "Mark Harmon Exits 'NCIS' After More Than 18 Seasons; Showrunner Steve Binder Pays Tribute". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Keveney, Bill (January 11, 2005). "'NCIS': CBS' invisible success". USA Today. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  9. ^ Keveney, Bill (March 2, 2010). "Team player Mark Harmon leads 'NCIS' cast by example". USA Today. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  10. ^ Owen, Rob (November 16, 2003). "TV Preview: 'Navy NCIS' attempts to cover new ground". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  11. "Exclusive: NCIS Cast Gathers for Roundtable Tell-All!". TV Guide. November 6, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  12. Chozick, Amy (December 11, 2009). "Deconstructing TV's No. 1 Show". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  13. ^ Thomas, June (November 9, 2011). "NCIS, WTF?". Slate. Culturebox (column). Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  14. Halterman, Jim (January 14, 2013). "NCIS Exclusive: Gary Glasberg on Vance's Loss, Ziva's Revenge & Beyond". TV Fanatic. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  15. "My Other Left Foot". NCIS. Season 1. Episode 12. February 3, 2004. CBS.
  16. "Kill Ari (Part I)". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 1. September 20, 2005. CBS.
  17. "Family Secret". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 16. February 28, 2006. 13:56 minutes in. CBS.
  18. "Hiatus (Part II)". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 24. May 16, 2006. 07:20 minutes in. CBS.
  19. "Witch Hunt". NCIS. Season 4. Episode 6. October 31, 2006. CBS.
  20. ^ "Enigma". NCIS. Season 1. Episode 15. February 24, 2004. CBS.
  21. "Vanished". NCIS. Season 2. Episode 3. October 12, 2004. CBS.
  22. ^ "One Shot, One Kill". NCIS. Season 1. Episode 13. February 10, 2004. 33:27 minutes in. CBS.
  23. "Pyramid". NCIS. Season 8. Episode 24. May 17, 2011. CBS.
  24. "Honor Thy Father". NCIS. Season 11. Episode 24. May 13, 2014. CBS.
  25. "Engaged (Part I)". NCIS. Season 9. Episode 8. November 8, 2011. CBS.
  26. "Head Case". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 15. February 7, 2006. CBS.
  27. "See No Evil". NCIS. Season 2. Episode 1. September 28, 2004. CBS.
  28. ^ "Honor Code". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 7. November 1, 2005. CBS.
  29. "Spider and the Fly". NCIS. Season 8. Episode 1. September 21, 2010. CBS.
  30. "Newborn King". NCIS. Season 9. Episode 11. December 13, 2011. CBS.
  31. Marsi, Steve (November 2, 2011). "NCIS Review: Can Diane Be All Bad?". TV Fanatic. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  32. "Ex-File". NCIS. Season 5. Episode 3. October 9, 2007. CBS.
  33. "Silver War". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 4. October 11, 2005. CBS.
  34. Bellisario, Donald (October 5, 2004). "TV: JAG and NCIS". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  35. "The Missionary Position". NCIS. Season 9. Episode 20. April 10, 2012. CBS.
  36. "Hiatus (Part I)". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 23. May 9, 2006. 24:07 minutes in. CBS.
  37. Gibbs' Rules: The Complete List From NCIS (Media notes). CBS.
  38. Warneke, Ross (May 13, 2004). "Death of Sunday movies". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  39. Holston, Noel (November 29, 2005). "Cowboy Mentality Helps Ncis Grow In Numbers". Sun-Sentinel. Broward County, Florida. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  40. Bradley, William (May 18, 2011). "NCIS: America's Favorite Show and What It Tells Us". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  41. Lipovetsky, Josh (November 10, 2009). "NCIS Character Analysis – Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs". Film Insight. Archived from the original on November 14, 2009. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  42. Rosenberg, Alyssa (May–June 2011). "NCIS: Bureaucrats with Guns". Washington Monthly. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  43. Lawson, Catherine (August 4, 2011). "'NCIS' Star Pauley Perrette Named Most Popular Primetime TV Star". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 23, 2013.

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