Even though the hit television phenomenon NCIS is currently on hiatus between seasons, the allure of the series has shown no signs of cooling, largely thanks to the intimate connections fostered through the weekly podcast, NCIS: Partners & Probies. In the most recent episode, which aired on Tuesday, June 2, the show welcomed a very special guest: Sean Murray—the longest-tenured cast member across the entire NCIS franchise. Under the guidance of hosts Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover, the conversation unveiled numerous intriguing layers regarding the show’s enduring journey as well as the tumultuous shifts in its personnel.

The Indomitable Spirit of a Legacy

Addressing a thought-provoking question from Diona Reasonover regarding why he has remained committed to the NCIS ship for so many years, and whether the love for his character is the sole driving force, Sean Murray offered heartfelt insights. He asserted that it is a confluence of many factors, in which the rotation of the cast through various phases acts as a “fresh breeze” that sustains the series’ longevity.

Murray reminisced about the delicate transitional period when Mark Harmon—who portrayed the legendary Leroy Jethro Gibbs—began to reduce his presence on screen. “We’ve been so fortunate with the different iterations of cast that we’ve had come through, too. I mean, I remember when Mark [Harmon] was kind of getting ready for Gibbs to appear less and less,” he shared.

A Fateful Encounter with Gary Cole

One of the most memorable milestones Murray mentioned was the arrival of Gary Cole. The actor did not hesitate to express his sense of relief and excitement upon learning that he would have a peer of equal caliber to collaborate with. “I remember some of the discussions about Gary Cole joining the show, and I remember getting the phone call about, ‘OK, so Gary’s the guy,’ and I remember feeling like, ‘Yeah, thank God. Thank God,’” he recalled. Notably, this was not the first time they had worked together. Murray revealed that they had previously collaborated on a movie of the week titled For My Daughter’s Honor back in 1996, when he was just 19 years old.

Murray’s connections with veteran co-stars stretch even further. Early in his career, at the age of 15, he acted alongside Mark Harmon in the Western series Harts of the West, filmed in Santa Clarita—a setting where he had the opportunity to work with horses—a cherished memory before both went on to make history together with NCIS.

The “Legendary” Gibbs: Why a Return Must Be Truly Worthy

The return of the character Gibbs during season 23 of NCIS—when Parker (Gary Cole) reached out to him for his skills as a sniper to help take out one of the men responsible for Director Leon Vance’s death—became one of the most emotional highlights. Executive producer Steven D. Binder admitted to TV Insider: “Maybe if you gave me one hand to choose the things I’m most proud of on this series, that’s going to be on the hand for sure.”

However, bringing Gibbs back to the screen is never a casual decision. Binder shared his perspective on maintaining an “ageless” image for this character: “One of the things we’ve resisted doing is placing him in any specific area or job or location. I know Origins has done that to some degree, but you don’t necessarily know what time when that storytelling’s occurring.”

He further emphasized: “We’ve been specifically avoiding Gibbs because I’ve always felt that Gibbs is a larger-than-life kind of guy, and you almost imagine he’s transitioned to another plane of existence. I don’t want to think of Gibbs living in an apartment in Anchorage. I want to think of him permanently in the woods, fishing, however that works. So I’ve been very careful about when we bring him back, if we were to bring him back in any way, that we don’t burst that bubble and we continue letting him be this larger-than-life character.”

Ultimately, the prerequisite for Gibbs’s appearance is that it must be “worthy.” To the creative team, protecting one’s family is always the most noble reason for this icon to emerge from his peaceful seclusion: “It had to be worthy for Gibbs to come back. And what happened in the penultimate episode, I think, is about as worthy as it gets: protecting his family.”

Through these reflections, fans have gained a deeper understanding of the dedication that both the cast and the production crew pour into NCIS. It is not merely the maintenance of a television show, but the preservation of a cultural icon that has been intimately woven into the lives of millions of viewers for decades.