NCIS season 15: Don’t buy into Mark Harmon ‘reduced role’
Of course, we don’t think at this point that some people are ever going to stop writing articles speculating about the guy’s health. He’s getting older — as all of us do — and that leads some to think that they have license to relentless speculate about this thing or that. Some outlets have claimed that his health is failing (not true); other outlets are claiming that he is leaving the show (also not true).
The latest report out there dubiously states that Harmon’s age could somewhat limit his appearance in season 15 — certainly a questionable claim for many different reasons. First and foremost, Harmon is a series regular still, and beyond that he recently filmed one of his most intense finale episodes in quite some time in “Rendezvous.” He also has a pretty intense premiere episode coming up, and that certainly doesn’t suggest that this is a guy looking to take a reduced role on the show. Even if he does decide to let Wilmer Valderrama, Sean Murray, or Duane Henry handle more of the action sequences in the future, but he’s not going anywhere as the main presence of the show.
Another sign that he’s clearly all-in with NCIS is the casting of Maria Bello. Do you think that the show would bring in someone to serve as a major foil for him if he was going anywhere? It’s hard to see it. Harmon’s got a ton of fans out there still, and this new character is a sign of the show’s commitment to Gibbs. He’s also under contract for at least this season, and given his executive-producer role on NCIS: New Orleans his investment in the franchise is clear.
It’s always possible that at some point down the road Harmon will decide to move on and maybe some of these sites/reports will declare victory then; however, remember that for now there is zero evidence of any of these claims about Harmon. There are no named sources and many of them are repeating the same information here and there for the sake of bringing attention to themselves. It’s frustrating, but that’s the way things go.
Why even report on this anymore?
We’ve discussed this before, but the main reason is to try to purge the NCIS search cycle of some of the nonsense. There are so many casual fans out there who browse the internet, see a story suggesting the star is leaving, and then accept it as fact — even in this era where we should be questioning news sources more than ever. We need to have avenues in which we still convey truth, and to not let the rumors win out and confuse people who view this show as a source of happiness and fun.
What’s funny is that a year or two ago, some outlets were focused on trying to find a way to shoehorn a potential Ziva return into everything; now, they’ve moved on to other avenues.
Want to see some additional NCIS guest-starring news?
If you head over here, you can get some additional scoop regarding one former Star Trek: The Next Generation star who is stopping by for a guest spot. (Photo: CBS.)
Charlotte
September 4, 2017 @ 2:37 pm
Keep writing about Mark and NCIS! I know the click bait sites are just that —using any headline to get a read. I pass right on by but many people are drawn in. I appreciate your efforts to debunk them and state factual information. I like also hat you continue to write about my favorite show. It’s not new or trendy, but still the best show around. Rest assured, many people are reading and sharing your stories, even if they are not the type who will stop and write a comment.
MrsCarter101
September 4, 2017 @ 7:23 pm
Thanks Charlotte, We really appreciate that, and it’s nice to know that people are reading and enjoying what we are doing. We want to keep things as real as possible here. We don’t ever want to be part of that clickbait nonsense, especially in a time where everyone is wary of “fake news”.
Bellz Webster
September 2, 2017 @ 4:16 am
Thanks for talking sense. I look to your blogs more than many others now as you don’t talk crap. I think they throw headlines around cause they are hard up for readers. There are pics of S15 Ep 1 available on the CBS site too.
MrsCarter101
September 2, 2017 @ 4:20 pm
Thanks so much for saying so, we don’t buy into the rumors, especially since there is no evidence to support this nonsense. Mark Harmon being 65 doesn’t mean he’s sick or too old to work. 65 isn’t old at all!
Monique75
August 30, 2017 @ 11:01 pm
Thank you again for trying to call out this nonsense for what it is. It seems there are some people who just enjoy slamming the show in general or think because Michael Weatherly chose to leave the show must be dead. In one of the commentary bits in the Season 14 DVD Harmon talks about how much he still enjoys doing the show, so of course he must be leaving.
MrsCarter101
September 2, 2017 @ 4:21 pm
We are trying to keep things in perspective at the site. All this talk about him leaving or being sick is all rumor with no actual evidence or statements from Mark or the show.