NCIS has spent 22 seasons building a world, and Season 22 just tore down one of its oldest pillars. The rivalry between Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Tobias Fornell was a thread running through the series from its very first episode, but with Gibbs gone, that connection has quietly vanished from the show’s formula.
The Last Original Thread
When Mark Harmon left NCIS in Season 19, the series lost its lead actor and its emotional center. The departure of Harmon’s Gibbs left a hole that the show has spent several seasons trying to fill. But the exit also created a quieter problem: it severed the show’s connection to Tobias Fornell, the FBI agent who has been around since day one.
“The rivalry between Fornell and Gibbs was always something to look forward to, as fans enjoyed seeing them slowly become friends with each new episode together.”
Fornell first appeared in the NCIS series premiere as a rival to Gibbs. The two agents butted heads while working a case together, and that friction became one of the show’s most reliable pleasures. Fans enjoyed watching them slowly become friends with each new episode together.
Fornell appeared in at least one episode every season except Season 17 and Season 22. That consistency made him a familiar presence, even though he never became a main character.
A Rivalry Built on Contrast
The Gibbs-Fornell relationship worked because the two men started as rivals and grew into friends. Their scenes together had a rhythm that fans came to expect, with the pair slowly warming to each other over the course of many episodes.
That history is now off the table. With Gibbs gone from the series, there is no one on the show who shares that particular history with Fornell. The connection that anchored Fornell to the NCIS team has disappeared along with the character who built it.
The Loss of the Original Ensemble
The Gibbs departure was not the only loss the show has absorbed in recent years. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, the medical examiner, was the final original cast member after Harmon’s exit. When the actor who played Ducky died in 2023, NCIS paid tribute to both the actor and his character in Season 21.
Ducky was another link to the show’s early days. His death removed yet another piece of the original ensemble.
That leaves Timothy McGee as the most-tenured main character currently on the show. McGee has been a steady presence across the series, but he was never part of the Gibbs-Fornell dynamic in the same way.
Season 22’s Shift
Season 22 has moved away from the series’ original formula. The absence of Fornell from the season is part of that broader shift, though the show has not detailed exactly how else its approach has changed.
The old guard is mostly gone, and the series is no longer leaning on the relationships that defined its first two decades. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Shows need to evolve to survive, and NCIS has proven remarkably durable over its long run.
But the change is real, and it marks a clear break with what came before. The NCIS that premiered was built around Gibbs and his team, with Fornell as a recurring foil. The NCIS of Season 22 is a different show with different priorities.
Fornell’s Place in the Series
Fornell has not vanished entirely from the NCIS universe. His absence from Season 22 does not mean the character is gone for good. The show has a history of bringing him back when the story calls for it.
He has been featured in at least one episode every season except two across the show’s run, making him one of the most recognizable recurring faces in the franchise.
The character has remained a grounding presence through it all, a reminder of the show’s roots.
The Road Ahead
The question now is whether NCIS can sustain itself without the anchors of its past. The show has already proven it can survive without Gibbs, and it has found ways to honor the actors who have died while keeping the series moving forward.
But the loss of the Gibbs-Fornell dynamic removes a specific kind of storytelling that the show has not replaced. That relationship provided continuity, humor, and a sense of history that newer pairings cannot easily replicate.
For longtime viewers, the change is noticeable. The show feels different now, and part of that difference is the absence of the old rivalries and friendships that gave the early seasons their texture.
A Different Show
NCIS has rewritten its formula for Season 22, and the change is most visible in what is no longer there. The Gibbs-Fornell connection is gone, a casualty of the show’s ongoing transformation.
The series has endured for more than two decades by adapting to change.
But something has been lost in the process. The NCIS that fans first met was a show about people who knew each other deeply, who carried shared history into every case. That version of the show is now mostly a memory.
The new formula works on its own terms. Whether it can match the staying power of the old one is a question only time will answer.
Source: collider.com