Cast members (L-R) Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, Rocky Carroll, Mark Harmon, Cote de Pablo and David McCallum participate in a panel for CBS series NCIS during the CBS sessions at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Cal (Photo : REUTERS/PHIL MCCARTEN)
"NCIS" season 13 will see Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) fighting to overcome a severe depression.
The new season will pick up from where season 12 stopped, with Gibbs battling to survive two gunshot wounds he suffered while working, one of which was perilously in the chest. While he recovers physically, he starts suffering from long-term emotional disorientation and he is eaten up with thoughts about the future of his family in case he dies.
Talking to TV Fanatic, showrunner Gary Glasberg said, "He's shot in the chest, he has his knee replaced."
Glasberg added that season 13 is an eye opener for Gibbs because his character has to literally retreat and imagine the number of people who depend on him.
The showrunner continued teasing about Gibbs sinking his teeth into the new storyline outlining all his life twists.
He said, "You're going to see a physical change and an emotional change and Mark Harmon is really diving into that and making it unique. It's been exciting to watch and we've got some really emotional stuff coming up from him."
At first, one of the individuals Gibbs goes for support as he struggles with his problems is trusted protégé Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), but eventually as pressure increases, the depression of it all begins to affect their relationship.
According to Glasberg, "Gibbs and Tony are really going to feel some tension between the two of them."
Agent Gibbs puts much pressure on Tony because he wants to know whether this is what Tony wanted after surviving the gunshots.
In other news, Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) will return to the show in season 13. Talking to TVLine, David said, "I think the fact that they never killed the character off is very telling. Under the right circumstances, I think it could definitely be explored."
