Leroy Jethro Gibbs may have gone to Alaska in search of peace, but his past clearly has other plans.

The newly released trailer for NCIS: Origins Season 3 shows Mark Harmon returning to the screen as Gibbs, whose quiet retirement in Alaska is disrupted when unresolved events from his past resurface. The new season premieres on Tuesday, October 6, with Harmon appearing in every episode as part of a present-day mystery connected to Gibbs’ years at Camp Pendleto dog that it is time to get back to work before eventually leaving Alaska. Viewers also get a glimpse of Gibbs returning to an office in Washington, D.C., signaling that the mystery surrounding his past may be pulling him back into a world he thought he had left behind.

A Mystery Connecting Two Timelines

Season 3 will continue to move between the present-day storyline featuring Harmon and the series’ 1992 timeline, where a younger Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell, is still finding his place within the NIS team.

The new trailer suggests that the two timelines will become increasingly connected. Present-day Gibbs explains that the case at the center of the story was the one that “started it all,” adding that every case came with a price — one he would still be paying 34 years later.

Another voiceover points directly toward the larger mystery involving Lala Dominguez, played by Mariel Molino. Gibbs comes to realize that Lala’s story is not hers alone, but one shared with others, with the final chapter still unfolding.

CBS has confirmed that Mark Harmon will appear throughout all 10 episodes of the season, expanding his role beyond narration as the present-day mystery develops over the course of the season.

Gibbs and Lala Face the Aftermath of Their Kiss

The 1992 storyline also picks up after a major moment between Gibbs and Lala.

The trailer offers a look at the aftermath of their kiss, with the pair sharing a noticeably lighter and more intimate moment. Lala teasingly asks Gibbs why he wears so many shirts, while the preview also makes it clear that their relationship has entered unfamiliar territory.

For a character often known for his reserved personality, the sight of a younger Gibbs smiling so openly offers a different side of him as his relationship with Lala continues to evolve.

Meanwhile, the NIS team faces a far more urgent crisis involving Randy, played by Caleb Foote. Following his kidnapping, Randy appears badly shaken and warns that someone within NCIS is a Russian spy.

What Happens in the Season 3 Premiere?

The Season 3 premiere is titled “Don’t You Forget About Me.”

According to CBS, the present-day episode will see the ghosts from Gibbs’ past finally catch up with him, destroying the peaceful retirement he had built in Alaska. At the same time, the story returns to 1992 as the team races to rescue the kidnapped Randy while Gibbs and Lala deal with the consequences of their kiss.

Alongside Harmon, Stowell, Molino and Foote, the new preview also features Kyle Schmid as Mike Franks and gives viewers another look at Bobby Moynihan returning as an older, present-day Woody.

With Gibbs leaving Alaska and returning to work, Season 3 appears set to explore a mystery that bridges decades of his life while revisiting events that may have shaped the man audiences first came to know in NCIS.

NCIS: Origins Season 3 premieres on Tuesday, October 6, at 10/9c on CBS and will also stream on Paramount+.

Source: Compiled from various sources