‘NCIS: Origins’ Sets More Reunions for Gibbs With Joe Spano, Muse Watson & Roma Maffia Appearing

Welcome back to the NCISverse, Joe Spano, Muse Watson, and Roma Maffia!

Over the course of the three NCIS: Origins episodes airing on November 17, December 1, and December 8 — there will be a break between those first two — familiar faces will be appearing as part of the present-day mystery, which sees Mark Harmon‘s Gibbs, in 2026, trying to figure out who tried to kill him in Alaska and who the other target is. Watson will be reprising his role as Mike Franks (played by Kyle Schmid in the ’90s) in Episode 6 (November 17), Maffia is once again playing Vera Strickland (Diany Rodriguez as a regular on the prequel) in Episode 7 (December 1), and Spano’s coming in as Tobias Fornell (Lucas Dixon guest starred in the role in the ’90s timeline) in Episode 8 (December 8).

According to CBS, “The characters will appear as part of the season’s present-day storyline following Gibbs (Harmon), with each providing key insight into the truth behind Lala Dominguez’s (Mariel Molino) disappearance and the events that shaped Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and the Origins team decades earlier.” Check out photos from their episodes above and below.

These are just the latest reunions for Harmon, whose Gibbs has already crossed paths with Woody (Bobby Moynihan), Tony (Michael Weatherly), and Bishop (Emily Wickersham).

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In general, these reunions are “mainly driven by the story,” showrunner David J. North told TV Insider. “I mean, Mark did this because I pitched him a story that he liked, and, obviously, he can’t be every week with our folks from Origins, and the people that we saw him with on the mothership are really important to him. So really, I just sat down as we, as writers, were working on the story and figuring out who creatively, would he call? What would he need? And of course, the first one was DiNozzo, and we’ll see what happens from there.”

Watson’s return in particular raises many questions, considering Franks died in NCIS Season 8, 16 years ago. But there are always hallucinations, near-death experiences, and even the possibility of Gibbs just imagining a conversation with his former boss as he continues to unravel this mystery.

This won’t even be Watson’s first return following his character’s death or on the NCIS prequel. He appeared multiple times on the mothership after “Swan Song” in Season 8, with the last one being Season 15’s “Voices,” and he was in last season’s crossover with the two shows (in Origins‘ half) showing the transition from Schmid’s to his Franks visiting a man he knew to be in innocent in prison.

“We just thought that was an opportunity at the end to — this whole thing has been about time — actually see our Franks, Kyle Schmid, turn into Muse,” North explained to us at the time. “Muse is just an incredible guy, and we reached out to him and he said, ‘I’m here. I want to do anything to support you guys.’ He loves the show. He’s so proud of Kyle’s version of Franks, and he really, in a few days’ time, got on a flight. He came out here with his daughter, spent a couple days with us, and it was really awesome. I hadn’t seen him in many, many years, so it was really great to see him and spend that time with him.”

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Schmid told us that he was “over the moon” and thrilled to meet the man who originated the character he plays on Origins. “We had developed a friendship before the show started. He gave me a lot of advice, and it was great to just be able to sit and listen to his stories and learn and absorb and get the inflection in his voice because Muse has a very unique speech pattern.”

He added. “He’s so proud of what we’ve done with Mike Franks, and he’s so proud of the show. And he’s just so overwhelmed with gratitude and joy with what we’ve done with a franchise that is 20-some odd years old and been able to give it new life… That makes him just so proud. Muse and I went from being really good friends over the phone to incredibly good friends in person, and that meant so much to me.”

Maffia also appeared in that Origins crossover, working with the NCIS team (again) on the case. She debuted in Season 11 in the role, years before Origins premiered. In that episode, it was revealed that Vera was in touch with Gibbs, though it was vague to what extent, a detail that Maffia appreciated. She did think that the two were “in close contact” during that investigation.

Being able to also pass along that Gibbs was proud of McGee (Sean Murray) “was very sweet and unexpected and it brought back Gibbs in a real way that was, I think, very present for both of us, and speaking of how time passes and we age and how he got to see Gibbs in a different way, which was really lovely,” Maffia said.

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Spano last appeared on NCIS two seasons after Harmon exited, in its 21st. Dixon’s appearance as young Fornell came on Origins despite the questionable history between the characters.

“[Fornell’s] such an interesting character, and of course, the original Fornell played by Joe Spano, who I just adore — Gina [Lucita Monreal] and I both really think it’s poetic that Fornell appeared in the pilot of what was then Navy NCIS, ‘Yankee White,’ and to bring him in early I think was a really a no-brainer,” North told TV Insider in December 204.

However, there was a bit of retcon when it came to Gibbs and Fornell’s history during the course of NCIS. Fornell seemingly had no idea who Gibbs was when they crossed paths in the series premiere, but once he became a recurring presence, it was revealed that he married Gibbs’ ex-wife Diane (Melinda McGraw on the mothership, Kathleen Kenny on the prequel), despite the NCIS agent warning him. The two since became established as close friends and allies.

What are you hoping to see from these reunions for Gibbs? Let us know in the comments section below.

NCIS: Origins, Tuesdays, 10/9c, CBS