No one ever accused Leroy Jethro Gibbs of being a teddy bear (well, except maybe Abby), but in the wake of his brutal shooting last season on "NCIS," the special agent will be even more surly than usual.
When the CBS drama returns this fall, Gibbs' (Mark Harmon) tough road to recovery will especially affect his relationship with the team and in particular Tony (Michael Weatherly), who will once again fill in as team leader while the boss is out of commission.
"Gibbs is in a difficult place, a physically difficult place. ... We're still functioning as a team, but there's absolutely some conflict," executive producer Gary Glasberg told TVGuide.com.
"There's issues that have to get worked out between team members, very specifically between Tony and Gibbs. ... It's tricky, and they're sensitive to what he's going through, and they're trying to be there for him as co-worker and as friend and as family member. They're being ultra-supportive of him."
While Gibbs undergoes emergency surgery aboard a Navy hospital ship, Tony and CIA Officer Joanna Teague (Mimi Rogers) will travel to Shanghai to take The Calling, the terrorist group responsible for recruiting young people around the world to do their dirty work.
"It dramatically gets resolved," Glasberg said about the season 13 opener. "Tony really rises to the occasion."
If things with the team get to tense, Gibbs may lean on his surgeon Dr. Taft (Jon Cryer) who will strike up an interesting relationship with his patient. Cryer is set to recur for at least three episodes as the "badass" doctor.
As long as Gibbs sticks around town and doesn't head to Mexico again, things should work out just fine.
"NCIS" will return on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. on CBS.
