Gibbs has always struggled to accept the loss of his first wife Shannon and daughter Kelly, revisiting their memory every time he suffers a traumatic event. As he undergoes emergency surgery in the wake of his shooting, the NCIS agent will once again remember his daughter but this time much more vividly.
In the "NCIS" season 13 premiere, Gibbs' daughter will find her father in limbo as his life hangs in the balance. She will take him to "revisit happier times" in the short time they had as a family and that will include many moments with Shannon (using archival footage of Darby Stanchfield's character), according to TVLine.
The first promo showed Kelly taking her father by the hand and leading him through an open door that led to a bright light. Gibbs (Mark Harmon) ultimately will survive his two gunshots, but the experience will cause significant changes in his demeanor (and wardrobe).
Special Agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and CIA Officer Joanna Teague (Mimi Rogers) will accompany Gibbs to the Navy hospital ship, but Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) quickly orders them back into the field to track down The Calling, the terrorist organization recruiting young people to do their dirty work.
Tony is feeling guilty for leaving Gibbs exposed while he spoke with The Calling leader Bud on the phone just before the shooting. Joanna tries to convince him otherwise, saying there's no way they could have seen their "sweet little Luke was going to shoot his one true friend."
Catch "NCIS" when it returns on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. on CBS and enjoy this tongue-in-cheek line from Abby about Gibbs' surgeon.
