Gibbs and FBI Agent Tobias Fornell won’t know what hit ‘em in the Nov. 1 episode of NCIS, when a case brings their ex-wife Diane Sterling (Melinda McGraw) to their doorstep, and EW has your exclusive first look at the trio’s encounter.
Image Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS
Executive producer Gary Glasberg says Sterling, who fans know was married at separate times to both Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Fornell (Joe Spano), will be quite a force to be reckoned with. “When this part first came up it was a big question of who we could find that would be able to spar and really make something of the banter that we wanted between this character’s two ex-husbands,” he tells EW. “[Gibbs and Fornell] are two formidable, very unique characters, and it would take a very specific type of woman to handle both of them.”
One of the most humorous aspects of the episode, he adds, was the sense of an established, frank relationship shared among the trio. “There’s no hesitation and no qualms of holding back in anyway. She just lets them have it.” What’s even better? “They just take it,” Glasberg laughs. “It’s almost as if they’re used to it. I mean, they dish it back when they can, but that’s what’s fun about the way that Steve Binder and Reed Steiner wrote this character. There’s a familiarity that exists and you feel like you’ve been a part of it before.”
Glasberg says her visit will also be an informative one, as “a lot of feelings and memories come back as to why they were drawn to each other in the first place” and “will learn something about Gibbs and this specific wife,” he teases.
Looking forward to the episode, NCIS fans? (Benjamin Wood contributed to this report.)
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Definitely. Any Gibbs backstory is always exciting!
Fornell together again with Gibbs is going to be epic. Can’t wait to watch them interact with their shared ex-wife. Yes yes yes!BTW,I wanna share a good news to you.My best friend ,she just has announced her wedding with a millionaire man who is a celebrity !they met via Millionaireloving.C óM ..it is the largest and best club for celebrity and their admirers to chat online.You do not have to be rich or famous. ,but you can meet one , It’s worthy a try,Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends!
“Sterling, who fans know was married at separate times to both Gibbs and Fornell…”
Would have been awesome backstory if they were ALL MARRIED AT THE SAME TIME! Oh, the Tiffany Network (as in, da viewers are so old they all new Mr. Tiffany). Yeah, I watch too….
they’ve shown this character before, in the episode where Fornell’s daughter was threatened.
Yes, yes, but when will Gibbs marry Abigail Borin?? ;P
Yuck! No! They keep putting the wrong type of woman in Gibbs’ path. The actresses they cast are as bad as the pill that played Hannah on Bones. None of the women with Gibbs were the right type. They generally cast a woman who is too arch and too butch. Tea Leone would be perfect.
Reed Snyder. Is this a new writer or did you mean Reed Steiner?
Looking forward to seeing how Gibbs and Fornell deal with their joint ex-wife. If it’s anything like the scene in ‘The Ex-File’ with Gibbs confronted by LtCol Mann (Gibbs current lover), Stephanie (Ex-#3) and Jenny (Ex-lover and then current NCIS director/Gibbs Boss) then it should be pretty spectacular.
Mann-Ex-Lover. I just had to point that out….because I really did not like her and threw a party when she left
Yeah, that should be so great! I love Fornell, and anything about Gibbs’ private life is just so exciting! I love the banter.
These is going to be Legned wait for it dairly Man I can not wait
Is she the one who came after him with a 7-iron?
Yes she also the one who keep calling him in the 2nd epsode of the first season
Are you sure? I don’t think we know that. She’ll only be the 2nd ex we’ve met, I believe. There were 3. I think she has to be the first-ex, since she and Fornell have a daughter. But maybe not. Ducky said 2nd, but he didn’t know about Shannon at the time.
Stephanie (ex #3) was the one who came after Gibbs with the seven-iron and who he was divorcing when he met Tony. Fornell and Diane (ex #2) were at least married and probably divorced when Gibbs and Stephanie were married. We haven’t met ex #1 yet.
gibbs dont need a woman,he is the one that makes the show,along with abby.without them it wouldnt be as pop.
Love Joe Spano ever since he was on “Hill St. Blues.” Great, great actor. And of course I love Mark Harmon. I agree with the previous poster who says they always put the wrong kind of women with these guys. I guess the woman will have to be a certain kind of b*tchy, obnoxious control freak, otherwise why would both men have divorced her?
Anyhow, I’m very much looking forward to the story.
Why do you assume the men divorced her? Maybe she divorced them.
She *did* empty out both their bank accounts…
I think she divorced them, too. Easy to find a reason for Gibbs: obsessed with his job, I imagine he often forgot to warn his wife that he won’t be coming home for dinner… Rofl
I can’t wait I love NCIS. and to get a Gibbs backstory and with Fornell will be great. Iike Abby said he loved Shannon so much he can’t love any women like that.
Fornell together again with Gibbs is going to be epic. Can’t wait to watch them interact with their shared ex-wife. Yes yes yes!
Cher….ITA w/ you. Sooooo glad Tobias is making a re-appearance this season, and of course, no better way to do that than on an episode featuring “dual ex- spouses”. I can feel the sparks flying already….
I’m a BIG fan of the show. Not so sure that Harmon’s character, Gibbs makes the show though. The cast is a great ensemble.
Are you kidding?!?! Gibbs is NCIS. HE and the cast make the show what it is today. Can you imagine an episode without the Gibbs slap, the Abby kisses, the quiet epicness that is Gibbst? Not me.
Absolutely. Gibbs is the glue that holds everything together. My 16-year old and I don’t agree on everything, but we do totally agree that Gibbs, Abby, and Duckie are the keys to the show. Not that we don’t love the others – but those three are what make this show stand out from all the others.
Totally disagree. Gibbs brings it all together. He’s the glue that keeps his ‘family’ together at NCIS.
You must be kidding, True the show is a cast ensemble, but Gibbs is the glue that makes that ensemble work.
I love the relationship between Gibbs and Fornell. It’s so great. This is going to be a fun episode. I’m really looking forward to Jamie Lee Curtis’ episode arc with Gibbs, too. There’s going to be chemistry there, I think.
Mark Harmon is the best! He should be the Sexiest Man Alive Again….. Other actors his age and younger can’t compair to his looks.
100% agree.
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