Did NCIS Just Summon Gibbs (!) To Help Avenge Vance's Death?

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Tuesday's "NCIS."

The "NCIS" team suffered a terrible loss earlier this season with the death of Director Leon Vance — but an old friend may have helped them get a little bit of payback.

Tuesday's episode of the CBS procedural revolved around Wayne Rogers, the CID director whose nefarious arms-trafficking scheme led to Vance's death. Rogers was facing serious jail time for his crimes, but he looked to cop a plea to save his skin, which infuriated Parker and the team. (Parker even punched out a federal prosecutor over it.) After a few false leads and gunfights, Rogers indeed reached an immunity deal that would whisk him away to safety in witness protection, and he gloated as Parker vowed to "stop you any way I can."

It looked like the bad guy would get away with it... until the team learned that Rogers was shot and killed while being transferred to witness protection. The shooter was an eagle-eyed sniper stationed more than 4,500 feet away. "There are not a lot of snipers who could make a shot from that distance," Jimmy pointed out as the team shot each other knowing looks. Hmmm.

Then when Parker shared a final scene with his sister Harriet, he seemed unusually upbeat. Harriet thought he may have pulled the trigger, but Parker admitted that "I don't know the first thing about sniper rifles." He does know about cars, though, and Harriet informs him that Rogers' car broke down after the alternator was disconnected. Parker played dumb... while offering Harriet some home-cooked salmon, "fresh from Alaska."

So let's connect the dots here: A world-class sniper + fresh salmon from Alaska = Leroy "Jethro" Gibbs pulled the trigger?!

To refresh your memory, Gibbs — played by series star Mark Harmon — was indeed a world-class sniper, working as a scout sniper in the Marines and later using his marksman skills to help the NCIS team on numerous occasions. Plus, when Gibbs said goodbye in Season 19, he relocated to Naktok Bay, Alaska, finding peace in the tranquil wilderness. We didn't actually see Harmon as Gibbs in this week's episode, but it seems pretty clear that Gibbs was the one who took out Rogers.

It's a fitting act of service, too, because Gibbs spent 15 seasons working with Vance, with the two occasionally butting heads but eventually earning a mutual respect. (Gibbs was there to comfort Vance when his wife Jackie was killed in Season 10.) They were friends off-screen, too. Rocky Carroll, who played Vance, previously co-starred with Harmon on the CBS medical drama "Chicago Hope," and when it came time to cast Vance in Season 5 of "NCIS," Harmon put in a good word for him, Carroll remembers: "My audition had less to do with me auditioning and more to do with Mark Harmon saying 'I know this guy, I like him, you should hire him.'"

Did you like the nod to Gibbs in this week's "NCIS"? Hit the comments to share your thoughts!