"NCIS" Special Agent Jethro Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) will be a changed man in mind, body and soul for the upcoming 13th season.

The last season ended with Gibbs suffering at least two life-threatening gunshot wounds, and showrunner Gary Glasberg tells TV Fanatic the longtime series star's recuperation won't be just of a physical nature.

"It's a little bit of both," he answered when asked if the adjustments needed to be made by Gibbs will be more physical or emotional.

"He's shot in the chest, he has his knee replaced. ... It's an eye-opener for him because the Gibbs character literally has to step back and say, 'How many more lives does this cat have?' How much more can he live through and if he isn't around to take care of his family, then what happens to his family?"

As the season plays out, lingering concerns raise all kinds of questions for Gibbs, and his struggles are apparent to all those around him.

"People are going to see some different and interesting shifts in Gibbs and he's going to open up a little more to people more, as well," added Glasberg. "It's a slightly different Leroy Jethro Gibbs this season and I will tell you that that carries through to how he dresses, how he presents himself and interesting little quirks that longtime fans are going to pick up on right away."

With Gibbs taking nowhere near the level of responsibility for manning the team as he normally has, Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) is expected to feel the pressure of having to be more of the leader this season.

All the changes are expected to create more tension between Gibbs and DiNozzo, with the former openly questioning if the latter truly wants to assume the position he's always prided himself on.

All this comes about at a time when DiNozzo is struggling for greater meaning in his own life, including in the romance department.

"I think there is something coming up later in the season and I will say that I think it will really surprise people," Glasberg says of Tony's love life. "It comes with all kinds of twists and turns and complexity. I would love to say it's just going to be all about happiness and roses for Tony but that will not be the case."

A regular on the series since its inception, Michael Weatherly also recently started his own production company, a fact some are using to speculate his "NCIS" days could be numbered.

The first project for his Solar Drive Productions is a pilot for The CW based on the adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel "Little Women." Weatherly later hinted he found a great crew to work with and the chance to produce his own works was too much to pass up.