NCIS: Origins gains fans
Prequel tells story of younger Gibbs
This is the main cast of NCIS: Origins: Austin Stowell (Leroy Jethro Gibbs), Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid), Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez (Mariel Molina), and Bernard “Randy” Randolf (Caleb Foote). Erik Voake/CBS via people.com
There are millions of NCIS fans, and reasonably so for a CBS staple for more than 22 years.
The departure of the show’s original cast left a void, leaving many excited for a peak at the early years of special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs with NCIS: Origins.
The NCIS prequel has held steady at about 6 million viewers a week, which isn’t bad since NCIS averaged 7.6 million in Season 22, losing 21 percent since last season. During its run as the top show on TV, NCIS would have 10 million to 17 million viewers each, depending on the episode.
NCIS: Origins stars Austin Stowell playing a young Gibbs at the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) at Camp Pendleton in California.
The prequel earned high marks for its first season, which included mystery, moral dilemmas, and a shocking cliffhanger in the season finale.
Executive producers Mark Harmon, Sean Harmon, Gina Lucita Monreal, and David J. North did a superb job of introducing the characters with Gibbs at NIS. During the inaugural season of the prequel, fans became familiar with Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid), who taught Probie Gibbs everything he knows. The other members of the team are Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez (Mariel Molina) and Bernard “Randy” Randolf (Caleb Foote).
The show doesn’t disappoint NCIS fans as Mark Harmon narrates each episode's opening and closing. It’s a nice touch for a franchise that likely has fans because of Harmon’s influence on NCIS.
It didn’t take NCIS: Origins long to dive into the plot of Pedro Hernandez, which made sense because of the new show’s storyline. Gibbs became an NIS agent with Mike Franks shortly after the deaths of Shannon and Kelly at the hands of Hernandez.
Viewers learn that Gibbs failed his psychological evaluation to become an agent, but got on Franks’ team anyway.
Among the regular investigations confronting Franks and his team, Gibbs is obsessed with finding who killed Shannon and Kelly. It’s a normal human response for something that happened while he was serving overseas.
Franks and Lala learn Gibbs killed Hernandez. The three of them keep it to themselves, until they no longer can in the season finale.
This is a scene from the Season 7 “Borderland” episode where Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) confronts Gibbs (Mark Harmon) about the Pedro Hernandez killing. CBS via YouTube
Die hard NCIS fans know the circumstances that compel Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) to confront Gibbs after she was invited to investigate a Mexican cold case involving the death of Pedro Hernandez. Abby learns the case involves the deaths of Gibbs’ wife and daughter, and evidence points to Gibbs. NCIS’ intense “Borderland” episode in Season 7 delivered the conversation between Abby and Gibbs in his famous basement.
Abby needs to know that Gibbs will love her “no matter what” comes from her report on the Pedro Hernandez cold case. This is one of the most intense dialogues between two NCIS characters.
NCIS has had staying power because of the storylines, chemistry of the characters, and the endearing qualities to connect with viewers who became faithful fans. They made fun of Gibbs’ ex-wives, Tony’s sex life, Ziva’s ability to be an assassin, Tim’s nerdy tech side, Abby’s Goth background, and the British Ducky.
Meanwhile, NCIS: Origins writers did a tremendous job in Season 1 helping viewers understand the personalities at the NIS headquarters at Camp Pendleton. They’ve produced at least one show for each of the main characters: Gibbs, Franks, Lala, Bernard. NIS Director Cliff Wheeler, office administrator MaryJo Sullivan, profiler Vera Strickland, evidence room manager Richard Kowalski, and Franks’ wife, Tish. This has strengthened the show.
We learned that Franks had this complicated relationship with Tish and she left him near the end of Season 1. Meanwhile, Franks–someone with the demeanor of the Franks on NCIS, but not the height– cuts corners like Gibbs. NCIS fans already know this about Franks. But viewers saw that in the pursuit of Sandmann near Season 1’s finale.
Viewers also learned that Lala feels like no one understands the sacrifices she's been forced to make, and Bernard is a solid investigator, but lacks confidence in tense situations.
Because Gibbs failed his psychological evaluation before landing at NIS, that has teammates wondering if he can be trusted.
Gibbs gains the trust of Franks’ team. But viewers get glimpses of the famous “Gibbs gut.” The big one tied comments from a Veterans Support Group to a hunch that he knew the Sandman sniper who killed five people, including “Bugs.” Franks wrongly pegged “Bugs” as the killer.
The mystery of finding the real Sandman killer climaxed to the deeper Season 1 storylines near the season finale “Cecilia,” which brings Gibbs back to Hernandez. The NCIS: Origins team created stories filled with emotion consistent with the NCIS brand.
The finale starts with Lala being reacquainted with a friend, Lara Macy, played by Claire Berger. Macy was a character in NCIS and NCIS LA. Macy is an MP with strong evidence that Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez. Macy tells Lala she wants to talk to Gibb, and Bernard. Bernard is brought in on the secret between Gibbs, Lala, and Franks regarding Hernandez.
Gibbs and Macy have a heated conversation where Gibbs refuses to be lectured about what happened, adding that his sniper rifle was stolen. Gibbs would have a second conversation with Macy where he produced the rifle buried in his yard, insisting to keep the rest of Franks’ team out of it.
Gibbs finds Lala in one of her neighbors pool, they almost kiss, and Gibbs tells her what he told Macy.
That led Lala to tell Macy she was in on it with Gibbs killing Hernandez. This led to the investigation being dropped, which led to Macy being killed by the Reynosa cartel in NCIS Season 7.
This led to the cliffhanger to end the NCIS: Origins season: Lala is on her way to tell Gibbs what she told Macy when the Jeep she was driving flipped over a parked car to avoid a little girl in the street, and Lala appears dead from her injuries.
Meanwhile, Gibbs meets one of his ex-wives: Diane.
NCIS: Origins fans trust Season 2 stirs untold mysteries that have been part of the NCIS brand for more than two decades.
