NCIS: Origins’ premiere sets up Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ worst crime by reuniting him with his dad, Jackson. The newest installment in the evolving NCIS franchise looks back to the past as it tackles the earliest years of Gibbs in the agency. Aside from producing, Mark Harmon is also back narrating the events of the series while also occasionally making an appearance. Meanwhile, the role of young Gibbs is played on-screen by Austin Stowell, who joins Kyle Schmid’s NIS team at Camp Pendleton as Mike Franks. The pair is surrounded by mostly fresh faces at this unexplored point in NCIS’ history.
As with the original NCIS show, the focus of the prequel is on the cases that the squad takes on. However, since NCIS: Origins is technically Gibbs’ origins story, his personal narrative is intricately tied to the story of the show — at least in its first season. This means that characters from before he joins NIS can pop up, which is the case with Robert Taylor’s Jackson Gibbs. Despite the potential plot inconsistency brought by his appearance in NCIS: Origins episode 2, “Enter Sandman Part 2,” his involvement already has a vital impact on his son’s story.
Jackson’s Appearance In NCIS: Origins Episode 2 Motivates Gibbs To Kill Hernandez
Gibbs’ Dad Motivates Him To Do Something About Kelly & Shannon’s Murderer
While NCIS: Origins episode 1, “Enter Sandman Part 1,” focuses on introducing Franks’ team, its follow-up delves deeper into Gibbs’ story, as he comes home to his dad unexpectedly visiting him in Camp Pendleton. As it turns out, he just finished a backpacking trip and decided to check up on his son. The men clearly have a strained relationship, but Jackson eventually takes the risk and asks Gibbs if the police have caught who murdered Kelly and Shannon. Stowell’s character, not really wanting to discuss the matter, gives a clipped answer, saying that the perpetrator got away.
As revealed in the main NCIS , Gibbs begged Franks, who also worked on the case, to give him information about the suspect, resulting in him going after the criminal himself.
Jackson asking about the case effectively sets up Gibbs going after Pedro Hernandez, the Mexican cartel leader who had his family murdered. Stowell’s character wasn’t haunted by the need for revenge, but this could be the starting point. As revealed in the main NCIS, Gibbs begged Franks, who also worked on the case, to give him information about the suspect, resulting in him going after the criminal himself. Using Gibbs’ ability as a Marine sniper, he carried out a lone mission to exact his revenge, which he succeeded in doing. It would be secret for two decades until Abby Sciuto discovered it.
Will NCIS: Origins Show Gibbs’ Killing Hernandez?
NCIS Didn’t Fully Reveal Gibbs’ Crime
Based on the official NCIS timeline, Kelly and Shannon were killed in February 1990. The events of NCIS: Origins, on the other hand, pick up in October of the same year. It’s unclear when Gibbs sought his revenge, but considering what was revealed in the flashback scenes in the flagship series, as well as Jackson’s question, it’s safe to say that it has yet to happen. This means that NCIS: Origins has the chance to show how it fully pans out. What’s unclear is if it’s going to.
Considering how central the deaths of Kelly and Shannon are to Gibbs’ story in NCIS: Origins, however, it’s safe to say that it will have to tackle the incident. Otherwise, it will be a missed opportunity, especially because the main NCIS series never fully showed it besides snippets from flashbacks. Now, the prequel has the chance to show if other people were involved with Gibbs carrying out his worst crime.