Written by Robert Scucci | Published
NCIS is one of those ride-or-die franchises that you will have a tenuous relationship with for life if you start watching it at a certain age. I remember sitting with my parents watching the flagship series when it first came out, and over the years I’ve been watching a lot of spinoffs. Now that NCIS: Los Angeles, New Orleansagain Hawaii they have run their way, and one-off Tony & Ziva miniseries completely threw the pooch, we’re back to the main series and its prequel, NCIS: The Origins.
Honestly, I’m fine with this. The original series is still beloved despite many personnel changes, too NCIS: The Origins it allows for some nice redesigns and flashbacks that are obvious enough for diehard fans, but not so minimal that newcomers can’t get in without doing their homework. It’s a great show if you’re a fan of the franchise, and the best thing that’s been released in years.
However, there is one big problem with that NCIS: The Origins it enters, and it is inevitable: there is no doubt. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of fun in the heat of the moment when drama is dialed in. There are also surprisingly strong action sequences for a series that is part of a franchise that is basically a procedural soap opera for boomers who just want to tune in to their news week after week.
Some Special Allegations do not exist
On an episode-by-episode basis, there are plenty of reasons to keep watching NCIS: The Origins. We get to learn about the early days of Special Agent in Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and how he cut his teeth working for the NIS before it became the agency and franchise we all know and love. We see how his 91 laws came to be. We get more backstory on Special Agent Mike Franks, the main character in the series (and it’s not even close), and Kyle Schmid is a deadbeat singer for the older, somewhat naive Franks in the original series (Muse Watson).
Even better, comedic relief comes in the form of Randy Randolf (Caleb Foote), who, if it weren’t for Franks, would be a standout character. We also get the best kind of wise-cracking nerd banter from Woody (Bobby Moynihan) and Philip (Ely Henry). I could go on, but the point is, NCIS: The Origins it’s more of a solid series, except for one thing.
There is none the original doubt.
Yes, people get hurt, and dangerous leads are chased, but that’s not the kind of suspense I’m talking about.
The kind of suspense that the show lacks, which is par for the course when it comes to prequels, is the kind you wouldn’t have had in the first place. The show stars Austin Stowell as the young and hungry Gibbs, but is still narrated by Mark Harmon. More importantly, we know that Gibbs is going up in numbers and working for 20 years NCIS. In other words, whenever Gibbs finds himself in danger NCIS: The Originswe know without a doubt that you will be fine.
The same can be said for Franks, and the rest of the gang to some degree. While I’m speculating here, I think we can guess the fate of Lala (Mariel Molino). He’s never mentioned in the flagship series, yet he’s always there NCIS: The Originsseries that tells all of Gibbs’ backstory leading up to the next one NCIS. I may be grasping at straws, but I have reason to believe that something bad happened to him that is too painful to reveal later. The series has done a great job of reimagining the original series, so it’s surprising that they came up with a character who could have been one of the many agents mentioned in the main series but never seen on screen or seen in passing.
In other words, as much as I love his character, I won’t be too attached because he’ll probably meet a tragic end at some point.
Fortunately, We Don’t Need This Kind of Doubt
Thank you, NCIS: The Origins it’s worth tuning in week after week, not because of the suspense, which we’ve found to be lacking here for obvious reasons, but because it’s a great character read from one of cable’s iconic, coffee-chugging curmudgeons. We’re currently looking at Gibbs’ second marriage, which has yet to fall apart, and I can’t wait to see how this whole thing unravels, as well as (check the notes) his third and fourth marriages.
Lack of pure, adrenaline-pumping excitement aside, runners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North know what they’re doing with fiction. NCIS: The Origins it remains a great watch for veterans and newcomers alike. But if you’re like me and you find yourself asking your wife, “Do you think you’re going to make it?” for the thousandth attempt at comedy (he doesn’t find it funny), you’ll be happy to know that Gibbs does, in fact, make it to life, and go on to star in another 435 episodes.
NCIS: The Origins airs on Paramount+
