NCIS: Origins' 2025 Trend Is A Good Sign For Gibbs' Prequel

Spoiler Alert for NCIS: Origins episode 13, "Monsoon"

NCIS: Origins is following a new trend in 2025, and despite ignoring its main character, the shift is actually good news for the Leroy Jethro Gibbs-focused prequel. Despite being sold on the idea that it would focus on how it all started for Gibbs at NIS in 1991, the NCIS: Origins story has broadened its scope of storytelling. Instead, it has been highlighting more of the NCIS: Origins characters and that is a good thing.

The series first teased that its focus could lie outside Gibbs in the NCIS: Origins series premiere. In his narration as the older Gibbs character reflecting on his journey years later in Alaska, Mark Harmon says that NCIS: Origins is the story of Mariel Molino's Lala Dominguez. Incorporating Lala’s story as the series’ paramount narrative suggested that CBS undersold NCIS: Origins when it said it was just a Gibbs origin story, So far, NCIS: Origins episodes 11, 12, and 13 confirm the promising trend.

NCIS: Origins' 2025 Episodes Have Focused Less On Gibbs

NCIS: Origins Wraps Up Gibbs’ Prequel Story In Episode 10

Since the show’s midseason return in 2025, NCIS: Origins has focused less on Austin Stowell’s Gibbs. NCIS: Origins episode 11, “Flight of Icarus,” kicked off the trend, delivering the first episode focused on Mike Franks. As NCIS sidelined Gibbs in episode 11, broadening the scope outside the Camp Pendleton probie drastically improved the show. “Flight of Icarus” showed flashbacks to a young Mike Franks getting drafted to the Vietnam War, expanding the NIS team leader’s story while building on what the flagship established about the character.

NCIS: Origins Season 1 Part 2 Episodes	Air Date
NCIS: Origins episode 11, "Flight of Icarus"	January 27
NCIS: Origins episode 12, "Touchstones"	February 3
NCIS: Origins episode 13, "Monsoon"	February 10

NCIS: Origins episode 12, "Touchstones," continued building on the premise, using flashbacks to Korea to flesh out the story of the NIS evidence custodian, Dick Kowalski (Michael Harney), who was a prisoner of war in the Far East after serving as an Army Chaplain. In its latest outing, "Monsoon" the focus goes back to Franks, as it shows how exactly he met Tish while tying that to what's happening in their life presently in the timeline.

Why Developing The Rest Of NCIS: Origins Character Is Better For The Show

NCIS: Origins’ Trend Reinvigorates The Prequel’s Premise

Kowalski looking upset in NCIS Origins — Stills from NCIS Origins episode 12

The choice to shift back to Franks, expanding the prequel’s premise outside Jethro Gibbs’ story, is one of the best choices the prequel series could make, especially considering the NCIS franchise received criticism for expanding the story of a central character that had already been fleshed out. The show has seemingly moved on from recreating Gibbs’ flashbacks after the NCIS: Origins midseason finale, although it can continue to explore his story later.

Expanding NCIS: Origins stories to more broadly discuss military service can continue what the freshman series has done boldly and successfully so far.

Building NCIS: Origins to exist beyond Gibbs is good because exploring the character's background was a fleshed-out angle. Flashbacks in the flagship NCIS series to Gibbs’ past established his story. NCIS: Origins has done little to reach beyond what we already knew, with much of Gibbs’ story in NCIS: Origins comprising recreations of existing NCIS flashback scenes. Expanding NCIS: Origins stories to more broadly discuss military service can continue what the freshman series has done boldly and successfully so far.

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