The NCIS franchise delving into prequels with NCIS: Origins warrants a follow-up with another spinoff series. Few NCIS characters are as compelling as Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Still, other NCIS characters could hold their own as the stars of the next NCIS prequel. The franchise made history by looking back at Gibbs’ story, contextualizing flashbacks to his time as a Marine Corps sergeant and when he joined Mike Franks’ NIS team while showing the rookie’s earliest cases at NIS.
Another NCIS franchise prequel could look equally closely at another familiar Major Case Response Team (MCRT) member. Honing in on a familiar chapter in time for a fan-favorite character could be a fun way to bring back an NCIS character who can’t surface otherwise. A complementing prequel chapter would be a unique way to fill out the NCIS narrative, especially if the franchise leans into the established stories of some of its best characters to anchor the stories.
Ziva
Ziva’s Mossad Origin Story
Few would argue that Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David is one of the best characters in the NCIS franchise and has one of the best legacies. Cote de Pablo played Ziva David on the series from season 3 to season 11 and established a robust backstory for the agent during her time on the show. Ziva’s story was compelling from the start. NCIS introduced Ziva in season 3 as NCIS villain Ari Haswai’s sister, arguably one of the franchise’s best stories.
A backstory about Ziva could explore her becoming a Mossad officer while featuring alongside younger versions of Ari Haswari and Eli David.
NCIS season 3 established that Ziva was an agent for Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, known as Mossad. Due to her ferocious Mossad training, Ziva was among the most deadly NCIS agents ever. A backstory about Ziva could explore her becoming a Mossad officer while featuring alongside younger versions of Ari Haswari and Eli David. Focusing on a young Ziva could be dicey to navigate due to political tension but fascinating if done tastefully.
Jenny
Jenny’s Early Days In NCIS
Another character who deserves more in their story is Lauren Holly’s Jennifer Shepard. Jenny was the NCIS director from season 3 to season 5, taking over for Thomas Morrow after he accepted a position at the Department of Homeland Security after Caitlin Todd’s death. In addition to her importance as NCIS director, the flagship established that Jenny was a vital figure from Gibbs’ past before killing off Holly’s character in season 5.
NCIS revealed Jenny and Gibbs had a compelling romance, teasing hints of it in the flagship. A prequel story about Jenny could explore her romance with Gibbs in detail, showing her time working alongside Leroy and William Decker on a covert mission in Paris. The operation eventually led to Jenny’s brutal death nine years later in season 5. A prequel could expand on the importance of the initial case involving Anatoly Zhukov and his financée, Svetlana Chernitskaya.
Jenny and Gibbs worked together on the Paris mission involving a Russian arms dealer in 1999. The year is close enough to the NCIS: Origins timeline that the Gibbs prequel could explore the love story. However, it would probably be more tasteful to dedicate an entire spinoff to flesh out the case now that NCIS: Origins focuses on Lala. Moreover, revisiting the pivotal moment in NCIS history is a chance to bring Jenny back in a prequel and redeem her terrible death.
Ducky
Dr. Mallard’s Medical Drama
Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard could also return for a prequel story. A younger version of David McCallum’s iconic character was already established on the flagship, giving Ducky’s prequel story an anchor point. Ducky went to Eton College and later graduated from medical school at the University of Edinburgh. After graduation, Ducky worked with various organizations, including the military, during the Vietnam War, although some details of his backstory are vague.
NCIS established that Ducky was working at a refugee camp in Afghanistan in the 1980s and that he headed to the United States and joined NIS sometime after that. A prequel story for Ducky could pick up anywhere in Young Ducky’s timeline, although it might be most intriguing to focus on when he crosses paths with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. A prequel story focusing on Ducky could even come to audiences as a medical drama, shaking it up for the franchise.
Tony
Baltimore Police Procedural
Another established backstory in NCIS is Tony’s history as a Detective with the Baltimore Police Department. NCIS establishes Tony’s backstory partly through flashbacks, which show Tony with his partner, Danny Price. Tony eventually finds out his partner is a crooked cop. A prequel story could follow Tony as he worked alongside his former partner before making the development. The story could operate as a police procedural within the Baltimore PD.
After resigning from the Baltimore PD, Tony joined NCIS as a probationary agent after meeting Leroy Jethro Gibbs. A prequel story centering on Michael Weatherly’s character could also focus on Tony’s time as a probationary agent, bringing back both Gibbs and Tony as younger versions of themselves. Either way, an Anthony DiNozzo prequel could fill out Tony’s story and operate as a procedural, sharing a lot of DNA with the classic era of the flagship.
Kate
Kate’s Secret Service Days
Lastly, an NCIS offshoot could flash back to Caitlin Todd as a young Secret Service agent. The saga could follow Kate as she makes the career choice and chronicle the memorable NCIS character as she completes training for the position and gets her bearings in her new role. A Kate prequel story could play out until 2003 when Kate joined NCIS, contextualizing where the woman was at in her life when Leroy Jethro recruited her.
A prequel story focusing on Kate’s years leading up to becoming an NCIS agent could make her memorable NCIS story even better. Rewinding the clock on Kate’s story could explain why it was or wasn’t the right career move for Agent Todd to join NCIS, potentially showing how she somehow had better odds of surviving while protecting the president. Kate’s prequel would be exciting regardless of its direction, as NCIS would finally return her to the franchise after her untimely death.