After 15 years, CBS is able to make Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ most badass rescue scene in NCIS so much better. Mark Harmon was the face of the long-running procedural for almost 2 decades. Prior to NCIS, Gibbs already had an MCRT team in JAG, which underwent some changes when it was spun off into a separate series. There were a few times throughout his time with the agency that Gibbs wanted to quit. That said, he always found himself coming back, partly because of his commitment to the job and partly because of the people he worked with.
Gibbs was a beloved entity in NCIS, although he had his own quirks. He never locked his front door and he spent much of his spare time building boats in his basement. Notoriously quiet and private, so much of his past was unknown to his co-workers. Gibbs is different from Alden Parker who is more carefree in NCIS season 22. That said, being an enigma helped Gibbs be the coolest guy in the franchise. He’s had so many badass moments during his tenure, but NCIS: Origins just inadvertently made his best rescue moment cooler than it already was.
NCIS: Origins Episode 9 Features Gibbs Having Trouble Patiently Waiting To Fire His Sniper
Young Gibbs Struggles To Stick To The Plan
The NCIS franchise expanded by going back in time for the first time with NCIS: Origins. Starring Austin Stowell as the young version of Gibbs, the new show tackles his start with the organization. Admittedly, it didn’t feel like it was going to offer anything new, considering that the character’s arc had already been tackled for 2 decades in the flagship, but thus far, it has revealed interesting things about the former MCRT leader that were previously unknown. Beyond that, some of young Gibbs’ experiences in NCIS: Origins recontextualize certain moments in its parent project.
As an example, NCIS: Origins episode 9, “Vivo o Muerto,” sees him on a mission with Mike Franks and Lala Dominguez in Mexico. In order to save trafficked women from the cartel, the trio devise a plan to infiltrate the criminal’s lair. As a former Scout Sniper, Gibbs is tasked to be on the lookout and only fire his rifle at the right moment. However, he struggles to stay put as he sees Lala get assaulted, even though it’s by design. Franks has to remind him a few times to lie low. Ultimately, sticking to the ploy results in their success.
Gibbs’ Mexico Trip With Lala & Franks Prepared Him For The Rescue Of Ziva, Tony, & McGee in NCIS Season 7
Ziva Is Captured In Somalia
18 years later in the timeline, the lesson that Gibbs learned about being patient pays off in the flagship series. In 2009’s NCIS season 7, episode 1, “Truth or Consequences,” Tony Dinozzo Jr. and Tim McGee travel to Somalia to save the captured Ziva David. The majority of the outing sees the terrorist having the upper hand, as they overpower both MCRT agents.
At one point, Ziva even has a knife in her neck. Despite this, DiNozzo cheerily blabs about his team. What “Truth or Consequences” doesn’t reveal is that Gibbs is part of the mission — only that he is positioned elsewhere so he could take the shot that would kill the leader of the criminal organization.
…the experience in Mexico with Lala and Franks in NCIS: Origins gave young Gibbs the foresight to understand that pulling the trigger untimely could only make things worse.
While Gibbs was deployed as a sniper for years, it’s still different to see people that he actually cares about being tortured and hurt, while he sits there waiting for the perfect time to strike. That said, the experience in Mexico with Lala and Franks in NCIS: Origins gave young Gibbs the foresight to understand that pulling the trigger untimely could only make things worse. For viewers, seeing Stowell’s version of the character grappling with that and knowing how cool, calm, and collected Harmon’s older iteration becomes is satisfying.
Why NCIS Season 7’s Somalia Rescue Episode Is So Monumental
It’s Classic NCIS
Throughout the years, MCRT has had many different iterations. Caitlin Todd’s unexpected death in the NCIS season 2 finale established the idea that any member of the team can leave.
That said, certain points during the show’s run feature a stable ensemble, and the Somalia rescue episode happened in the middle of that. By then, Tony, Ziva, and Tim had already worked together under Gibbs for several years. That said, this incident solidified their camaraderie. It also firmly established Tony’s love for Ziva, as he blabbed during their abduction.
Finally, it’s just a really solid NCIS episode.