NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 3, “Bend, Don’t Break” is an example of the challenges that TV prequels have to deal with. It’s an episode that reveals an important fact about Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but then also has to build a new and interesting plot around that piece of his backstory. And while it succeeds in the former, it struggles somewhat in the latter.
“Bend, Don’t Break” continues Gibbs’ grieving process (or lack thereof) in the wake of his family’s murders. Stepping in to provide their own points of view are his father Jackson and his boss Mike Franks, but NCIS fans know that the only person whose opinion will matter is that of the young Gibbs himself. There’s a story involving drug dealing and arms smuggling, but it’s mostly a way to get into Gibbs’ head and remind the audience how different he is.
NCIS: Origins Explains How Gibbs’ Rules Got Started
Audiences Will Love the Backstory About Gibbs’ Most Unique Idea
What viewers will remember “Bend, Don’t Break” for is its opening sequence, which details how Gibbs’ rules were invented. The rules are probably the most well-known aspect of Gibbs’ character, and have kept fans interested from the start. Paramount has even put them on mugs and T-shirts. The audience will get a heartwarming feeling from knowing that Shannon inspired the creation of the rules — and a heartbreaking feeling when Gibbs throws the box containing them into the trash can. Luckily for everyone, one of the final scenes is of Jackson rescuing the box from the garbage on his way out of town.
But the entire point of a prequel is to give viewers insight into a character that they didn’t have before. It’s not simply to tell a character’s history; it needs to bring something new to the table. NCIS: Origins has a bit of a leg up on that front, because of Gibbs being tight-lipped about certain things during his time on the original series. But this sequence is an example of why the show works so well. It answers a question that viewers have been asking. Yet then the writers expound upon that through the case of the week. They don’t just throw the information out there; there’s further context provided through Gibbs’ behavior in the rest of the episode — and a brief appearance by Shannon to help him along the way. The series is accomplishing its intention of demystifying Gibbs; where it’s struggling is in fleshing out everything around him.
NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 3 Has Its Growing Pains
This Early Outing Lacks Enough Characterization
“Bend, Don’t Break” is still early in the run of NCIS: Origins, so it’s not surprising that it doesn’t have the best development for any character other than Gibbs. The show only has two legacy characters — Gibbs and Franks — in its main cast, so it has to come up with several new agents and hope that the fan base falls in love with them. That’s a process that takes more than three episodes. It’s the fresh-faced Randy (played by NCIS: Los Angeles alum Caleb Foote) who gets the most n on-Gibbs screen time, and he’s the typical anxious, straight-laced agent who doesn’t know what to do with his unpredictable partner. It’s funny at points, but definitely not novel.
The most complicated scenes actually have nothing to do with the case. Jackson decides to confront Franks about Gibbs, insisting that his son has a death wish and wanting Franks to kick him off the NIS team. The late actor Ralph Waite was so spot-on as the elder Gibbs in NCIS, and Robert Taylor — the star of the underrated neo-Western Longmire — is picking up right where Waite left off, metaphorically speaking. He keeps the character consistent, but brings his own personality to the role. Jackson is willing to take on both Franks and his own son, yet this parental drama doesn’t feel typical because the audience understands that it’s coming from the most genuine place. It’s not just another “tension with a parent” plotline. Plus, Jackson’s comments are backed up by how Gibbs behaves elsewhere.
Jackson Gibbs: Vengeance, son? It’s not worth it.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs: You don’t tell me what it’s worth.
The guest characters have the minimum amount of depth required to move the plot along. The main antagonist is Prado, a mall security guard who’s revealed to be a former Marine. His story has some intrigue to it: he robs a sporting goods store at the mall in order to smuggle guns to defenseless families in El Salvador. The problem is that his motivation doesn’t come out until the fourth act, and then it’s dealt with off-screen, as a voice-over by Mark Harmon’s older Gibbs informs the audience that “a covert op” saved the families. The implication is that Franks put those wheels in motion. It’s great that the story has a happy ending, but this script could’ve been much more compelling if it had gotten to the real matter faster, instead of spending so much time on just the basic robbery idea.
NCIS: Origins Lets Gibbs Get Emotional In a Very Gibbs Way
Austin Stowell Carries Episode 3 on His Back
While the other NCIS: Origins characters still have to find their groove, there’s no doubt that the young Gibbs is right on target. Audiences have been able to connect with Austin Stowell’s version of the character from the get-go, and in Episode 3, Stowell is able to convey Gibbs’ emotions largely through action — which is exactly the way it should be. On another TV show, Gibbs would have more outwardly emotional moments, or a big scene where he opens up to someone about the loss of his family. Those kinds of moments are ripe for both drama and character growth. In this specific case, though, they don’t make sense. Gibbs’ saddest moment is when he thinks he sees Shannon in the passenger seat of his car, and it doesn’t last any longer than it needs to.
The arguments with Jackson and Franks are tense and entertaining, but the most telling scene is when Gibbs intentionally traps himself in an elevator with Prado after breaking the emergency stop switch. These few moments are really about what Stowell doesn’t do. He remains calm, almost cheerful, throughout most of the sequence, as Gibbs lets Prado get more and more anxious. The audience kind of knows the beats that are going to happen; Prado shifts from claiming total innocence to making threats. But looking in Stowell’s eyes and hearing his tone conveys the turmoil that Gibbs will never let show. When Gibbs says he’s got nothing to lose, it’s believable. There’s so much insight into the character just by having him stand in the corner of an elevator — physically intractable but mentally unpredictable.
This scene could have been incredibly cliched in lesser hands. It could have just been back-and-forth banter between the good guy and the bad guy, with no real impact. But “Bend, Don’t Break” essentially treats the elevator material as a pause in the action to get into Gibbs’ head without telling the audience they’re getting into Gibbs’ head. What makes NCIS:
Origins Season 1, Episode 3 work is that continued development of its lead character. Even if the other pieces haven’t fallen into place, the biggest part of the show is strong enough that it’s worth following.
NCIS: Origins airs Mondays at 10:00 p.m. on CBS.