The recent NCIS: Origins update about Gibbs’ characterization makes me even more excited about the prequel. While NCIS: Origins will still be a police procedural that features weekly cases, the show will largely focus on the early career of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The famous NCIS character will be played by Austin Stowell – already a departure from the original show. In a recent interview, Stowell revealed that his version of Gibbs will be different from Mark Harmon’s version, which gives me even more reason to look forward to the show as the premiere nears.
I am excited to see how the NCIS: Origins cast navigates Gibbs’ story, and learning that Stowell’s young Gibbs will be different from Harmon’s Gibbs is undeniably intriguing. Of course, NCIS: Origins takes place years prior to NCIS, so some differences between the portrayals are expected. However, the mystery of just how different the characters will be is a question that has piqued my interest. The NCIS: Origins update by Stowell offered some hints as to the differences between the actors’ portrayals of the stoic Gibbs.
How Austin Stowell’s Gibbs Will Be Different From Mark Harmon’s Version
Austin Stowell’s Gibbs Will Be Experiencing A Lot Of Firsts
In a surprising twist, NCIS will be switching things up by offering a look at a very different Gibbs in NCIS: Origins. Austin Stowell’s Gibbs will not only be younger, but he will also be in a very emotional state. NCIS: Origins takes place only a few months after Gibbs lost both his wife and daughter in a tragic incident, so Stowell’s Gibbs will be in a very delicate place. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stowell said his Gibbs is “not the guy that the fans are used to.”
…Gibbs will be experiencing a lot of firsts. He is grieving, he just lost the two most important people in his life, and he is starting a new job.
In the interview, Stowell also said that Gibbs will be experiencing a lot of firsts. He is grieving, he just lost the two most important people in his life, and he is starting a new job. The stress of change is already enough to impact a person, but the young Gibbs is going to be going through so much in NCIS: Origins that his character will be very vulnerable. The portrayal of Gibbs in NCIS: Origins will be directly connected to the losses Gibbs experienced just a few months before the show’s start, making the raw emotion unavoidable.
Stowell’s description of Gibbs is very different from the Gibbs we see in the first 19 seasons of NCIS. In NCIS, Gibbs is emotionally distant, likely a result of the trauma he experienced from his two losses. It takes years for his team to learn about him as he is conservative with the information he shares. By the end of Harm on’s time on NCIS, his team knows a lot about him, but it was not an easy process. Understanding more about this journey and why he was so closed off is a fascinating prospect – one which promises to make the original NCIS even more emotionally rewarding.
NCIS: Origins Having A Different Gibbs Is Great For The Prequel
The Prequel Will Highlight Gibbs’ Character Development
Having a different version of Gibbs in NCIS: Origins is great for the show because it allows the prequel to stand out. It helps keep the show distinct and adds elements to Mark Harmon’s Gibbs that are not explained in NCIS. Furthermore, by focusing on Gibbs’ character development and his emotional state, NCIS: Origins can expand on why the NCIS version of Gibbs is the way that he is. It will also be interesting to see how the experiences that Gibbs has in NCIS: Origins turn him into the character we see in NCIS.
By deepening Gibbs through Stowell’s portrayal, NCIS: Origins can also avoid falling into the trap of recreating the same story in a different setting. The NCIS universe has been successful so far in creating separate, detailed characters in each spinoff, but there was a risk of recreating too much of NCIS in NCIS: Origins rather than adding something new to the series. By ensuring that Stowell’s Gibbs is different from Harmon’s version, the prequel can set itself apart while still holding onto the familiar aspects of NCIS that have made it so popular.
NCIS: Origins Will Add To Gibbs’ Most Tragic Story
We Will Finally See The Impact Of Gibbs’ Greatest Losses
NCIS: Origins could be the first time a detailed account is revealed of Gibbs’ most tragic losses. In 1991, Gibbs sadly lost his first wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly, to cartel violence. Some of the incident was revealed in a flashback in the two-part episode “Hiatus” in NCIS season 3. The episode was likely used as a way to give context to Gibbs’ hardened emotional state. Besides those flashbacks, not much else is known about Gibbs’ wife and daughter, which gives NCIS: Origins a chance to explore the topic further.
The death of Shannon and Kelly led to Gibbs being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps and joining NIS, the precursor to NCIS. NCIS: Origins examines this period of Gibbs’ life. Despite the series starting after Gibbs’ losses, the prequel will likely reveal more details about Shannon and Kelly through flashbacks or dialogue, as Gibbs will be going through a very difficult time in his life. The story is already so heartbreaking, but I am looking forward to gaining a more inside look at Gibbs’ relationships with Shannon and Kelly.
NCIS: Origins Sounds Like The Most Essential NCIS Spinoff Yet
A Detailed Look At A Singular Character Is New To The Franchise
NCIS: Origins will do something that no other NCIS spinoff has done before. It will focus on a singular character: Gibbs. So far, NCIS and all of its spinoffs have focused on team dynamics, and while the NIS team will still be a major aspect of NCIS: Origins, the prequel will largely focus on Gibbs’ story. I think that the show’s premise is a refreshing change from the typical NCIS series format. It will be interesting to see how the showrunners and writers balance keeping the show focused on Gibbs while also including standard NCIS features like weekly cases.
NCIS: Origins also stands out from the other spinoffs by featuring Mark Harmon as Gibbs years after he left NCIS. It has been confirmed that Harmon will be the narrator in NCIS: Origins, and he will give needed context and emotional sentiments to Stowell’s scenes as the young Gibbs. Having Harmon appear in the spinoff also means that an iconic NCIS actor is returning to the franchise. Harmon’s appearance in the spinoff will help solidify NCIS: Origins as the most essential spinoff so far, since his portrayal of Gibbs is one of the most memorable things about NCIS.