The first images from NCIS: Origins reveal a clear look at young Gibbs and Franks in action. In the NCIS prequel, which is slated to premiere in October on CBS, the long-running procedural franchise goes all the way back to the 1990s to see how a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs built his career and personal connections. With the narration of NCIS vet Mark Harmon, who also executive produces, NCIS: Origin’s cast will also bring back a familiar name in Mike Franks to highlight how he became Gibbs’ mentor.
New photos from TVLine shine a light on NCIS: Origins, which premieres Monday, October 14, at 10 PM ET on CBS.
The photos particularly focus on Bridge of Spies actor Austin Stowell as the young Gibbs, working in the field and donning an NCIS hat. As for Franks, who is played by Being Human alum Kyle Schmid, he looks to be deep in thought with his feet on the desk.
NCIS: Origins’ Cast Has To More Than Look The Part
The Prequel Revisits Old Characters & Adds A Bunch Of New Ones
Taking place in the early 1990s, specifically 1991, the upcoming show follows Stowell’s version of Gibbs right as he’s starting as a Special Agent at NCIS’ Camp Pendleton office. It’s confirmed that Gibbs will look to build up what’s described as a “gritty team” with the help of Mike Franks, who has a close relationship with Gibbs on the original NCIS. Along with the younger version of Franks, previously played by Muse Watson, the Origins cast features a few other familiar faces.
There has been some controversy over the fact that Stowell’s visual appearance doesn’t line up with the Gibbs who audiences come to recognize in the main NCIS show. This is an understandable complaint, considering how Sean Harmon (Mark Harmon’s son) has already played Gibbs during flashbacks over the course of NCIS. Sean Harmon is involved with the prequel, executive producing it along with his father, but the new CBS show won’t be what longtime viewers might imagine.
The prequel, from showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and NCIS executive producer David J. North, does its job to bring Stowell’s Gibbs closer to the well-known Gibbs version. He’s in his gear and in the field, which helps. But the aspect that will really make the difference, and an aspect which will be a more important factor in the spinoff’s success, is what NCIS: Origins does to show its legacy characters in a different light.