Did Young Leroy Jethro Gibbs Join NIS Too Soon After His Family Tragedy?
That burning question takes center stage in the first trailer for NCIS: Origins, CBS’ highly anticipated prequel spinoff, premiering Monday, Oct. 14 at 9/8c with back-to-back episodes. TVLine gives you an exclusive first look at the drama ahead.
Set in 1991, NCIS: Origins follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he embarks on his career as a fresh Special Agent at the NIS Camp Pendleton office. Austin Stowell (A Friend of the Family) steps into the iconic role (originally played by Mark Harmon), while Kyle Schmid (SIX) portrays a young Mike Franks, Gibbs’ future mentor.
The ragtag team Gibbs joins includes Special Agent Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino), a former Marine with a dark sense of humor; Field Operation Support Officer Mary Jo Hayes (Tyla Abercrumbie), who calls herself “HSIC” (Head Secretary in Charge); Special Agent Vera Strickland (Diany Rodriguez), a no-nonsense Brooklynite; and golden boy Special Agent Benjamin “Randy” Randolf (Caleb Foote), tasked with showing Gibbs the ropes.
The trailer also offers glimpses of Robert Taylor (Longmire) as Gibbs’ tough father, Jackson, and Bobby Moynihan (SNL) as lead forensics analyst Woody Browne. Patrick Fischler (Mad Men) voices Cliff Walker, Special Agent in Charge at the Pendleton office.
To jog your memory, Gibbs joined NIS shortly after his service in Operation Desert Storm, while still grieving the murders of his wife Shannon and daughter Kelly, who were killed by drug dealer Pedro Hernandez as Gibbs was stationed overseas.
Though Mark Harmon won’t appear onscreen, he serves as the series’ narrator and executive producer. His son, Sean Harmon, who played Young Gibbs in NCIS flashbacks and conceived the prequel idea, is also an executive producer, alongside co-showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North.
NCIS: Origins promises to dive deep into Gibbs’ early days as an agent — but did he return to work too soon after his devastating loss? Tune in on Oct. 14 to find out!