Exciting News for NCIS Fans: Diany Rodriguez to Play Agent Vera Strickland in NCIS: Origins!
Longtime NCIS enthusiasts may recognize a familiar name in the character list for the upcoming series NCIS: Origins. Diany Rodriguez is set to portray Special Agent Vera Strickland, a character who first appeared in a one-off episode of the flagship NCIS series during Season 11, played by Roma Maffia. Strickland was previously the first partner of Muse Watson’s Special Agent Mike Franks, and thanks to the timeline of Origins, the showrunners saw a perfect opportunity to bring her back.
“It is a deep pull,” co-showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal stated in an interview with TVLine. “We looked at the timeline, and she would have been there [at Camp Pendleton].” Set in the early 1990s, the show will depict a freshly combat-experienced Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell, who was originally portrayed by Mark Harmon for nearly two decades.
Monreal adds, “Vera has some mysterious elements as well,” hinting at the character’s complexity. “So being able to flesh out a character that was so clearly defined in that one episode has been really fun, for sure.”
How Far Back Will NCIS: Origins Take Us?
The series will primarily explore the early 1990s, a significant period in Gibbs’ life that fans have previously glimpsed through flashbacks featuring either Mark Harmon or his son, Sean Harmon, playing a younger Gibbs. This era represents a turning point in Gibbs’ story, and NCIS: Origins aims to shed light on these crucial developments.
Viewers will see Gibbs as a probationary agent on Mike Franks’ team, with Kyle Schmid stepping into the role of Franks, complete with his iconic mustache in images released from Season 1.
But that’s not all! It’s possible the show might delve even further into Gibbs’ past. Robert Taylor has been cast as Gibbs’ father, Jackson Gibbs. In the flagship series, it was noted that the two had a strained relationship following the tragic deaths of Gibbs’ wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly. Show executives have promised to address this potential plot hole, which could lead to flashbacks featuring Stowell and Taylor as father and son. Fans are left wondering if we might also see Shannon and Kelly make an appearance.
NCIS: Origins is set to premiere with a two-hour special on October 14 on CBS, and fans can catch up on the flagship series now available on Paramount+. Don’t miss this exciting new chapter in the NCIS franchise!
