There were so many things right with this show. And that was before I even started the first episode. From the moment I saw they had chosen Austin Stowell to play a young Gibbs, I was so in! He was the perfect choice in all of the ways. And let’s be real, I would have been in anyway. Because a show about a young Gibbs has me more than a little intrigued. So I was beyond ecstatic that the pilot episode kicked things off right! I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Actually, I was beyond impressed. And now I’m left wanting more. Guess it’s a good thing that we got a double whammy in a two episode premiere! So keep reading for my NCIS: Origins 1×01 review!
What We Know
I was a hardcore NCIS fan of the show from the beginning. But I’d be lying if I said I was still watching the OG show. Because I got kind of spotty with watching around the time Ziva left. And then I pretty much was completely gone when Tony left. So I’ve missed plenty. But I feel like I have watched and rewatched the episodes enough to know quite a bit about one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And I have to say, I am so looking forward to this series and all the Easter eggs I hope we get to see. So if anyone wants to start a list or share ones that you are seeing with me that I may miss, please do! Because I’m all about that, especially with a prequel series. I’m also excited to learn more about Gibbs. He has kind of always been my favorite character.
I know there are plenty of characters that we are going to be meeting for the first time. But I’m really hopeful that we are going to see plenty of younger versions of characters we know and love. I’ll be honest that I have done my best to keep away from spoilers because I want to be surprised about who they introduce us to. Part of me wants it to be a little bit of a surprise when I see the younger version of someone I loved on the OG show. But keeping away from spoilers has kind of turned into its own kind of sport and I have definitely seen a couple along the way. Plus, it’s hard not to guess at least a couple of the ones we are going to come across because of how much we do know about Gibbs’ character.
Nowhere Near Crazy
I did not support Walker calling Gibbs crazy. Or him telling Mike to kick him off the teams if he didn’t think he was cut out for it. That’s some crap. The only redeeming moment Walker got was that he said he would also go crazy if his wife and child were murdered. But that definitely wasn’t enough to put him on my good list. He’s got some making up to do after that moment. On the other hand, we got to have Mike again and he was naturally sticking up for our man, Gibbs. He put some confidence in the man right off the bat. And that was clearly a good decision, since Gibbs was on top of things from moment one and jumped right into the investigation. As if I would have expected anything less from the man.
As far as the murder went, they certainly weren’t pulling any punches. Nope, they threw us right into the gory fray with that gruesome looking body. Lenora, the assistant ME was also giving some serious Abby vibes. No, no one will ever compare to Abby. But I did appreciate that she was giving me a pretty good sense of nostalgia from one of my other favorite characters. She clearly marches to the beat of her own drum, just like Abby. So I am wondering about how close Lenora and Gibbs will get and if that would explain some of his fondness for Abby later in life.
Solving the Case
Before I get into how the first episode ended, can I just say that I already knew Austin Stowell was going to make a fantastic young Gibbs. And that was before I saw any of the promos. But, that being said, sometimes it was kind of shocking just how much Austin sounded just like Mark Harmon. Like I had to make sure I was hearing him and not a voiceover from Mark Harmon. Anyway, we got to see Gibbs going back to where he lived with his wife and child and becoming super emotional. And we also got to see Mark Harmon, which was a pleasure. But more than that, we got to hear him say this is going to be a story about “her”. And we have a couple guesses about who that is. And I’m sure you do too.
What did you think of NCIS: Origins 1×01? Is this one you will be adding to the watchlist? Are you here for a show all about a young Gibbs? Or do you think the NCIS franchise has gone far enough? What did you think of Austin Stowell? Do you think he is going to be able to live up to the legend that is Gibbs? What kind of things do you expect to see with the debut season of this prequel series? And what major events in Gibbs’ life would you like to see played out on the screen? Do you think everything will line up with what we know about Gibbs? Find and follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, and Threads to talk all things NCIS: Origins 1×01! And be sure to check out our site for more articles, quizzes, podcasts, and more on all things Disney and beyond!
