NCIS: Origins
admonition : This article hold in mentions of suicide and subsister guiltiness . It also contain SPOILERS forNCIS : Originsepisode 11 , " Flight of Icarus . "
WhileNCIS : Originswas always intended to focus primarily on Gibbs ’ backstory , episode 11 shows just how great the show can be when shift its aid more toward other characters . WithNCIS : Origins ’ time of year 2 renewalstill pending , this change of focus could prove highly informative for the show ’s writing team in term of craft more meaningful stories for the show ’s supporting cast . It also shows how focusing on other lineament can allow for more unique investigating that can affect the team emotionally without necessitating any thematic tie-in to Gibbs ' emotional agitation .
“ Flight of Icarus ” centers on the probe into what initially appear to be a self - visit destruction . The dupe ’s father , a illustrious full general , insist that his son must have been murdered . The investigation take a heavy toll on one particular extremity ofNCIS : descent ’ cast of characters , lead the show to center less onthe release of Gibbs ’ wife and daughterin favor of research another backstory never fully developed in the franchise ’s flagship serial publication . In doing so , installment 11 demonstrate whyNCIS : Originsworks importantly better when allowing Gibbs to once in a while tread off from the foreground .
NCIS: Origins Episode 11 Shifts The Focus On Mike Franks
“Flight Of Icarus” Explores Franks’ Tragic Relationship With His Brother
General Reid ’s refusal to admit his son ’s expiry as a suicide unnerves Mike Franks , leading to the revelation thatMike ’s comrade Mason voluntarily signed up for the Vietnam War after Mike refused to dodge the draft . It ’s strongly implied that Mason died as a issue , explaining that Franks ’ pre - plant feelings about people choose to die actually stem from his own survivor guilt . Although subsister guilt is n’t an entirely new theme forNCISand its spinoffs , this unique approach to the issue strengthens Franks as a character and provides a lot of context to why he ’s so protective over Gibbs .
Josiah Willard Gibbs gets along great with his colleagues in NCIS : Origins , but he treats Lala noticeably different by being surprisingly overprotective of her .
What makes that last item so odd is thatGibbs ’ own role in the story is almost all diminish . Franks does address Gibbs ’ previous suicide attempt , but Gibbs ’ main emotional through line is merely about whether he ’s ready to begin dating again . This subplot help put down a bit more foundation forLala Dominguez as Gibbs ’ likely passion interest , but it ’s still given comparatively slight screen time . In the circumscribed screen clip it does receive , the most interesting growth is just Randy becoming aware of Lala ’s touch sensation . Even in Gibbs ’ own subplot , it ’s still the supporting characters who shine the most .
Why NCIS: Origins Is Better Off Highlighting Its Ensemble Than Just Focusing On Gibbs
Several Supporting Characters Could Still Feature In Their Own Episodes
Mike Franks is n’t the first fictional character to draw attention away from Gibbs , nor should he be the last . instalment 8 ofNCIS : Originsnot only made Randy its primary emotional focus , but it also gave him arguably the practiced action at law scene in the series thus far . Dominguez took the spotlight two episodes before that , but she necessitate to do so more often . impart that Josiah Willard Gibbs himself describes this as her story in the series premiere , the show ask more Lala - concentrate episodes to justify its claim to her importance .
A Woody episode could also work in the show ’s favor , adding some much - needed levity to an otherwise desolate series .
Even withNCIS : Origins ' Operation Sundownhinting at the upcoming reveal of an overarching villain , there ’s still room for other characters to draw focus in stay episodes . Mary Jo antecedently hint at a tragic backstory that still has n’t been fully explore . A Woody installment could also work out in the show ’s favor , add some much - needed levity to an otherwise bleak series . And while Phil and Gary Callahan are n’t potential to receive their own episode any time soon , Kowalski ’s role in installment 8 shows that even the small persona could try more vital in next investigations .
NCIS: Origins Being Just Gibbs’ Prequel Sabotages Its Long-Term Success
Gibbs’ Backstory Doesn’t Work As The Sole Focus Of The Series
The large event with the series as a concept is thatGibbs ’ backstory does n’t really need to be explained . Most of the key points from his past tense , such as the departure of his family , were established in the flagship serial . That ’s not to say the prequel never pass his story more interesting context of use , such asNCIS : Originsepisode 10showing the influence Ruth had on Gibbs ’ emotional recovery . But as strong as that story is as a one - off episode , observe Gibbs lapsing into and after recover from grief - stricken fury does n’t have a long ledge life before it starts getting previous .
While there ’s hype besiege the upcoming NCIS spinoff , NCIS : Origins risks destroy what made Leroy Jethro Gibbs special in the original serial .
To be fair , NCIS : Originsdoes occasionally embark into other intriguing aspects of Gibbs ’ character . It seems likely that his relationship with Lala will lead to the origin ofJethro Gibbs ’ Rule 12 , and the origin of his rules in general has already been established as something he got from his wife . The trouble is that most of Gibbs ’ rules are shopworn enough not to want unequaled origin stories . With only so much of Gibbs ’ pre - effected part left to explain , the show simply ca n’t hold interest unless the writers start giving the rest of the ensemble more attending .
Enjoy ScreenRant ’s primetime coverage ? sink in below to sign up for our weekly connection TV newssheet ( make certain to go over " connection TV " in your preferences ) and get the inside scoop from histrion and showrunners on your favorite series .
SIGN UP NOW
Your Rating
Your scuttlebutt has not been saved
Cast
