Do You Need To Watch NCIS To Understand NCIS: Origins?

As the premiere date for the NCIS prequel, NCIS: Origins, looms, you may wonder if you need to watch the original to understand the prequel. NCIS: Origins will explore the backstory of the central NCIS character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon in the flagship NCIS series for 19 years. Harmon established a robust presence as Gibbs during his era with the series, and while the actor can’t reprise the role, Harmon will return to narrate the series. In the prequel, Austin Stowell plays Gibbs, and his characterization promises a more vulnerable character representation.

Stowell will offer a new version of the character to the NCIS: Origins cast, but he will tap into a rich history. NCIS audiences are familiar with Gibbs’ background. Still, the question is whether those without much exposure to Harmon’s character must be familiar with Gibbs to enjoy his new series. It would be a tall feat for anyone to fully familiarize with the character, who has many seasons of NCIS episodes shaping his persona.

You Don’t Need To Watch NCIS To Watch NCIS: Origins

But An Understanding Of The Flagship Would Enhance The Prequel

You don’t need to watch NCIS to enjoy the prequel. While a familiarity with the flagship series’ main character would certainly enhance one’s appreciation for it, the NCIS: Origins story will stand apart. Even if Origins heavily relies on the NCIS narrative to set up Stowell’s Gibbs, the dialogue will likely explain it. Plus, the series will be procedural, meaning it will have a case-of-the-week premise, and audiences can tune in for the procedural aspect while getting to know the Gibbs character.

CBS likely considered the possibility that people would be tuning into NCIS for the first time when watching Origins, and crafted a story that would be accessible to all levels of familiarity with the franchise. NCIS: Origins will add new themes and characters to the franchise while maintaining Gibbs’ rich story for fans. Moreover, if those tuning into the NCIS franchise for the first time enjoy what they see, they could pick up the series chronologically, jumping into the NCIS backdoor pilot on JAG or NCIS season 1 after watching NCIS: Origins.

How NCIS Will Inform Gibbs’ Prequel Story

NCIS Revealed Glimpses Into Gibbs’ Tragic History

Whether a familiarity with it is necessary to enjoy NCIS: Origins or not, Gibbs’ story from NCIS will inform the prequel. The events that NCIS: Origins covers are the main elements of the character’s backstory. We expected NCIS: Origins to focus on what happened to Gibbs’ wife and daughter in NCIS since it takes place the same year they died, and the official NCIS: Origins trailer confirmed that. The clips show flashbacks to moments Gibbs shares with his wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly, confirming the series will tackle the narrative.

The trailer also included clips of other characters talking about the “newly-minted” agent, saying that he failed his psych evaluation and lost his wife and daughter. The story of Shannon and Kelly’s murder is a huge factor in the NCIS: Origins story, so the backstory from NCIS will inform the prequel. Over the two decades that Harmon played Gibbs in the series, NCIS explored moments of the character’s earlier life that are essential in setting up the person he became. NCIS: Origins undoubtedly plans to build on existing moments, versus rewriting the character.

What Parts Of Gibbs’ Story NCIS: Origins Will Likely Cover

Origins Will Show Gibbs Becoming An NCIS Agent

NCIS: Origins will take on the stories of Gibbs’ tragic past, and one stands out. The “Hiatus” double episode revealed that Gibbs had a wife and child, but that a drug dealer murdered Shannon and Kelly. They died in a car accident after their driver, assigned to protect them, took a bullet to the head. The episode was the first to delve into the former Marine’s past, exploring how the Gunnery Sergeant extracted revenge. Other episodes explored more pieces of the agent’s past until Mark Harmon exited NCIS.

NCIS: Origins will definitely cover Shannon and Kelly’s murder, promising to explore how that affected Gibbs’ choice to become an NCIS agent. Gibbs followed in the footsteps of the man who investigated his family’s death, Mike Franks, played by Muse Watson in the original series. Origins cast Kyle Schmid as Watson’s character, meaning the show will undoubtedly cover pivotal moments between Gibbs and his former mentor. If tuning in for the first time, however, one should sit back and enjoy the new aspects of the NCIS franchise in the 1990s setting.