Warning! This article contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins season 2, episode 3, "Bend, Don't Break"
In a clever twist, some of Austin Stowell’s worst traits as the young Gibbs character in NCIS: Origins became Mark Harmon’s best traits in the flagship series. The prequel tells the backstory of central NCIS character Leroy Jethro Gibbs at the start of his NCIS career. That story is intertwined with the tragic tale of what happened to Gibbs' wife and daughter in NCIS and the story of NIS Special Agent Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino). Harmon reprised his role as the older Gibbs in the series, narrating the episodes while appearing on camera for the premiere episode as Gibbs for the first time since NCIS season 19.
Still, all eyes are on Stowell in the prequel series. The NCIS: Origins actor promises a different representation of Gibbs, who is emotionally marred after a drug dealer murders Shannon and Kelly for agreeing to testify against him. The tragic loss of his family leaves Gibbs impulsive and vulnerable, which is a tumultuous combination, especially in police work where he is in the line of fire. The problem in the NCIS: Origins story is that he hasn't proved it yet.
Austin Stowell's Gibbs' Work Process In NCIS: Origins Sets Him Up To Be A Great MCRT Leader
Gibbs Bends The Rules In "Bend, Don't Break"
Gibbs is a great team leader in NCIS because he uses his sharp instincts to keep himself and his team out of harm’s way. Gibbs goes with his gut when there is sometimes no evidence or proof, staying one step ahead of the perps to keep his team safe, and Harmon’s Gibbs builds a track record of it paying off. It’s clear that Gibbs is honing his methods in NCIS: Origins season 1, episode 3, “Bend, Don’t Break,” when he breaks the elevator’s emergency brake lever to hold their suspect hostage despite not having evidence to detain him.
Gibbs’ move in NCIS: Origins episode 3 is a flash of the trademark decision-making that defines him in the original NCIS, showing Gibbs honing his brand of justice. The problem for Stowell’s Gibbs is that he hasn’t earned his reputation yet as a skilled NCIS agent with a killer instinct. Instead, the newly-minted agent is known for being unstable, and so, while Gibbs is excellent on the crime scene and helps find their suspect in the NCIS: Origins episode 1 premiere, “Enter Sandman,” his trouble keeping a level head makes it difficult for the people around him to trust him.
Why Gibbs' Same Work Traits Are Criticized In Origins But Celebrated In NCIS
Austin Stowell's Gibbs Needs To Earn His Stripes
While Harmon’s Gibbs is occasionally checked by an outside agency throughout NCIS, he is generally revered by those around him and able to win over doubters. Gibbs’ same work habits that are viewed as helplessly off-the-books in NCIS: Origins are celebrated in NCIS because Harmon’s Gibbs proved himself for 12 years between the NCIS: Origins premiere and NCIS season 1, episode 1. In NCIS, Gibbs can push the forensics department to process evidence faster and bend the rules because he has earned the trust of people around him, and that won’t come cheap for Stowell’s Gibbs.
