The upcoming NCIS: Origins Christmas episode synopsis confirms flashbacks that will reveal how Gibbs (Austin Stowell) joined the NIS, recounting how he ended up on the team. The ongoing prequel series has thus far offered a glimpse into the core character’s life in 1991, showcasing his earliest time with the NIS, before it became the show’s namesake. The story of NCIS: Origins has so far shown the main character with his team at Camp Pendleton, focusing on the earliest cases him and his original squad had to wrestle with in his youth.
Now, Paramount has revealed their holiday programming lineup, which includes a synopsis for a special Christmas episode of NCIS: Origins. Titled “Blue Bayou,” the description reveals Gibbs will be preparing “for his first Christmas without his wife and daughter” by reminiscing about the “unlikely journey” that wound up getting him a spot on the NIS team. This flashback will involve team leader Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) and former Marine Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino), who he’ll seemingly be teamed up with. The episode airs Monday, December 16 at 10 p.m. ET.
What NCIS: Origins’ Episode Description Means For The Christmas Special
It’s An Even Deeper Look at Gibbs’ Genesis With The NIS
While the whole cast of NCIS: Origins has been getting a chance to shine throughout every episode, the Christmas episode is clearly going to be an important one for Gibbs’ development. While there have been some small hints about what happened prior to his officially joining the NIS, the wider story ready to be told seemingly won’t be fully explored until mid-December. Even so, it makes sense for the show’s first holiday episode to centralize around the main character.
The episode’s involvement of both Franks and Lala also means more development for them, perhaps showcasing how their characters have changed since before the show began. Since NCIS: Origins episode 3 has been revealing more about Gibbs’ past, it only makes sense for the past of other existing characters to get broader focus going forward as well. Perhaps the Christmas episode can intertwine both, giving a glimpse as to what NIS was like before the protagonist showed up, and hinting at how it changed upon his involvement.
Our Take On NCIS: Origins’ Christmas Episode
It’s The Perfect Way To Explore NIS In New Forms
With the Christmas episode of NCIS: Origins being seemingly comprised of flashbacks, the show can better develop the team by showing how Gibbs became part of their investigations. Since the NIS is already a precursor to the NCIS in the show’s current timeline, an even further flashback could benefit exploring their organization in new ways. With plenty that hasn’t been revealed about the episode as of writing, anything could potentially happen when the show’s holiday special finally comes into focus.