NCIS: Origins showrunner teases Operation Sundown and a “bigger bad” in the back half of season 1. The prequel series of NCIS follows Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ (played by Austin Stowell) early days working as a new agent in NIS after his first wife and daughter’s murder. The show’s opening murder investigation revolves around a sniper. While Mike Franks initially caught someone else for the crimes, a series of events ultimately led to a drifter named Jamison “Bugs” Boyd.
In an interview with TVLine, co-showrunner David J. North spoke about what viewers can expect in the upcoming eight episodes. While he doesn’t want to “give away too much with it,” he teases that Operation Sundown will be a focus, confirming that it has been the plan all along with subtle clues planted earlier in the season. The showrunner explains that “snipers in reality do work in pairs,” and there’s a “bigger bad” behind the crimes. Check out what he said below:
Yes, Operation Sundown is going to be big deal. I don’t want to give away too much with that, but obviously with Bugs…. I know some people missed it, but at the end of “The Sandman Part 2” (the series premiere), Mark’s voiceover says “the worst monsters lie in wait” and then come back, so this was always the plan. Snipers in reality do work in pairs, and we’re going to learn that Bugs had a partner and it’s the bigger bad that was more responsible for all this.
What This Means For NCIS: Origins
NCIS: Origins Is Getting Serious With Operation Sundown
In addition to the initial 13 episodes ordered by CBS, the network has given the green light for a full season order, adding five more episodes to NCIS: Origins season 1. There will be eight more episodes after the December 16 airing, with the rest of season 1 resuming on January 27, 2025. This means that the show is just getting into the sniper storyline, which has been teased throughout the first 10 episodes.
Earlier in the season, Bugs was initially ruled out as a suspect due to his substance abuse and his genuine care for the victim. Mike Franks uses a forceful interrogation style for the false “Sandman” to take the fall. However, Mark Harmon’s voiceover suggests that he had a hunch that there’s more to the story. The reveal of a second sniper not only makes Operation Sundown the focus for the rest of the story, but it also indicates an impact on the NIC team.
Our Take On NCIS: Origins
It’s A Jigsaw Puzzle Rich With Details
The show is in it for the long haul, and NCIS: Origins is taking its time to tell the full story of a complicated case and bring Gibbs’ possible storylines to light. Operation Sundown is the first big case Gibbs worked on, and he has been on it since the first day he joined the NIS. Between episode 1 and 10, Gibbs has grown a lot as an agent already. It seems that his character development is running alongside Operation Sundown.
On a personal side, with a five-month gap between the incident that killed Gibbs’ family and the time he joined NIS, there’s still a lot to tackle with the dual timeline format. The prequel has offered a lot of answers, but NCIS: Origins episode 10’s reveals have led to more questions. The high-rated NCIS prequel series has entranced audiences with emotional storytelling, but it’s also a jigsaw puzzle rich with details.