Leroy Gibbs follows his own code of conduct in NCIS. He has a list of rules that he picks up throughout the years, and they can be traced all the way back to his first wife, Shannon Gibbs, who died in a car crash. While the flagship gives fans some idea about what the rules are about, the prequel series, NCIS: Origins, dives into the stories behind his rules. Taking place just a few months after his first wife and child were killed, the prequel series follows young Gibbs’ (Austin Stowell) footsteps to California, where he joined the Navy Investigation Service and served as an agent.
The series shows that Gibbs had the rules written down on pieces of paper that he kept in a tin box, but since the main show traces the rules to 91, it’s obvious that most were not yet there at that time. While NCIS: Origins offers some explanation for Gibbs’ rules, the more personal ones, and the way the rules originated, are still left untouched. With each rule having a story behind it, what caused Gibbs to write down those rules becomes the highlight of the show.
NCIS: Origins Traces Back to the Origins of the Rules
The prequel series sees Gibbs breaking one of his own rules by looking back into the past. Taking place only a few months after his first wife and child’s murder, Gibbs is trying to piece his life back together. He joins the NIS and works on local crimes while working through grief. The new series shows his box of rules that are written on pieces of paper. Inspired by his first wife, Shannon, who advised him to live by his own code of conduct, Gibbs started writing some of his rules down. The rules in the box mainly come from his time in the military. In the prequel, as Gibbs tries to move forward with his life, he initially throws away the box as a start to move on.
The episode “Bend, Don’t Break” catches Gibbs working as a rogue agent after Franks tries to keep him off active duty. Gibbs’ father is in town. Worried about his son, Jackson advises Franks to bench Gibbs in case he tries to do something irrational. The series of events causes Gibbs to break one of his rules — rule 29: learn to obey before you command. This rule is newly revealed in the prequel series NCIS: Origins. It’s obvious where this rule originates from, given that Gibbs was trained as a soldier in the military. The episode ends with Jackson fishing the box of rules out of the trash can and Gibbs reaching the conclusion that he should update his rules rather than throw them away.
It’s not entirely clear how many rules there were in Gibbs’ box back then, but the main show expands the list to rule 91. The “Bend, Don’t Break” episode also serves as the origin story for rule 14: Bend the line, don’t break it. Gibbs bends the rules several times in this episode. He disobeys Franks’ order and pushes the envelope to defend his own position, which bends the rule but is not enough to call him breaking it. Not having enough evidence to legally hold a suspect, Gibbs stops the elevator and breaks the “stop” button. By doing that, he doesn’t break the rules, only bending them while his team works on getting evidence. After learning the truth behind the case, Franks also decides to bend the rule to make sure those in need get what they need. In a way, Mike Franks is the inspiration behind Rule 14. Judging by the number of rules that are clearly more interrogation and crime scene related, it’s not hard to make the connection that these rules may have originated from the time Gibbs worked under Franks at the NIS before his time in NICS, which is the official crime unit.
NCIS: Origins Still Has Some Explaining to Do
So far, NCIS: Origins has explained the origins of Gibbs’ work-related rules, but the more personal ones are left untouched. At the beginning of the prequel series, Gibbs teases that this is a story that he doesn’t tell with an emphasis on “her,” aka Lala Dominguez, who is at the heart of the story. Lala is Gibbs’ potential love interest and colleague. However, as a female agent working in a male-dominated field in the 80s, Lala faces a lot of challenges. Her efforts go overlooked. Showing up before anyone at the crime scene also doesn’t read as hard-working to her colleagues. Questioning Gibbs’ suitability for the job after he failed his psych evaluation was mistaken as a workplace distraction. Lala’s story adds some heaviness to the story Gibbs is telling. It also makes certain rules more intriguing.
The 12th rule in Gibbs’ book is “never date a coworker.” With most of his rules learned from hard life lessons, this rule might have something to do with Lala. Given that Gibbs had been married when the original rules were written, this one is likely from a later time. Young Gibbs actor, Austin Stowell, teased Lala as potentially being the reason behind rule 12 in an interview with US Weekly. Their attraction is undeniable in the show, but with Gibbs having lost his wife and child not very long ago, even if they manage to cross the line from being purely professional to having a personal relationship, it’d likely be destructive and turbulent. Lala’s position in the office is already not looking good. Her good work is not being recognized and her ideas are put down and misinterpreted. If the two of them were romantically involved, things could be catastrophic; but at the same time, it’d be a hard lesson worthy of making the list.
There are some particularly personal rules, such as Rule 45: clean up your own mess, and Rule 91: when you decide to walk away, don’t look back, which Gibbs breaks when he looks back to tell his early story working as a probie in the NIS before his time at the NCIS. Over the years, Gibbs has had more than one wife and has worked countless cases. Being able to let go of the past is integral to him moving past the tragedies in life, one being the murder of his wife and child. As an agent working in a team that focuses on crimes, he also might have to deal with loss and grief a lot, but the one story that inspired this rule would be the most emotional one. NCIS: Origins certainly has to address the pivotal moment in Gibbs’ life that pushes him one step closer to becoming the man he’s bound to be.
Many Rules Are Missing
There’s a story behind every rule. When NCIS: Origins reveals the story, it always hits hard, which is the main reason why the prequel series should not be missed for NCIS fans. Gibbs’ rule 28, “When you need help, ask” receives a very emotional backstory. When Gibbs first joins NIS, he doesn’t talk about his feelings or hardships. He keeps everything inside and hangs up the phone when asked about his well-being. He also rejects Franks’ help and his teammates’ efforts of sensitivity. Rule 28 came up at that time, and Franks was again the inspiration behind it. He told this rule to Gibbs. In the case that involves a little girl, Lala and Franks worry that it might be triggering for him, but Gibbs turns out to be exactly what they need to solve the case. He gets the little girl to piece together the killer’s portrait. When things get too emotional, Gibbs asks Franks’ permission for some personal space, and when Franks isn’t sure what’s going on, Gibbs clarifies that he’s “asking” for help. Though it’s a tough case, through it, Gibbs finds his new purpose in life.
Besides the already known rules, there are also many blanks to fill in Gibbs’ codes of conduct. Fans have only got to know 37 out of Gibbs’ 91 rules so far. There are definitely less than 91 pieces of paper in the box Gibbs tried to throw away in the prequel, which means that a lot more rules will be written as the show goes on. As of now, more than half of the rules are still missing. It seems that NCIS: Origins has a long way to go to fill in the blanks.