A piece of NCIS: Origins casting news can worsen a sad story for Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Tackling the origins story of the former MCRT leader with the agency, the new CBS spinoff has tapped Austin Stowell to take over the role. Still, Harmon will provide the narration for the series. Since some of Gibbs’ backstory is known, the ’90s-set NCIS: Origins will build on critical moments for him. It can bring more depth to Gibbs’ flashbacks in the flagship NCIS and introduce moments of his life that the original series never showed.
NCIS: Origins will have some devastating twists, especially when setting up the rest of the character’s life. Picking up in 1991, a disastrous year for Gibbs, as NCIS season 3 revealed the death of Gibbs’ wife and daughter, the new expansion series can properly show the aftermath of the incident. Aside from that, however, there’s another heartbreaking development that NCIS: Origins is expected to tackle. A casting update reveals that the prequel will also show how Gibbs lost someone dear to him around the same time that his wife and daughter were murdered.
Robert Taylor Was Cast As Gibbs’ Father, Jackson Gibbs
Robert Taylor Is Known For Longmire And The Matrix
NCIS: Origins has cast Longmire’s Robert Taylor as Jackson Gibbs. Jackson is Jethro Gibbs’ father who appeared several times in the flagship show, with the legendary The Waltons actor Ralph Waite portraying the character opposite Harmon. The older Gibbs was introduced in season 6, episode 4, “Heartland,” which is one of the best episodes of NCIS. Harmon’s character reunited with his father when a case brought the team to Gibbs’ hometown of Stillwater, Pennsylvania. The outing revealed vital details about Gibbs’ life before his time at NCIS.
Plenty of backstory exists about Jackson Gibbs’ timeline, and as such, Robert Taylor’s casting confirms that the upcoming prequel will likely expand on a devastating moment from the original series. Including Jackson in the NCIS: Origins cast almost guarantees that CBS will feature a pivotal, heartbreaking moment for Gibbs. The network has a two-hour block dedicated to the NCIS: Origins series premiere before it moves to its regular slot. As such, the show’s special pilot has the time it needs to tackle a heartbreaking narrative for Austin Stowell’s young Gibbs character leading up to joining NCIS.
The Last Time Gibbs Saw His Father Was At His Wife And Daughter’s Funeral Before Their Reunion In NCIS
Shannon and Kelly’s Funeral Was In 1991 Before Gibbs Joined NCIS
NCIS revealed that the last time that Gibbs saw his father was at the funeral of his wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly. Pedro Hernandez murdered Gibbs’ family after they agreed to testify against him in a murder case. Since Shannon and Kelly died in 1991, and Jackson’s NCIS debut was in 2008, it implied that Gibbs and his father didn’t talk for 17 years. It’s likely that Jackson’s role in NCIS: Origins ties to that funeral since the father and son supposedly didn’t have any interactions after that until their reunion in the flagship series.
The name of the opening episode of NCIS: Origins reveals the likelihood that the series will include Shannon and Kelly’s funeral. The title of the NCIS: Origins pilot is “Enter Sandman,” suggesting a connection to Gibbs’ time spent in the Marine Corps, specifically Operation Desert Storm. This suggests the NCIS: Origins pilot will show Gibbs’ transition out of the Marine Corps and joining the agency. This will likely involve Shannon and Kelly’s funeral since it happened somewhere in between.
What NCIS Backstory Reveals About Robert Taylor’s NCIS: Origins Role
Robert Taylor’s NCIS: Origins Role Will Be Limited
NCIS: Origins showrunner David North addressed Jackson’s involvement in the series and the potential plot hole it could cause. He says that they were aware of the existing story and were working with NCIS canon to feature the character. Since Taylor is a recurring character rather than a series regular, he doesn’t have to feature in every episode. All that’s listed so far is that Robert Taylor will feature in NCIS: Origins season 1, episode 1, “Enter Sandman,” adding to the likelihood that it will use Shannon and Kelly’s story to set up the series.
If the series operates within his character’s established NCIS backstory, Taylor’s time on NCIS: Origins will be brief. He will feature as Gibbs transitions from Marine to NCIS agent, though there could be a few times to feature him in flashbacks. Otherwise, his role would solely be for the pilot. While the series could feature Taylor’s character as the series goes on, it makes more sense that NCIS: Origins will use Taylor’s involvement to explore the most significant moments of Gibbs’ life in 1991, tying together what happened to his wife and daughter and how that led to NCIS.