Despite Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ criminal-catching skillset as a Supervisory Special Agent for NCIS, he never locks his front door to keep them from breaking in. Throughout the series, several members of his investigative team are seen walking straight into Gibbs’ home without a key, whether he’s there or not. Considering his law enforcement career, which has brought him up close to some really monstrous offenders, fans have continually questioned why a man who clearly understands the risk of not locking his home wouldn’t make an effort to do so.
Gibbs eventually left the show during Season 19, but we still didn’t get any answers during his departure — from him, the other characters, or the creative team behind the show. Well, after over twenty years, fans can finally tie up that lingering loose end. Fellow cast member Cote de Pablo, who portrays agent Ziva David, recently answered the question about Gibbs’ careless unlocked door habit, and the reason has to do with the tragic fate of his first wife and daughter, Shannon and Kelly.
Cote de Pablo Says Gibbs Has Nothing Left to Lose
Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly, who plays Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, started an NCIS podcast called Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch last year, where the two actors go over episodes and discuss their time on the show. During an episode featuring Tim McGee’s actor, Sean Murray, the question of why Gibbs always left his door open for anyone to come in came up, and de Pablo finally provided fans with an explanation. To put it simply: Gibbs doesn’t feel the need to lock his door because he’s already lost everything in his life that he actually valued.
The heartbreaking murder of Shannon and Kelly before his time with NCIS meant that Gibbs no longer had the two most important parts of his life around to look after and protect with a security system or even the turn of a key. Suffering such a loss made him realize that the things in his house were just that: things without any real value, likely including himself. Therefore, Gibbs’ not locking up is reflective of his past. The worst thing imaginable has already happened to him, so no matter who comes walking through his door, revenge-seeking criminal or not, it doesn’t matter. Plus, if someone does choose to break in, his job has provided the training necessary to protect himself if he has to.
Does Cote de Pablo’s Reasoning Make Sense?
Cote de Pablo’s explanation of Gibbs’ no longer locking his front door does and doesn’t make sense. On one hand, it’s fitting for the character to feel like he doesn’t have anything left to lose and doesn’t care to protect his material assets in the home as a result of Shannon and Kelly’s murder. However, it still seems like a pretty reckless way of thinking, especially for someone with an established list of rules for him and his team to work and live by. Considering we see his crew entering his house even when he isn’t home, choosing to leave it unlocked could be putting their lives at risk — seemingly going against Gibbs’ own cautionary guidelines.
Not taking the preemptive measure of locking his door is inviting trouble to come walking in. Perhaps that’s exactly what he wants after everything he’s been through, but it wouldn’t be what Shannon and Kelly would want for him. However, trauma can really distort an individual’s perception of safety or make it seem like it isn’t truly achievable at all. Since Gibbs was unable to ensure his family’s well-being while deployed, his carelessness in this area is understandable from a sympathetic perspective.
Overall, Gibbs’ aversion to locking up being tied to his painful loss is simultaneously consistent with his trauma and inconsistent with his rule book on how to live, and it’s up to fans to decide if they want to embrace it as canon. Although Rule #51 does leave some nuanced wiggle room that could account for this discrepancy: sometimes you’re wrong. So, even if Gibbs’ past is the reason he stopped locking his door, that doesn’t mean that it was the right choice for him to make.
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