{"id":1873,"date":"2025-02-20T18:08:45","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T18:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/?p=1873"},"modified":"2025-02-20T18:08:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T18:08:45","slug":"ncis-origins-bumpy-ride-how-a-single-episode-revealed-serious-flaws-in-the-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/?p=1873","title":{"rendered":"\u201cNCIS: Origins\u2019 Bumpy Ride: How a Single Episode Revealed Serious Flaws in the Show\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Continuing its latest trend, NCIS: Origins\u2019 worst Leroy Jethro Gibbs episode somehow crystallizes why the NCIS flagship series has been struggling with its storytelling. After its mandatory winter break, CBS\u2019 premier procedural universe is back for new episodes, both for Alden Parker\u2019s Major Case Response Team (MCRT) and Mike Franks\u2019 Camp Pendleton squad. While the NCIS franchise has been in existence for more than a decade, this is the first time that the flagship\u2019s supplementary show is a prequel, which makes a crossover tricky, considering the timeline. Still, both stories can be compared, and sometimes, doing so can be illuminating.<\/p>\n

Since Mark Harmon exited in NCIS season 19, the flagship has been trying to reinvent itself. Unlike Gibbs, Parker is more open to his agents \u2014 something that long-time members like Tim McGee and Nick Torres felt uncomfortable at first. As its parent series moves on from its former poster character, NCIS: Origins\u2019 premise demands Gibbs to be at its center. This was the case in the majority of its earlier run, but it has been a little different in 2025, with the prequel coming up with two consecutive episodes that relegate him to the sidelines.<\/p>\n

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NCIS: Origins Episode 12 Makes Kowlaski\u2019s Backstory So Compelling (Despite Gibbs\u2019 Minimal Involvement)
\nKowalski Barely Has Any Ties With Gibbs<\/h3>\n

In NCIS: Origins episode 12, \u201cTouchstone,\u201d NIS\u2019 custodian, Kowalski is focused on. The case starts when he walks into his office, which houses case files and evidence, ransacked. Being in the organization for 25 years, Kowalski is heartbroken, but it also triggers memories of him during his time in the war. For the next hour, NCIS: Origins mainly focuses on the character, with the rest investigating what really happened. Gibbs is partnered with Lala Dominguez, but in the bigger scheme of things, his existence in this episode is inconsequential. The story would still progress the way it does without him.<\/p>\n

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For a show that is supposed to be his origins, NCIS: Origins episode 12 is the worst Gibbs outing thus far. Despite that, it\u2019s one of the more compelling storylines that the prequel has come up with. Kowalski\u2019s outing follows a Franks-centric episode that also reveals flashbacks about his experiences during his time in the Vietnam War. However, at least then, Gibbs has direct ties with his boss \u2014 a relationship that endured for many years and lasted all the way through NCIS. However, Kowalski has no connection to him, at least for now.<\/p>\n

NCIS Season 22 Doesn\u2019t Have The Same Emotional Impact As Its Earlier Seasons
\nThe MCRT\u2019s Recent Cases Are Not As Intriguing<\/h3>\n

While NCIS: Origins lied about its premise, its main hook remains Gibbs and his story. The show has fleshed out some of the parts of the character\u2019s past that were established but not fully fleshed out in the original show. However, beyond his story, it\u2019s impressive that NCIS: Origins can come up with compelling arcs even for a relatively unknown character like Kowalski. Meanwhile, NCIS\u2019 storytelling has become sillier, with \u201cFor Better or Worse\u201d emphasizing that. In the outing, Jessica Knight and Nick Torres staging a fake wedding to take down a mob.<\/p>\n

If NCIS: Origins can come up with a grounded and character-driven arc about an entirely new character, the flagship can do the same, especially with its history.<\/p>\n

Granted that the flagship has always had hints of playfulness in its storytelling, mainly coming from its characters\u2019 antics, it used to balance it with darker and even gutting stories. However, it\u2019s difficult to do that in formulaic cases. Taking down a mob that doesn\u2019t really have any distinction from other similar entities has become boring. Torres\u2019 undercover adds a dimension to it, but ultimately, the Baltimore PD twist doesn\u2019t amount to anything. If NCIS: Origins can come up with a grounded and character-driven arc about an entirely new character, the flagship can do the same, especially with its history.<\/p>\n

How NCIS Season 22 Can Fix Its Storytelling Problem
\nNCIS Needs More Grounded Cases<\/h3>\n

Arguably, NCIS\u2019 early years had more silly agents, with Tony DiNozzo teasing McGee or Gibbs literally slapping his people on their heads. However, there was always a sense that MCRT\u2019s job included having to be exposed to the dark reality of the world. NCIS also used to tell harrowing stories about Marines in battle or those struggling after they\u2019ve come home. Now, it feels like some of the cases they tackle are crimes that could have been dealt with by the police.<\/p>\n

Moving forward, NCIS should go back to its storytelling roots that made it so famous. Deliver satisfying weekly cases while moving the characters\u2019 respective arcs forward. Knight and Jimmy Palmer talking with no hints of being bothered by the awkwardness of their separation is off-putting, considering how big of a deal it was in the NCIS season 21 finale. Parker\u2019s Lily case can also be focused on since it\u2019s an intriguing mystery that could further endear MCRT\u2019s new leader to viewers<\/p>\n

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Continuing its latest trend, NCIS: Origins\u2019 worst Leroy Jethro Gibbs episode somehow crystallizes why the NCIS flagship series has been struggling with its storytelling. After its mandatory… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1873"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1875,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1873\/revisions\/1875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}