Byron Lafayette
The following review contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins S1E1 & S1E2, “Enter Sandman” (written by Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North)
No matter how hard you try, there is no such thing as a clean slate.
So begins NCIS: Origins, a new show on CBS that joins the ever-growing universe of NCIS crime shows, this time taking viewers back to 1991 and the birth of NCIS and its greatest hero, Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Mark Harmon starred in NCIS for 19 seasons, and that series seemed to delve into most of his life and backstory. However, NCIS: Origins, developed by Mark Harmon and his son, tells the story we never learned of the decade or so that Gibbs was an Agent with NCIS in the 1990s. NCIS mostly never told stories from this era of the character, outside of a few involving his mentor Mike Franks (Muse Watson).
Taking over from Harmon and Watson in NCIS: Origins are newcomers Austin Stowell and Kyle Schmid, as Gibbs and Franks respectively. Just from the two episodes we have seen, both actors completely embody their characters, with Stowell even mimicking Harmon’s facial tics and voice. In an era where it’s popular for new actors to put “their own spin” onto preexisting characters they are recast as, it’s refreshing to see two actors who are really trying to be as much like the originals as possible.
The series continues the NCIS tradition of procedural cases with some serialization mixed in. The first two episodes tell one story, starting with Gibbs’ first day in NCIS. He does not get much time to rest before a call comes in that a body has been found. Franks, Gibbs, and the others arrive at a spooky old house, burned to a crisp, and find the body of a woman with an obliterated head. The house is filled with animal bones and signs of rituals, which lead the team to suspect a Satanic cult may be at work.
Gibbs, using his military training, determines that she was killed by a sniper, who gets the name “The Sandman.” We have many suspects who pop up, and more victims as well, before the reveal that the Sandman is a disgruntled lover who could not let go. However, Gibbs and the show itself leave the door open that perhaps there is more to the story…
Going into this show, I expected a more cut-and-dry NCIS show, but was pleasantly surprised to find NCIS: Origins leans more in the direction of True Detective. The supernatural thread, the dark and grim environments, and the gory crime scenes are very different from what we normally see in NCIS, but it’s a breath of fresh air.
I appreciated the show’s filmmaking as well, with good cinematography and visual storytelling. For example, near the end, we see Gibbs gazing out the window with the voice of old Gibbs monologuing, and while we see young Gibbs standing facing the window, old Gibbs is gazing back in the reflection. It was a nice touch that you rarely see on network TV anymore.
Overall, NCIS: Origins‘ premiere, “Enter Sandman,” was a fun and thrilling ride, with good performances and Easter eggs to the past of NCIS. While older fans of NCIS will enjoy this nostalgic ride, there is much for newcomers to love as well. NCIS: Origins takes the universe in a bold new direction, and I can’t wait to ride along with Gibbs as he hunts down the monsters he says are coming…
NCIS: Origins airs on Monday on CBS and Paramount+
