When it came to the news of the NCIS prequel series starting, there were immediate questions about younger versions of characters we already knew showing up. Naturally, one on the mind of many was a young Ducky, but the first season of NCIS: Origins came and went without even a mention.
NCIS: Origins season 2 is just around the corner, and now we have some exciting news. A young Ducky will be in the episode, and there’s a familiar face reprising the role. Adam Campbell is back after appearing as a younger version of the beloved character in four episodes of the flagship NCIS series.
It is a somewhat odd decision, mostly because NCIS: Origins opted to recast Austin Stowell as young Gibbs instead of bringing Sean Harmon back in the role. However, we’re more than happy to see this familiar face.
Adam Campbell will be back as Young Ducky in NCIS: Origins season 2
There is a little about the story of Young Ducky and Young Gibbs in the flagship NCIS series. During the 400th episode of the show, we got to see how Ducky and Gibbs met, working together in the 1980s, before Gibbs was a husband and a father.
Since NCIS: Origins season 2 will be set in the early ‘90s, it means that Gibbs and Ducky already know each other. According to TV Insider, this is going to be a reunion, with co-showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North understanding the importance of canon.
“We wanted to do this episode to honor the memory of our dear friend David McCallum. He was a beloved member of the NCIS family for so many years and we’re incredibly lucky to have the talented Adam Campbell back to bring the younger version of this iconic character to life once again.”
The episode is going to be a tribute to the late David McCallum, who passed away at the age of 90 in September 2023. That led to a heartbreaking but beautiful tribute episode to him and his character Ducky, as the writers handled everything with care—thanks to Brian Dietzen being a co-writer for the episode.
Not only will be get Ducky back, but we’ll also get to hear some of McCallum’s music in the episode. That’s something both Monreal and North are excited to bring into the episode. In fact, the title of the episode will be “The Edge,” which is a title from McCallum’s song featured.
There’s no date set for the Ducky tribute episode
As of right now, there’s no date for the episode. There also isn’t an exact episode number. All we know is that it will air at some point in NCIS: Origins season 2.
Now the big question for many is whether a young Jenny Shepard will show up. It turns out that North is getting a lot of fans asking about her, and he and Monreal are looking for ways to bring the character in. They are both fans of the original NCIS, but the stories need to make sense both for canon and for the overall series.
The main focus right now is whether Lala is dead or alive after her crash at the end of NCIS: Origins season 1. We’ll find out in the premiere about that!
NCIS: Origins season 2 premieres on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 9/8c on CBS.