If you were thinking NCIS: Origins was getting too dark, it looks like there’s good news in season 2. Things are getting a little lighter, despite the major season 1 cliffhanger.
NCIS: Origins was a notable break for the franchise. It wasn’t set in modern times but rather in 1991, as a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) joins the fledgling NIS team investigating military-themed crimes.
One thing that hit viewers was that the show was much darker than the other NCIS series. It made some sense as this was Gibbs still mourning his murdered wife and daughter and an angry young man. That included an estranged relationship with his father and difficulty opening up to others.
There was also the tough Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) and episodes where Gibbs took revenge on his family’s murderer, with an older Gibbs (Mark Harmon) providing solemn narration on the cases and hints of worse to come.
The show just seemed to lack the fun of the other NCIS shows. Sure, those have drama and action, but also some humor, if not outright comedy, to balance it out. Thankfully, it looks like the showrunners are listening to those complaints.
Will NCIS: Origins be lightening up in season 2?
Speaking to TVLine, showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal acknowledged how the first season was a bit too gritty. That culminated in Lala (Mariel Molino) being hit by a car after Gibbs’s narration indicated she was dead.
The showrunners have confirmed Molino will appear, but they are mum on just what Lala's fate is. The team will process the accident and fallout with more storiesm, such as Franks struggling to reconnect with his brother Mason, who was believed to have died in Vietnam.
However, just because that all sounds serious, Monreal herself stated that “this season we’re really trying to embrace the lighter side of things.” That will include Randy being his “ray of sunshine” self while being stuck on desk duty. There will also be more on the rest of the team, with Mary Jo and Wheeler, and the promise of younger versions of at least three NCIS characters.
This is good news, as, while good, Origins was often difficult to get into because of the darker tone. NCIS shows rely on the great banter of their characters, the good humor and still a light-hearted attitude while investigating the harsh crimes. Origins just leaned way too much into the serious to the point of seeming like a different show.
Thankfully, it seems the showrunners have recognized that and are correcting it. We don’t want Gibbs firing off wisecracks right off, but lightening the mood will go a long way to helping the show. Have the subplot hijinks of a team member in some sort of funny trouble and the easygoing banter at crime scenes we love. Just because this is set in a different time doesn’t mean Origins has to totally change the tone of the entire NCIS franchise.
Maybe it can also lighten up how the series is filmed, as even the colors seem too saturated. That's meant to capture the past time but can be off-putting so adjusting that would be a step forward. If this lighter tone takes, NCIS: Origins should see some major improvement for season 2.
NCIS: Origins season 2 premieres on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 9/8c on CBS.
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