NCIS: Origins returns with a second season on Tuesday, Oct. 14, and we're getting a full night of NCIS drama. There's a lot to look forward to in the prequel series.
According to TVLine, showrunner David J. North teased the introduction of three younger versions of the franchise's characters “that the fans are going to be very, very excited about.”
After season 1 gave us a young Tobias Fornell and introduced Diane Sterling, Gibbs's future second wife, we have only one confirmed new young character. But we can hope and take guesses at who the other two are going to be.
NCIS: Origins season 2 will pay tribute to David McCallum
Adam Campbell is set to reprise his role as young Doctor Donald "Ducky" Mallard. NCIS fans are sure to remember him from seasons 12, 17, and 18. In season 18, episode 2, "Everything Starts Somewhere", we got to see the moment young Gibbs was introduced to Ducky. This is the starting point of their friendship, which we expect to see in season 2 of NCIS: Origins as well.
According to TV Insider, episode 4, "The Edge", will give us Ducky at Camp Pendleton, sent there to shadow the team while they work a case. There, he reconnects with Gibbs. The episode promises to be an emotional one for fans who have been with the show since day one.
NCIS: Origins is the perfect chance to see the relationship between Agent Gibbs and Jenny Shepard
While no official word has come from showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North on who the other two characters are, we can always dream. I, for one, think this season is the perfect opportunity to show us Gibbs' relationship with Jenny Shepard (originally played by Lauren Holly).
NCIS gave us minimal flashbacks of their shared past before she became the NCIS Director in season 3. We know that the two worked together in the late '90s in Paris, tracking down Le Grenouille, the man who killed Jenny's father, while also working on other undercover operations all over Europe. Being constantly together on undercover ops in secluded places sparked the start of a relationship.
The said relationship lasted until Gibbs was ordered to return to the U.S., while Jenny stayed in Europe. I'm crossing my fingers to see the full extent of Gibbs's undercover years and the way this relationship started and evolved. It would explain so much of the tension between the two of them from season 4 of NCIS.
NCIS: Origins could give us young Gibbs meeting (and possibly working with) a young Leon Vance
The third character I bet my money on is a young version of (current) NCIS Director Leon Vance (played by Rocky Carroll). A young Vance also joined NIS in the '90s. We know that he was involved in overseas operations, including one called "Operation: Trident", meant to take down arms dealer Anatoly Zhukov.
Vance was supposed to personally take down Anatoly, but the safe house was attacked, and Anatoly managed to escape. When he resurfaces in Paris two years later, it's Gibbs who kills him. The backstory of Vance could be brought to NCIS: Origins in flashbacks, and there's hope that Gibbs and Vance actually get to meet when Gibbs returns to the U.S. and Vance is working as a field agent.
NCIS: Origins season 2 feels like it’s gearing up to be a fan’s dream come true. With Ducky officially confirmed and two more legacy characters waiting to be revealed, the series has the perfect chance to weave in the relationships that shaped Gibbs. Whether it’s Jenny, Vance, or a surprise character, this season promises nostalgia mixed with fresh storytelling.
NCIS: Origins season 2 premieres on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 9/8c on CBS.
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