The NCIS: Origins co-showrunners tease the first case of the show

Here at Hidden Remote, we are incredibly excited for the premiere of NCIS: Origins, the prequel series that'll bring new and longtime fans of the franchise into Gibbs' early days as an NIS agent. It's a heartbreaking time for him because in 1991, he's fresh from a combat zone having served in Desert Storm and reeling from the loss of his wife and daughter who'd been murdered.

The Gibbs in this show is a man unmoored, who is navigating a life that he could not have imagined for himself and, in many ways, his work with the NIS will be his lifeline. It's his way forward. However, he won't be the man viewers of the flagship know and love. This is the man before the legend, before he had his own team and grew into the kind of agent and leader fans know him to be.

When speaking to TV Insider, NCIS: Origins co-showrunner David J. North spoke to the difference in characterization that will be noticeable right off the bat: "The Gibbs that Gina and I wrote for so many years had learned to push it all that emotion down. This Gibbs hasn’t learned that yet."

We're likely in for a more volatile Gibbs which is to be expected as the weight he's carrying is immense. He's grieving and stepping into a world he's unfamiliar with but that drive toward justice will remain the same. While details on his first case are still being kept under wraps, North has teased what we can expect.

There's a series of interconnected murders that are at the cent of the two hour premiere. North shared that the case will "bounce off of our characters in a really emotional way," which will be interesting as the season opener is our first encounter with all of them. But most intriguing is going to be Gibb's reaction.

According co-showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal, "Gibbs is thrown into this job and he’s in over his head, but in a way, this case is tailor-made for him, so he has an opportunity to shine."

Given what happened to his family, we're likely in for him being a bit too close to the case because of his own experience with dealing with the aftermath of murder and unexplained deaths. As a flashback episode of NCIS showed, Gibbs got justice and in the prequel he'll aim to provide the same to those who've lost someone to another's fatal actions.

We'll keep you posted as more news comes in about NCIS: Origins. The series premiere is Monday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET. The procedural will move into its regular time slot on Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. Next day streaming will be available on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Hidden Remote and follow us on X!