NCIS: Origins Episode 11 Sidelining Gibbs Somehow Made It Better

Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and survivor guilt. It also contains SPOILERS for NCIS: Origins episode 11, "Flight of Icarus."

While NCIS: Origins was always intended to focus primarily on Gibbs’ backstory, episode 11 shows just how great the show can be when shifting its attention more toward other characters. With NCIS: Origins’ season 2 renewal still pending, this change of focus could prove highly instructive for the show’s writing team in terms of crafting more meaningful stories for the show’s supporting cast. It also shows how focusing on other characters can allow for more unique investigations that can affect the team emotionally without necessitating any thematic ties to Gibbs' emotional turmoil.

“Flight of Icarus” centers on the investigation into what initially appears to be a self-inflicted death. The victim’s father, a celebrated general, insists that his son must have been murdered. The investigation takes a heavy toll on one particular member of NCIS: Origins’ cast of characters, leading the show to focus less on the loss of Gibbs’ wife and daughter in favor of exploring another backstory never fully developed in the franchise’s flagship series. In doing so, episode 11 demonstrates why NCIS: Origins works significantly better when allowing Gibbs to occasionally step away from the foreground.

NCIS: Origins Episode 11 Shifts The Focus On Mike Franks

"Flight Of Icarus" Explores Franks’ Tragic Relationship With His Brother

Mike Franks in a flashback in NCIS Origins — Stills from NCIS origins season 1 episode 7 one flew over

General Reid’s refusal to accept his son’s death as a suicide unnerves Mike Franks, leading to the revelation that Mike’s brother Mason voluntarily signed up for the Vietnam War after Mike refused to dodge the draft. It’s strongly implied that Mason died as a result, explaining that Franks’ pre-established feelings about people choosing to die actually stem from his own survivor guilt. Although survivor guilt isn’t an entirely new theme for NCIS and its spinoffs, this unique approach to the issue strengthens Franks as a character and provides a lot of context to why he’s so protective over Gibbs.

What makes that last point so curious is that Gibbs’ own role in the story is almost entirely diminished. Franks does address Gibbs’ previous suicide attempt, but Gibbs’ main emotional through line is simply about whether he’s ready to start dating again. This subplot helps lay a bit more foundation for Lala Dominguez as Gibbs’ potential love interest, but it’s still given relatively little screen time. In the limited screen time it does receive, the most interesting development is simply Randy becoming aware of Lala’s feelings. Even in Gibbs’ own subplot, it’s still the supporting characters who shine the most.

Why NCIS: Origins Is Better Off Highlighting Its Ensemble Than Just Focusing On Gibbs

Several Supporting Characters Could Still Feature In Their Own Episodes

Mike Franks isn’t the first character to draw attention away from Gibbs, nor should he be the last. Episode 8 of NCIS: Origins not only made Randy its primary emotional focus, but it also gave him arguably the best action scene in the series thus far. Dominguez took the spotlight two episodes before that, but she needs to do so more often. Given that Gibbs himself describes this as her story in the series premiere, the show needs more Lala-focused episodes to justify its claims to her importance.

A Woody episode could also work in the show’s favor, adding some much-needed levity to an otherwise bleak series.

Even with NCIS: Origins' Operation Sundown hinting at the upcoming reveal of an overarching villain, there’s still room for other characters to draw focus in remaining episodes. Mary Jo previously hinted at a tragic backstory that still hasn’t been fully explored. A Woody episode could also work in the show’s favor, adding some much-needed levity to an otherwise bleak series. And while Phil and Gary Callahan aren’t likely to receive their own episodes any time soon, Kowalski’s role in episode 8 shows that even the smallest characters could prove more vital in future investigations.

NCIS: Origins Being Just Gibbs’ Prequel Sabotages Its Long-Term Success

Gibbs’ Backstory Doesn’t Work As The Sole Focus Of The Series

Austin Stowell as Gibbs in NCIS: Origins

The biggest issue with the series as a concept is that Gibbs’ backstory doesn’t really need to be explained. Most of the key points from his past, such as the loss of his family, were established in the flagship series. That’s not to say the prequel never gives his story more interesting context, such as NCIS: Origins episode 10 showing the influence Ruth had on Gibbs’ emotional recovery. But as strong as that story is as a one-off episode, watching Gibbs relapse into and subsequently recover from grief-stricken rage doesn’t have a long shelf life before it starts getting old.

To be fair, NCIS: Origins does occasionally venture into other intriguing aspects of Gibbs’ character. It seems likely that his relationship with Lala will lead to the origin of Jethro Gibbs’ Rule 12, and the origin of his rules in general has already been established as something he got from his wife. The problem is that most of Gibbs’ rules are commonplace enough not to require unique origin stories. With only so much of Gibbs’ pre-established character left to explain, the show simply can’t hold interest unless the writers start giving the rest of the ensemble more attention.

Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for our weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.