NCIS: Origins delves into the backstory of the fan-favorite agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, showcasing the beginning of his career when he joined the Pendleton branch of the Naval Investigative Service.
Unlike the Gibbs seen in NCIS, who is a responsible taskmaster and a skilled interrogator, his younger version in NCIS: Origins seems to be more impulsive and ruthless as he deals with tragedies in his personal life.
Gibbs’ actions become a concern for his department as he fails his psychological evaluation. Since the beginning of the show, it has been highlighted that he should not be working as a federal agent owing to his mental state.
In the fifth episode, Last Rites, Lala Dominguez finally confronts Gibbs and tells him his psych evaluation labeled him as someone who is depressed due to trauma and has unresolved anger issues.
Gibbs’ psychological evaluation recommended extensive therapy for him in NCIS: Origins
Lala reveals the psych evaluation details to Gibbs in Last Rites, disclosing that it paints a troubling picture of his mental health. The evaluation describes Gibbs as being in a ‘depressive state because of trauma’ with ‘impulsive tendencies’ and ‘unaddressed anger issues.’
The evaluator strongly recommends that Gibbs go to therapy and even doubts if he will be able to succeed long-term at NIS. The results give his teammates and the audience, an insight into his character and troubled past.
The agent’s issues arise from the fact that he is still coping with the loss of his wife and daughter, who were murdered. In the initial episodes of NCIS: Origins, Gibbs’ bosses have mixed feelings about him joining the agency.
In one scene, Mike Franks discusses Gibbs’ recruitment with Cliff Wheeler, the head of the agency’s Pendleton branch. Wheeler has serious concerns about the new agent and warns Franks to ‘cut him loose’ if he shows signs of instability.
He even calls Gibbs ‘crazy’ because he failed his psychological evaluation, saying that if he had lost his family like Gibbs did, he would go crazy too. Gibbs shows his impulsive side several times in the show.
When working on a case to find a missing body, he pulls a gun on some men near the suspected burial site, which shocks his teammates. Later, when Lala talks to him about his behavior, he opens up about his childhood when he lost control after his dog was killed.
Gibbs made a similar mistake when he heard the news of his wife’s and daughter’s murder. He was serving overseas at the time and entered the enemy territory during an attack after losing control of his mind. The attack led to him going into a coma, but he eventually woke up.
Lala decides not to report Gibbs' problematic behavior to Franks because of his honesty and instead suggests he try fishing as a way to calm his mind. Meanwhile, Mike Franks trusts Gibbs’ abilities, but he is disappointed that Lala told Gibbs about his evaluation without talking to him first.
Still, Franks believes that Gibbs can recover from his loss. He has seen Gibbs go through unimaginable pain, but he thinks Gibbs is strong enough to move forward in life. Franks sees signs of this when Gibbs handles a case involving a young girl, which reminds Gibbs of losing his daughter.
Gibbs’ ability to stay calm and focused in that case convinces Franks that he is starting to heal and slowly becoming the person he will grow into later in NCIS. He eventually becomes a strong leader in NCIS, overcoming his past traumas.
NCIS: Origins airs new episodes on CBS on Mondays.
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