NCIS: Origins, a prequel to the long-running CBS series NCIS, premiered on the network on October 14. The show focuses on the younger version of Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he begins his tenure as a special agent of the Pendleton branch of the Naval Investigative Service (NIS). David J. North, one of the showrunners behind the series, recently hinted that the prequel might also have romance in store for Young Gibbs.
NCIS: Origins’ David J. North says romance for Young Gibbs ‘is certainly not out of the question’
David J. North, who serves as the showrunner on NCIS: Origins alongside Gina Lucita Monreal, teased romance for Gibbs in a new interview. Austin Stowell portrays Young Gibbs in the prequel series, with Mark Harmon reprising his role as the older version of the character and the narrator of the show.
“This is a human being and he has suffered a lot of loss, but romance is certainly not out of the question,” North told Deadline.
The plot of NCIS: Origins begins in 1991 and is set to explore Gibbs’ life as part of the NIS, an earlier version of the NCIS, and beyond. So, it’s only natural for the series to explore the romantic relationships he becomes involved in during this period. After all, the original series didn’t shy away from that. It has already been established that Gibbs was married four times, three of which ended in divorce. His first wife, Shannon Fielding, and their daughter Kelly, were killed by a drug dealer, and the incident played a significant role in Gibbs’ decision to join the NIS. The prequel also underscores the immenseness of the tragedy and how it impacted Gibbs.
Further, he was engaged to Ellen Wallace, a major in the United States Marine Corps, and dated Jenny Shepard, the late director of NCIS. As the prequel continues, those relationships and more could potentially be explored.
NCIS: Origins had a two-episode premiere and will air weekly on Mondays.
