Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
It’s becoming evident why the title for NCIS: Origins was pluralized. This series is just as much about the people around Gibbs as it is about the protagonist.
Somehow, we got a clearer look into Gibbs’ past and a new vulnerable side to him. Yet, he held it together better in this episode than in any other thus far.
For a show with so much machismo energy, NCIS: Origins does a fantastic job of balancing it with sincere displays of emotion.
I broke when Gibbs was brought to tears while bringing his daughter’s old toy for Mildred to play with.
It says so much about him that he’s willing to part with something so precious for another child in need. Gibbs may act distant and unemotional, but this action shows us the true size of his heart.
Mary Jo Is A Force Of Nature In Heels High Enough To Touch Jesus
It was so lovely to see Mary Jo act as an agent and not the secretary everyone shares.
I know I’ve given the show guff since the NCIS: Origins Premiere Review about Mary Jo’s character being a trope and a cliche, but I still love her.
She gets some of the best off-the-cuff lines. I cracked up when she commented about Wheeler after he hijacked the announcement she was trying to give to all the civilians who wanted to help find Mildred.
Also, did you see how high her heels were when she was making a sandwich for Mildred? Only the baddest go to work in heels high enough to touch Jesus.
Mary Jo is a force of nature, and I was not surprised for one second that she didn’t have a scratch on her after the killer tried to attack her.
That’s good news for everyone because I was ready to lose it if anything happened to Mary Jo. Now I know I don’t have to worry because that woman doesn’t play around.
It wouldn’t hurt if Franks kept that in mind the next time he wants her to work a witness just because they have the same skin color.
I’m not here to be the politically correct police, and I have no desire to be. That’s why I’m not going to ding Franks (Kyle Schmid) for his reasoning, and I’ll tell you exactly why.
While Mike’s comment was about as subtle as a shotgun, what’s clear without a shred of doubt is that Franks is a family man. To him, his team is his family.
Also, while his reasoning was rather basic, he wasn’t wrong. Children require familiarity to feel safe, and considering everything Mildred went through, it was the right call.
It made the little girl comfortable enough to play foosball with Mary Jo. Still, Frank needs to remember to show respect for Mary Jo’s name.
That all said, Franks gave us one of the best quotes so far that I will never be able to forget. “Deader than a strip club on Mother’s Day.” I mean, that’s poetry right there.
At this point, NCIS: Origins feels like it’s just as much about Franks as it is about Gibbs.
Gibbs Has Finally Reached A Much-Needed Turning Point
We should all be giving a round of applause to Gibbs because he really kept it together in this episode.
If you read the NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 4 Spoilers, you know I was fully expecting Gibbs to lose it completely over this case.
It honestly seemed like that was the direction the story was going, considering it started with a flashback to Gibbs receiving the news that his wife and daughter were murdered.
The writers were dirty for that one. At least give viewers a heads-up before you bring them to tears.
There were so many cry-worthy moments in this episode that it’s a wonder there is any water left in my body.
I think we’re seeing a turning point for Gibbs. He could part with one of his daughter’s favorite toys and even verbalized his loss in full view of everyone at work.
The whole precinct was walking on eggshells around him, but he seemed to keep it together and know his limits.
Still, that scene where Mary Jo is comforting him when he brings the toy for Mildred is devastating.
I don’t know if it’s because he’s a somewhat intimidating individual, but seeing Gibbs cry was like seeing a parent cry. There’s no easy way to process it.
But the torment he must feel coming across a case that reminds him of his recent loss and being able to overcome it to work the case speaks volumes about the man.
Gibbs May Be Ready To Move On, But His Journey Is Only Just Beginning
A talented young actress named Hattie Hoskins brought Maddie to life, and she was a marvel. That child cried on command so many times. It was absolutely incredible.
Mildred had so many lines, and Hoskins delivered them with perfectly restrained emotion. If anyone knows that Hoskins’s agent, tell them to start campaigning for the Emmy.
We saw a different side of Gibbs (Austin Stowell) as he sang with Mildred while they worked on identifying the murderer. It’s hard to imagine Mark Harmon pulling off the same as older Gibbs.
It works here because the man we knew for so long is not the same as he was shortly after his family was murdered, and he just signed on to the job.
People have wondered why a show like Origins is necessary, but getting this chance to see Gibbs as the vulnerable husband and father new on the job adds much context to the older Gibbs and goes well beyond any flashbacks we had on NCIS.
It was incredibly emotional watching Gibbs and Mildred sing Whitney Houston while the little girl had teardrops falling down her cheeks.
The whole episode was emotionally charged, and it was filled with as many happy tears as sad ones. Also, we were promised the moment that irrevocably changed Gibbs’s life.
Gibbs, lost and without mooring after the murders of his wife and daughter, finally accepted the hand Franks offered to pull him from his despair.
When he showed up at Franks’s door, it wasn’t just a simple gesture on his part; it showed his willingness to be a part of a family again.
That’s an important turning point in Gibb’s life. It’s surprising that we arrived there so soon, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have a lot of work to do to move past his pain.
Now that Gibbs is ready to accept help and build genuine connections, the really hard work will begin to rebuild his life so that he can become the man we’ve come to know.
And yes, I bring this up in every review and spoiler for NCIS: Origins, but how is Mariel Molino’s (Promised Land) Agent Dominguez supposed to factor into Gibbs’ story beyond being a coworker?
We’re four episodes in, and while the character is fantastic and very good at her job, I haven’t seen her significantly impact Gibbs’ life. I guess we’re just going to have to keep watching.
NCIS: Origins is taking an already-established history and breathing new life into it. Austin Stowell and the rest of the cast are doing a fantastic job with the show so far, but there is still a lot of material to unearth.
What about Randy? He’s both sweet and competent. He doesn’t have the same intensity Gibbs brings into every room but adds a much-needed lightness to the series.
If the rest of CBS‘s NCIS: Origins Season 1 is anything like the first four episodes, I’d say we have a lot to look forward to.
Most telling about the tone of the episodes ahead is one of the defining moments in Gibbs’ life is on the horizon — the moment when Gibbs finally tracks down the man who killed his wife and daughter.
It’s enough to give you chills thinking about it.
But what do you think? Did Gibbs handle himself well in the aptly titled “All’s Not Lost”?
How do you think Agent Lala will factor into Gibbs’s story?
Please drop a comment below to let me know what you liked about this episode, and join me again when I review the next episode of NCIS: Origins!
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