NCIS: Origins

I actually may like "Origins" better than any other NCIS show, although I do miss "Hawaii". I never liked "New Orleans" or "Sydney", although one reviewer was missing "New Orleans". Yes, this Gibbs is wooden, but he's also new and a bit "damaged". I do like the females and back then, I worked for some female GS13 or GM14 females within DoD. I really like actress Molino's character (never heard of her before now) plus she's very attractive. The other female Agent didn't get much screen-time but remember her from "The Blacklist".

Being somewhat of a "nerd", I'm looking and admiring the older 1991-vintage props, wondering if the handguns are accurate (appear to be era-correct SIG P228 aka M11 handguns, although actor Kyle is carrying a revolver which was also common for cops to have used back then.

Good luck to the series. So far, I'm liking it and thanks for releasing 2 episodes in one day, to start.

I have been a fan of the original NCIS for years, but did not have high expectations for this series. A prequel on a 20 plus year old series seemed risky and I was afraid of being disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised by the first two episodes, mainly because of the characters. I loved seeing Mark Harmon again, even if it was only for a minute. I also enjoyed seeing Robert Taylor as Gibbs' father. I thought the prequel characters were consistent with the original series characters and well acted. Gibbs is still a man of little words and Franks is still a politically incorrect cowboy. Mariel Molina was immediately engaging. So far, the shows main plots have been pretty standard compared to other similar series. Gibbs' background story is what has me hooked. I am also hoping for a little closure after the Gibbs character left the original series so abruptly. In Origins, Gibbs is writing down his life experiences as Harmon narrates; I want to know why. Overall, the show was familiar in a good way, but also new. The characters have depth and a bit of intrigue.

I did manage to get through the first two episodes, so it deserves at least 6 stars. I may revisit my rating later as the series progresses, but for now it's just so-so. It looks like the NCIS version of Young Sheldon. The past is being narrated by one of the original stars. For the most part, the acting was sufficient, except for the guy that plays Gibbs. He's pretty wooden. If he doesn't pick it up or get some better direction, this series will go downhill quickly.

I don't understand why Hawaii and New Orleans were cancelled, but as it stands right now, both this show and Sydney are not doing a very good job of replacing them. We'll see though.

Good show, it's the beginning so it's just building up. Can't replicate the original, but Austin Stowell seems to get the Gibbs expressions down. Portrays a man that is coming back from the worst fear a dad or husband can have...losing a wife and child. Of course he's not going to be upbeat and fun. Not Gibbs' schtick anyway. It's hard to recast iconic characters. Stowell is a pretty good choice for Gibbs...but Kyle Schmid is a home run for Franks. The rest of the cast is likable as well.

A lot of reviews mention Austin Stowell being significantly taller than Mark Harmon. Do some research...Stowell is only 1" taller.

If you're a fan of the original, it's worth checking out. It may not be for everyone, but I certainly am enjoying it.

Folks who are fans of the original series don't always understand the medium.

As I read the reviews, I'd like to address a few things.

First, Stowell is one inch taller than Harmon. One inch. Also, when a person gets older, they often lose height. One inch makes little difference. However, the original cast-mates were taller making Harmon look less imposing than Stowell. This is a casting choice to give a character a storied feel.

Second, it doesn't have the same feel as NCIS on purpose. This is an origin story. Gibbs was a very different character in a very different time. You're literally a couple stories into the understanding of who he was and how he came to be the person you knew. Think of doing a story about yourself in grade 5 vs. You now. Would it look exactly like who you are now? I know of boys growing up as 8 yr olds with bowties who ended up bikers. This is the point to the series.

Give the series time to show you the progression. I like the feel of this series so far. I find it well-written, well-acted, fairly true to period and fairly true to the origin we knew of Gibbs. He will grow into the person we know. I look forward to watching more and seeing how this develops.

Get out of your own way and go for the ride...enjoy.