NCIS: Origins revealed what Gibbs did immediately after learning his wife and daughter were killed, and it’s heartbreaking

Warning: Plot SPOILERS. NCIS: Origins The episode “All is not lost” is coming!

Throughout Mark Harmonhas been going on for almost two decades NCISViewers learned quite a bit about his character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, including how his first wife Shannon and daughter Kelly were murdered by a drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez in 1991. NCIS: Origins provided a platform to further explore this tragic period in Gibbs’ life, with Austin Stowell playing the younger version of the character. “All Is Not Lost,” the final episode of the CBS prequel to premiere on the network TV schedule for 2024particularly highlighted the pain he was going through just months after Shannon and Kelly’s deaths, but what was truly heartbreaking was how he reacted immediately after learning they had been killed.

Austin Stowell's Gibbs stands in the crowd in NCIS: Origins — (Image credit: CBS)

How did Gibbs react to the news of the death of his wife and daughter?

Gibbs was deployed in Operation Desert Storm when Shannon and Kelly, the former of whom witnessed the murder of Marine Pedro Hernandez and agreed to testify against him, died in a car accident when Hernandez shot their driver in the head. His commanding officer broke the news to him and told the emotionally devastated man that he would be on the next flight back to the United States. Just a few seconds later, their unit came under attack, and instead of collapsing to the ground like the other Marines, Gibbs stood up, oriented himself, and walked in the direction of the gunfire and explosions.

In the midst reexamining the relationship between Jackson Gibbs and Mike Frankslast week NCIS: Origins In the episode “Bend Don’t Break”, the former revealed to the latter that he suspected his son had a death wish and only joined the NIS so he could kill Pedro Hernandez one day. Jackson didn’t know that Leroy had already tracked down and shot a drug dealer, but he was definitely on the right track with this death wish idea. Leroy clearly wanted to die upon learning that Shannon and Kelly were dead, not caring whether he would come under enemy fire. It was terrible to watch because

Although this episode doesn’t show what happened to Leroy Jethro Gibbs, we do know from NCIS that he was wounded and lay in a coma for almost three weeks. This explains why Jackson Gibbs spent so much time with Mike Franks before his son’s return, since he was monitoring the investigation in his absence. Gibbs was still in a coma when Shannon and Kelly were buried, but he later arranged a memorial for them, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see that later in Origin‘ run. Who knows, maybe that’s when he and Mike Franks will cross paths for the first time.

Gibbs and Lala investigate an open cabinet at a crime scene in NCIS: Origins.

(Image credit: CBS)

How Kelly’s death affected the Gibbs case this week

Regarding the modern “All Is Not Lost” storyline, Gibbs, Franks, Lala Dominguez (someone who become important in the life of the main character) and Bernard “Randy” Randolph investigated the death of an 8th grade science teacher named Brianna Davis, who was killed while babysitting her boyfriend Derrick Jones’ daughter, Mildred, while on duty. Long story short, the girl was missing for a while but was eventually found, and the killer who shot Brianna was hired by a neighbor who owned a nearby dairy farm and wanted to stop Brianna from talking after she discovered the farm had been destroyed . dumps chemicals into a nearby lake. It was pretty corny stuff.

However, this incident also became a big turning point for Leroy Jethro Gibbs, who began to recover from the loss of his wife and daughter, although we know that he will never find a complete sense of peace until his departure early in NCIS Season 19. First, through his experience as a father, he was able to reach a frightened Mildred and get her to identify Hatcher, the assassin hired to kill Brianna. Also, with Mildred still missing, Mike Franks and Lala Dominguez were concerned that a potential dead little girl would alienate Gibbs, given what had happened to his own daughter. In the end, Gibbs managed to keep his cool throughout the case, although when he visited his daughter’s bedroom after receiving the ID from Mildred, he understandably began to cry.

Through narration from Senior Gibbs by Mark Harmonwe also learned that after Shannon and Kelly died, he felt completely alone in the world. Last week he made it clear to Franks that this job was the only thing he had left to continue working, but he was still quite distant from his colleagues, to the point that he continued to shy away from dinner invitations with Franks and his partner . Trish. But the incident with Mildred gave him enough impetus to go to the Franks’ house and enjoy a good home-cooked meal. So for now this NCIS: Origins This episode showed a heartbreaking moment in Gibbs’ life, but at least it ended on a touching note.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs will never be the warmest person to hang out with, but it feels like he’s now in a place where he’s open to getting to know his co-stars on a deeper level. However, it is unknown exactly how long it will take him to do this, because while we know that Mike Franks will retire from NIS in 1996, we have no idea what the future holds for Lala and Randy. However, I’d like to think that his experiences with them will help pave the way for him to become part of a found family with characters like Tony DiNozzo, Ziva David, Timothy McGee, Abby Sciuto, and Duckie Mallard.

New episodes NCIS: Origins premieres Mondays at 9:00 pm ET, immediately following new episodes of NCIS Season 22. You can also stream the series along with other NCIS offerings using Paramount+ subscriptionand you’ll definitely need access to this platform if you’re going to watch the next one upcoming show in the franchise, NCIS: Tony and Ziva.