User reviews

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.

It hasn't started with the punch I hoped it would but its still good at the moment. Buy then we are only 2 episodes in. We've spent the whole of ncis wondering about Gibbs and how he really became.... Gibbs. This is our chance. So I'll give it its first season. Franks is well chosen and Gibbs isn't as accurate but we don't know how it is going to develop. So it needs time for me. We'll see!

Personally I find it watchable and I'm intrigued but it's going to need some action or real answers about his past. It's well shot and written but it is slow. There is a lack of chemistry in my short lived opinion but again we'll see!

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.

Will it be perfect? No... nothing is. Will there be inconsistencies... probably. So far so good though. It shows a vulnerable Gibbs, everyone is used to the seasoned, experienced Team Leader, and we giggled when Muse Watson as Franks called him Probie in the Mothership, but now we actually get to see the "McGee" moments of Gibbs! Just settle down and enjoy it!

And for those screaming about 4-5" height difference, blah blah! Mark Harmon is 6'0", Austin Stowell is 6'1" hardly a complete difference and Gibbs by the time we meet him in the Mothership could have shrunk an inch, we all lose some height as we age!

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 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.

I read a lot of its not the same. Of course it's not the same. If it was then why bother doing it? I love the fact that this shows Gibbs as the Probie. Plus the fact that during that time, computers were just hitting the market. It's in sync with everything the power went out on NCIS and Gibbs told his team that they had ti do it old school. This is his learning period. When I see him starting as a Probie, it reminds me of how McGee started. It plays right into the theme. I absolutely love this. My grandkids can't believe that we didn't have computers back then. They are learning the way things worked, and that you can get the job done. I hope this continues for more than one season.

First of all...not a bad show. I lost an inch in heighth myself. ( I'm 70). That doesn't bother me. That doesn't change the fact that the casting for Gibbs in this show is HORRENDOUS! The actor isn't bad but HE'S NOT GIBBS! I have watched 5 episodes and HE IS NOT GIBBS! He doesn't speak like Gibbs. He doesn't walk like Gibbs He doesn't breath like Gibbs. He doesn't fart like Gibbs. HE..IS..NOT Gibbs!

It's like they made no effort to cast someone who at least "evoked" Gibbs! I know casting can be difficult for an iconic role but really...they could have cast Pee Wee Herman and it wouldn't have been worse.

There is this guy walking around calling himself Leroy Jethro Gibbs but IT'S JUST NOT BELIEVABLE! It is TOTALLY DISTRACTING! Who made this decision?! The show is not bad and I do enjoy it more each episode...BUT IT IS NOT GIBBS! It's like they didn't even try. I don't know who else they could have chosen but THIS IS A BAD CHOICE! When I see this actor it's like I DON'T see Gibbs!

So far, this has been a dark and depressing series to watch. For the most part the NCIS franchise has had too much banter which was boring, now it goes the opposite direction and goes dark. I like actors Austin Stowell and Caleb Foote, but the rest of the cast is so so. We don't need Mark Harmon's narrative except in the first episode.

I've noticed that TV series since the strike have been full of testosterone and a lot of conflict including needless relationship conflicts. The writing this season for many shows is below par. I understand that networks are cutting back on episodes, not surprising as the strike was costly for all. If this series can't turn around, I won't be sorry to see it cancelled.

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.

Bad casting, Gibbs is a good 6 inches taller than he was in the series, Mike Franks is the short guy now, I believe that in season 7 we found out that Gibbs hadn't seen his father since living for active duty, and yet here he is in the 1st episode of origins which takes place only a short time after Gibbs joins NIS, and if you think Leroy's growth spirt was something, his father grew a good 10 to 12 inches and put on weight.

A lot of things can be over looked when creating, spinoff but the casting for this series could have been much better and retained a bit of continuity between the 2 series.

Imagine if NCIS was an angst-riddled soap-opera set in the 1990s. That's about all this show is. Instead of the story being wrapped up in an episode or two, this story is dragging out for the entire season. But the story isn't compelling. The characters aren't interesting. The acting is only OK. The retro-flavoring is bitter and disappointing. All-in-all, I'd rather watch the original 1960s Hawaii Five-Oh show than this.

Really, this show could and should have been really interesting, but it chose completely the wrong direction. It is sad.

I'm not sure I want to bother finishing the story. It's just not that interesting or intriguing.

I liked the new series very much. Whether the young Gibbs looks like Mark Harmon is really not important. All of the actors were good, the story line was compelling, and it kept me very entertained. I liked seeing characters like a young Franks, and will enjoy seeing portrayals of events in Gibbs'' history that the original has referred to. I liked it better than some of the other NCIS shows, although I do miss LA. Finally, it was nice to see Mark Harmon and hear his voiceovers as he remembers Gibbs' past. Maybe it's not perfect, but definitely a win for me. I will keep watching and I really hope it gains a large audience.

As a huge fan of the original series, I had optimistic hopes yet tempered expectations for this series. I found the first two episodes of Origins to be extremely satisfying and a different mode and tone of storytelling compared to the rest of the franchise. Stowell as Gibbs portrays Harmon's character well and Mike Franks is brilliantly cast.

The style of filming is certainly more cinematic, and pacing is great too. Anyone picking up this series as a standalone would immediately be invested into the storyline.

It raises the bar for any future additions to the NCIS franchise, and will leave you eager for more episodes.

Im hoping it gets better and follows the storyline they had in the original series. First Leroy's dad. They didn't speak after Shannon and Kelly passed away. Which was established in the original series when Gibbs and the team go to Gibbs home town.

And the "rules" Gibbs came up with, there is no rule 29, learn to obey before you command, yet in the box there is. The original series set the background for Gibbs to change even a fraction of it ruins the series. I suggest the writers go back to the original series and watch it so they get it right. Because anymore "surprises" I'm done. We know how ducky met Gibbs and in this new series they've already met so don't create a new beginning for them. I am unsure where Jenny fits in but it was before Abby.

I could go on but now I'm just going to see where it goes. Oh one last thing this personality young Gibbs has I absolutely hate. Please change it fast because the older Gibbs even when being an ass I liked him. This one I really dislike.

I wasn't intending to write a review for this show, even though I quite like it. It is NOT NCIS and should not be confused for it. This is a show about NIS, how Gibbs became "Gibbs" and a show about Mike Franks. And it is FAR better than NCIS and that's not to discredit either. Knowing that Gibbs had a wife and daughter, that wasn't mentioned until the later seasons means it is raw in the show's content. It has literally just happened, he has not dealt with his guilt, survived trying to kill himself and is trying to figure out who he is.

The show is raw, emotional, engaging and with each episode it gets better. I think we are up to the fifth at least and Mike Franks is by far the stand out character because he is REALLY interesting. Think about what you know about Gibb and his affect and imagine him as a young man who left his wife and child with a bad feeling that he would never see them again and then someone kills them.... And you can't get to them. Yet. He definitely finds ways to use it though and the episode with the little girl is heartbreaking.

I think the show has a lot of potential. It didn't really feel like a normal Ncis format. I get tired of seeing love angst on shows so it was a bit much for me I would have rather have seen more about the actual Ncis case and more of him interacting with all his peers than the one we all know he's going to end up hooking up with. It was nice to see Mark Harmon. I don't know I think if you are a die hard Ncis fan then you'll probably like this one. For me it was just okay. I didn't watch the first two episodes and really wanting to keep watching but I did find it relatively interesting to watch.

I'm not particularly fond of spin offs that are not about original characters or the original stories that drew me in, in the first place. I don't care for any of the NCIS current spin offs and unless it involves crossover story I avoid them altogether.

I've been struggling to continue enjoying watching the show since his departure in season 19 to current.

That said, NCIS was built on the backbone of a rock star cast with a great stories as far as I am concerned. Gibbs set the tone.

Origins is a prequel to Gibbs, you might as well say "Made" by Gibbs. How can you not love that?

I applaud the Production team and all of the cast selection. I watched the season premiere (episodes 1-2) and for the first time in a long time, I was left wanting more.

It's Gibbs's story to tell. If that includes focusing on characters that influenced "His" story, "Told" or "Untold", I for one want to hear all!!!

Thank you for the for this "Origins" story. I hope there will be many more seasons of this one!!!

Just because one can doesn't mean you should. This series has a serious character likability issues. Gibbs has as another reviewer pointed out has had an amazing growth spurt!

It caters to current culture which is an anathema to a bygone era. Harmons narration is dull and confusing. The head of NCIS is played by Perkins who fits the role of a villain and suffers most from a likability standpoint!

I am just thankful the Denoseo character was not included. The plot while confusing and scattered was better than the cast. When attempting to glam onto a respected former character one must also find a cast that can fill the void. I may watch to see if these characters develop into persons I can care about. If not I'm out!

This show stands on its own. I haven't seen much the original NCIS and still decided to give this one a try. I was pleasantly surprised. The agents have good chemistry, the soundtrack is fun, and the stories are compelling. I like that they are trying to do something different with it. I really like the narration and how gritty it feels. The writing has humor and depth.

It's refreshing to see a different take on a procedural show. It still has all the core parts of an NCIS with a little more edge. I think this show will help open the door to a new audience while still maintaining its core fan base. Definitely give it a shot!