Warning! This article contains spoilers for NCIS: OriginsAs the prequel to an already widely inconsistent franchise,NCIS: Originshas created several plot holes that can not be ignored.NCIShas had trouble remaining consistent ever since the pilot episode, “Yankee White.” The minor inconsistencies are likely the result of long-term narratives getting developed as they air when it is too late to go back and change the details. However,NCIS: Origins' status as a prequel makes some plot holes even worse because the show has to choose between following canon and following its own developed storylines.
NCIS' inconsistencies are usually related to timeline errors. AsNCISand its spinoffshave appeared on the air for over two decades, it makes sense that there would be some discontinuities over the years.NCIS: Originsseason 1is no different, but at least its plot holes are typically related to the flagship series so far, rather than timeline inconsistencies between episodes. Still,the plot holes inNCIS: Originsare hard to ignore, especially since the prequel gave the franchise a chance to clear up some confusing timelines.
6Jackson Gibbs' Appearance Contradicts Leroy Jethro’s Story About His Relationship With His Father
Jackson and Leroy Have A Strained And Non-Existent Relationship In The 1990s
Jackson Gibbs' appearancecreated a plot hole from the start ofNCIS: Origins. InNCISseason 6,Gibbs revealed that he and his father, Jackson Gibbs, had not spoken for 15 years. The last time they saw each other was at Shannon and Kelly’s funeral. Before their deaths, Gibbs and Jackson had already had a strained relationship, so their decision to go no-contact did not come as a surprise to either of them, especially since neither wanted to make the first move. The losses of Shannon and Kelly triggered their already declining relationship.
Their strained relationship comes from the two men wanting different things…
From Jackson’s interactions with Gibbs inNCIS: Origins, it is clear that he cares deeply for his son, and he wishes that he could help Gibbs in his time of pain. This is why Jackson traveled to California to ask Gibbs to move back home with him inNCIS: Originsepisode 3. Jackson lost Shannon and Kelly too, but he still hopes he can save Gibbs. Their strained relationship comes from the two men wanting different things, not from a lack of care on either side.
Episode 3 also found a way around the plot hole by revealing thatGibbs has put off Shannon and Kelly’s funeral inNCIS: Origins. This could explain why Jackson is still present in Gibbs' life. The delayed funeral also speaks to Gibbs' emotional state and his difficulty in facing his reality. However, if Gibbs plans to have the funeral in 1991, the same year as Shannon and Kelly’s deaths, then he must have the funeral soon.
5Gibbs Throws Out His Box Of Rules From Shannon
Gibbs Threw The Box Out In A Fit Of Sadness
NCIS: Originsepisode 3showed a personal side to Gibbs by repeating thatGibbs' obsession with rules came from his late wife, Shannon. The episode showed Gibbs holding a box filled with scraps of paper that held handwritten rules, some of which were Shannon’s. However, the episode also showed Gibbs throwing the box in the garbage in an impulsive move, highlighting Gibbs' struggles in dealing with his painful past.
The plot hole comes from the box’s disappearance from Gibbs' life inNCIS: Origins, despite its existence inNCIS. The container of rules was first revealed in the last episode ofNCISseason 7. At that point, the rules were held in a small tin. While the container of rules has not been shown often, it is clear thatGibbs' rules have had a significant impact on him, as they have formed into a personal code of ethics. Their influence on him can directly be traced back to the love he shared with Shannon and his devastation over her death.
NCISseason 6, episode 4 revealed that Shannon told Gibbs “Everyone needs a code they can live by” the first time they met, which inspired Gibbs' love for rules.
There is one fortunate development regarding the box discrepancy. The final moments ofNCIS: Originsepisode 3 revealed thatJackson took the box out of the trashbefore he left to go back home. After Gibbs asked Jackson to leave, there was no expectation that he would stay or save one of Gibbs' most prized possessions. However, Jackson’s actions speak to the care he feels for his son. There is no explanation for when or how Jackson will return the box to Gibbs, but given the box’s existence inNCIS, the box will definitely find its way back to Gibbs.
4Lala’s Existence Is Never Mentioned In NCIS
Lala Is One Of Several New Characters In The NCIS Franchise
Given the importance of Lala Dominguez’s existence in Gibbs' career at NIS, it is shocking thatLala has never been mentioned inNCIS, neither by Gibbs nor Franks. TheNCIS: Originspremiere also doubled down on her importance whenMark Harmon’s narrationrevealed thatNCIS: Originsis Lala’s story. The plot hole was given a slight explanation when Gibbs revealed in the same narration that he has never told this story before, but Lala’s appearance inNCIS: Originsis more likely a new development to the franchise.
Lala is an important member of Gibbs' team, and her skills highlight the years of experience she has on the field. However,NCIS: Originsepisode 6 also opened up the possibility for aLala and Gibbs romance. The set-up that Lala could be one of Gibbs' love interests also makes Lala’s absence inNCISsuspicious.NCISrevealed that Gibbs had several wives and love interests after he joined NIS, so it seems important to mention that his first love interest after his wife’s death also happened to be one of his colleagues.
3Shannon and Kelly’s Killer Hasn’t Been Killed… Yet
NCIS Revealed That Gibbs Killed Pedro Hernandez Before Joining NIS
In the penultimate episode ofNCISseason 3, “Hiatus I,“Gibbs revealed in a flashback that he killed Pedro Hernandez when he was still a marine. In the episode, Mike Franks, who was investigating the murders ofGibbs' wife and daughter, insisted that he could not tell Gibbs the location of their killer, but he did conveniently leave the file in Gibbs' proximity. Pedro was killed shortly after Gibbs found out his whereabouts, but this was still at least a few months before Gibbs joined NIS.
Gibbs' wife and daughter were killed after Shannon agreed to testify against the drug dealer, Pedro Hernandez, after she witnessed him in a murder.
The plot hole began in theNCIS: Originspremiere when Jackson asked Gibbs if they caught Shannon and Kelly’s killer, to which Gibbs replied that he got away. Later, Jackson asked Franks about the killer, but Frank’s reply was unhelpful, saying that the team did not have jurisdiction to follow him to Mexico. Jackson is clearly worried that Gibbs will seek revenge and kill Pedro himself, butGibbs and Franks' responses seem to imply that Pedro is still alive inNCIS: Origins, negatingNCIScanon.
The Real Reason Gibbs Freaked Out In Front Of Lala In NCIS: Origins Episode 5
Gibbs' overreaction in NCIS: Origins episode 5 has a deep history behind it. The NCIS prequel has highlighted Gibbs' struggles as he adjusts.
Gibbs' overreaction to the Mexican men disobeying orders in episode 5 also hinted that Pedro was still alive. When Gibbs fell into a coma after discovering that Shannon and Kelly were killed, he described their killers as “faceless men.” Later, when Gibbs overreacted in the desert, he could have been projecting his fears onto the men, implying that he may not know what the killer looks like, just that he is Mexican. Overall, several signs have pointed out that Pedro is likely still alive, soeither Gibbs lied to Jackson or Pedro’s murder has not happened yet.
2Jackson and Franks' Relationship
NCIS: Origins Confirmed They Met Before NCIS
NCISsupposedly showed Jackson Gibbs and Mike Franks meeting for the first time in season 8, episode 1, when Gibbs was being targeted by the serial killer, Paloma Reynosa, as part of a series of revenge killings that also threatened Gibbs' family. The two men shared brief exchanges in the episode, but it was implied that they had never met before, let alone worked together. This unknowingly set up one ofNCIS: Origins' biggest plot holes years later.
NCIS: Origins Creates Another Jackson Plot Hole Before It Can Even Solve His Appearance Inconsistency
NCIS: Origins has created a brand new plot inconsistency about Jackson Gibbs even before the prequel can explain his involvement in the spinoff.
NCIS: Originsrevealed that Franks and Jackson not only knew each other but had worked together beforein some capacity. As Franks was in charge of investigating Shannon and Kelly’s murders, it makes sense that they could have interacted before, but episode 3 confirmed their acquaintance. In the episode, Jackson visits Franks at his house to ask Franks to remove Gibbs from his team. Their conversation aside, the fact that Jackson went to Franks' house and was warmly invited inside means that the two men have a deeper professional relationship than was revealed inNCIS.
1Gibbs' Housing Inconsistency Between California and Washington
Gibbs Has Moved Around As A Result Of His Deployment
Perhapsthe most confusing plot hole has been the inconsistency surrounding Gibbs' housing. His family used to live in Washington, which is where a lot of Gibbs' flashbacks of Shannon and Kelly take place. However, Gibbs was deployed to Camp Pendleton, so his family moved to California with him, and it was in California that they were killed. The plot hole comes from Gibbs' conversation with Jackson where Gibbs revealed he has been delaying their funeral and the sale of their house. It is unclear which house Gibbs was referring to and what happened to the house in Washington.
While mundane,the muddy timeline for Gibbs' housing is part of a series of inconsistencies in theNCISfranchise, andNCIS: Originsfollows suit.NCISrevealed that Ducky sold his Washington house to Gibbs years beforeNCIS, so it is assumed that that is where Gibbs and his family lived in all of his Washington flashbacks. But whether they sold the house, bought a second house, or rented something is unclear. The most likely scenario is that the Washington house is anotherNCIS: Originsplot hole that slipped through the cracks.
NCIS: Origins
Cast
NCIS: Origins is set in 1991, preceding the events of the original series. The series introduces Leroy Jethro Gibbs as a new special agent at NCIS Camp Pendleton. Under the leadership of NCIS legend Mike Franks, Gibbs navigates his role within a tenacious, unconventional team.
