SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins Season 3, Episode 1.
The NCIS: Origins Season 3 premiere hypes up the latest return of Mark Harmon as Gibbs. After the huge reaction to Harmon’s previous visits, now the CBS prequel is going for broke by making present-day Gibbs part of every episode this season. But “Don’t You Forget About Me” relates to more than Harmon as Gibbs; the episode itself doesn’t forget that there are other characters and stories to tell, too.
The entire NCIS franchise is leaning into nostalgia this season. NCIS has brought back Michael Weatherly and added him to the opening credits as his character Tony DiNozzo is now director of NCIS. The new spinoff NCIS: New York is built around LL Cool J reprising his role as Sam Hanna from NCIS: Los Angeles. And now Origins is no longer just a prequel, as Harmon is becoming a regular on-screen presence in addition to his narration. It’s fan service, but it also feels inevitable, because every prequel catches up to its present-day story eventually. Hopefully combining the two doesn’t mean that NCIS: Origins is winding down, because the Season 3 premiere—while not the show’s best episode—still has some punch.
“Don’t You Forget About Me” picks up where the Season 2 finale left off, with Randy Randolf having been abducted while Gibbs and Lala Dominguez finally act on their attraction to each other. It’s unsurprising that Gibbs (both of them) and Lala get the bulk of the screen time, but its also appreciated that all the other characters have at least something to do. Mike Franks is classic Franks, both in terms of odd humor (he leaves the longest voicemail message since Jon Favreau in Swingers) and his fierce loyalty to his team. Mary Jo Hayes only appears briefly, but her last scene is fantastic. Randy gets to interrogate the guy who left him for dead, while Vera Strickland breaks the case open with her Russian informant, endearingly played by 24 alum Eric Balfour as a guy who just wants to run his Blockbuster Video franchise. Of all the ’90s callbacks in NCIS: Origins, having a whole pivotal scene take place in a Blockbuster is one of the most fun.
And nobody will be expecting to see Chad Powers and King of the Hill actor Toby Huss again, but he not only returns as ex-Regional Director Barrett, but turns out to be the episode’s murderer. It’s one thing to bring Barrett back as an annoyance and an extra hurdle for the team to clear, but another to turn him into the professional equivalent of a spurned ex. Huss is as cantankerous as ever, and Barrett’s return also provides another chance for Patrick Fischler to remind viewers that Cliff Wheeler isn’t as milquetoast as he seems.
This isn’t the most tightly plotted episode of NCIS: Origins; it doesn’t have the emotional depth or impact of some of the stories from Seasons 1 and 2, and the case of the week will be quickly moved on from. This is more of a starting point for the Gibbs and Lala story. But it never feels one-dimensional because co-creator (now sole showrunner) David J. North and Daniel J. Egbert still create space for the rest of the ensemble. Yes, the mystery of who shot present-day Gibbs—and who else they’re trying to kill—is important. (The former is not that shocking, since CBS having revealed Harmon’s larger role in the show unintentionally spoils that Gibbs has to survive the attack.)
But “Don’t You Forget About Me” lays out some ideas for most of the other characters as well. Lala is given space to work through things and not just thrown into a new relationship with Gibbs. Randy is probably going to need more than an episode to recover from his abduction. Wheeler has a new director to pacify. And Franks is Franks; he’s always a character in one way or another. NCIS: Origins is still warming up, but it’s nice to know that in making more room for Harmon, North and company aren’t taking away from everyone else. They’ve clearly found a way for both sides of their story to work together.
NCIS: Origins airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.
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