5 biggest inconsistencies in NCIS: Origins, explained
NCIS: Origins premiered to great expectations, particularly from veteran fans of the original NCIS series. As a prequel that delves into a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the series promised to give viewers a closer glimpse into the character's formative years.
But only a few episodes in, some glaring inconsistencies with the established NCIS canon have already surfaced, much to the disappointment of fans who are familiar with the original series inside and out. The following are five of the most significant contradictions to date, discussed in detail.
NCIS: Origins' five most significant contradictions
1) Jackson Gibbs meets Mike Franks again?
One of the most noticeable contradictions is found in episode 3 of NCIS: Origins. In it, Jackson Gibbs (Gibbs' father) meets with Mike Franks in person to convince him to fire his son from NCIS.
This scene, though emotionally intense, contradicts NCIS canon. In the main series, it was made clear that Gibbs introduced his father to Frank for the first time much later in life—they had never met before that.
This is not a minor slip; it changes a fundamental dynamic from the original series. It implies that either Origins is ignoring established lore or that viewers are supposed to be seeing the events of the prequel through an unreliable narrator — a theme some fans propose is baked into the premise.
2) The timing of Pedro Hernandez's death
In NCIS: Origins, Gibbs' killing of Pedro Hernandez, the man who killed his wife and daughter, is strongly suggested as having happened before his entering NCIS. This crime serves as a central support for his history and motivates him relentlessly in pursuit of justice.
But Origins rewrites that history by indicating that Hernandez's murder was six months earlier than the current timeline of the show, which takes place after Gibbs has already come to the agency.
3) The suicide question: Retyped or forgotten?
In the original show, Gibbs is seen struggling with overwhelming grief, so much so that one episode has him holding a gun to his mouth, thinking about committing suicide after Shannon and Kelly's deaths. It was a raw, defining moment that added depth to his stoic character.
But in Origins, that scene is remade completely. Rather than an explicit representation of suicidal thinking, the show has Gibbs step into a hail of bullets — a symbolic, open-ended interpretation that might suggest self-destructive tendencies but doesn't have the emotional specificity of the original. Whether this was a conscious watering down or a creative reinterpretation, it fundamentally changes the effect of the original scene.
4) Ducky and the house that doesn't add up
Another continuity problem is how NCIS: Origins implies Ducky is more involved in Gibbs' life. In the original series, Ducky appears to know nothing about Gibbs' wife and daughter until later. However, later episodes retroactively establish Ducky selling Gibbs the house his family resided in — something opposite to what had been established about their relationship.
If Origins exploits this retconned concept, it might further complicate the timeline and relationships that fans have learned to believe.
5) Geographical improbabilities
Another notable point is logistics. Jackson Gibbs resides in Pennsylvania, whereas NCIS: Origins is based largely in California. In episode 3, Jackson crosses the country to visit Mike Franks.
Realistically, this would have been an enormous trip for someone in his shoes, and it's never explained why he would go out of his way to do this. Not only does it go against logic, but it also strains plausibility for the sake of a moment that serves no other purpose than to retcon character relationships.
With NCIS having covered more than two decades, there is bound to be some degree of inconsistency, even forgivable. But NCIS: Origins was meant to pay homage to that legacy. For those who consider Origins as a reflective, memory-driven narrative and not a hard fact, the discrepancies may seem more poetic than problematic. However, for others, the contradictions weaken the foundation of what made Gibbs' history so compelling in the first place.
Catch the latest episode of NCIS: Origins streaming on CBS.
