Warning: Spoilers ahead for NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 9, “Fools Rush In.”The newest spinoff of NCIS is telling an engaging story, but it may also be damaging the long-standing legacy of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The franchise continues to expand on CBS, especially with the network’s successful “Super Tuesday” lineup that brings together multiple NCIS shows and highlights the growing shared universe that began in 2003.
At the center of NCIS: Origins is the early story of Gibbs, the character famously played by Mark Harmon for nearly two decades. Even though Harmon left the flagship series in 2021, Gibbs remains one of the most iconic figures in the franchise. However, the new spinoff’s storylines are starting to raise questions about previously established elements of his past.
In Season 2, Episode 9, the show explores the aftermath of Gibbs’ drunken Las Vegas wedding to Diane Sterling. While their colleagues assume the marriage will quickly be annulled, Gibbs ultimately decides to keep it and even tells Diane that he loves her. Yet the episode strongly suggests that those feelings may not be genuine.
Through narration from the older Gibbs, it becomes clear that Diane may have simply appeared at the “right place at the right time” in his life. Rather than true love, she may have represented comfort and companionship during a difficult moment.
This interpretation creates a troubling implication for longtime fans. Diane was deeply in love with Gibbs, and in the original series she ultimately died partly because of her connection to him. If Gibbs was never truly in love with her, the relationship becomes far more tragic — especially since she never learned the real reason their marriage failed.
The storyline also raises new questions about Gibbs’ emotional past. In the flagship series, his grief over losing his first wife, Shannon, was a defining part of his character. But NCIS: Origins suggests that another relationship — particularly with colleague Lala — may have complicated his feelings far more than fans originally believed.
While the series clearly wants to build a compelling slow-burn romance between Gibbs and Lala, it risks rewriting key parts of Gibbs’ emotional history in the process. For longtime viewers of the NCIS universe, that change may feel like the show is sacrificing the legacy of one of television’s most beloved characters in order to strengthen its new storyline.