Shock: Actor Wilmer Valderrama, “Agent Torres”, has died md20

Dwayne Pride is returning to NCIS 4 years after NCIS: New Orleans ended. As the second NCIS franchise spinoff, the NOLA installment of the universe may not have had the same prestige as the flagship or the popularity of NCIS: Los Angeles, but it did have a solid following during this run. It also managed to introduce one of the most prominent leads in procedural institution in Scott Bakula’s Pride.

Like NCIS: Los Angeles, the seven-season NCIS: New Orleans debuted via backdoor pilot that had Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs traveling to the city to work with its local law enforcement. It was revealed early on that he had a history with Pride, as they both used to work together alongside Mike Franks. Dubbed the Fed Five, they were among the highly-accomplished NIS agents in the early ’90s.

Now, CBS is looking to finally tell that story on-screen as TVInsider reports that NCIS: Origins is actively casting for the role of young Dwayne Pride. Per the outlet, the younger version of Bakula’s character is also a newly-minted Probationary Special Agent but in the NIS Panama office. In his upcoming NCIS: Origins debut, he and Gibbs will have to settle their past issues to be able to work together undercover on a new case.

As the universe’s first prequel, it banks on younger versions of Gibbs and some other familiar faces. NCIS: Origins season 2 just brought in Young Ducky, played by Adam Campbell. That said, the period show also previously introduced a young version of Lara Macy — Los Angeles’ team leader when the West Coast spinoff was launched. Pride’s arrival in NCIS: Origins, however, paves the way for new stories moving forward thanks to the established canon.

What’s curious to know is Gibbs and Pride’s supposed conflict that pre-dates their time with the NIS. NCIS long-revealed that they would eventually patch things up, but it’s still interesting to see how their friendship eventually started. It’s worth noting that NCIS: Origins season 2 is set in 1992, and Fed Five supposedly only operated until 1994, so the show has a small window to tackle all the great missions they accomplished.

Young Pride’s arrival in NCIS: Origins was somehow expected. There’s no way to skip his and Fed Five’s involvement in Gibbs’ history with the NIS, especially since Franks is also involved. The question now is how the show will balance their escapades and Camp Pendleton’s weekly cases. This is particularly important because the NCIS prequel has managed to endear the rest of its cast to viewers.