After more than a decade of casually watching NCIS, 2025 was the year I finally went all in on the franchise. Between CBS and Paramount+, four different NCIS series aired last year: the flagship NCIS, NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney, and the now-cancelled NCIS: Tony & Ziva. I enjoyed something about all of them — but by the time the calendar flipped to 2026, one show had unmistakably pulled ahead.
That show was NCIS: Origins.
What makes Origins special isn’t just the chance to see younger versions of Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Mike Franks. While Austin Stowell and Kyle Schmid deliver strong performances, the real surprise is how compelling the original characters are. Agents like Lala, Randy, Mary Jo, and Vera feel fully realized, with emotional arcs that are just as engaging as the legacy characters’ stories. The show takes time to invest in its ensemble, making the Pendleton NIS office feel alive rather than procedural.
