Behind Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ hard exterior is a complex and tragic past formed by what happened to his wife and daughter in NCIS. Mark Harmon’s character was the face of the franchise for 19 years while he starred on the show, and now he will receive the spotlight again in the new NCIS: Origins spinoff series. The series will explore Gibbs’ beginning as a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). The organization was called NIS in 1991, a paramount year for Jethro Gibbs. It’s the year that will set the scene for the series when it premieres.
By then, the gunnery sergeant was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps and began his new career at NIS in the face of a significant loss. Some is known about the period. There are essential Gibbs NCIS episodes that start to complete the picture of whom the Special Agent in Charge is on the main series, often via flashbacks of his past. One of the most telling instances is the double episode “Hiatus” at the end of NCIS season 3, one of the best episodes of NCIS. The episode reveals some of the most pivotal details that form Gibbs’ character.
NCIS Revealed Gibbs’ Wife & Daughter Were Killed By A Mexican Drug Dealer
Shannon And Kelly Gibbs Were Murdered
It was revealed in NCIS season 3, episode 24, “Hiatus Part II,” that Pedro Hernandez killed Gibbs’ wife and daughter. The conflict started when Gibbs’ wife, Shannon, saw Hernandez, a drug dealer, kill a Marine and decided to testify against him. An NIS agent was assigned to protect Shannon and their daughter, Kelly. The agent was shot while driving them, and Shannon and Kelly were killed in the subsequent crash.
Special Agent Mike Franks was the NIS agent assigned to investigate the murder of Gibbs’ family. He ultimately allowed Gibbs access to the case file so he could avenge their deaths. NCIS season 3, episode 23, “Hiatus Part I,” revealed that Gibbs avenged Shannon and Kelly’s deaths by shooting their killer, Pedro Hernandez, with a sniper rifle in Mexico.
How Shannon & Kelly Gibbs’ Death Will Play Into The Upcoming NCIS Spinoff
Shannon And Kelly’s Death Is The Reason Gibbs Joined NIS
NCIS: Origins hones in on Gibbs when he is freshly assigned to Camp Pendleton’s NIS office. The career change happens for Gibbs after he is honorably discharged from the Marine Corps and mourning the loss of his wife and daughter, who died on the final day of Operation Desert Storm. As such, Stowell’s young Gibbs will be different from Harmon’s since his version of the character will have more recent exposure to the trauma Gibbs has endured.
Shannon and Kelly’s deaths had a massive impact on Gibbs, who became an NIS agent and joined the agency due to his experience with Mike Franks. Because of where the spinoff lands in the timeline, it can more prominently tackle Shannon and Kelly’s death, and the lasting impact it has on Gibbs. NCIS: Origins can continue the NCIS tradition of portraying Shannon and Kelly as flashbacks and occasional hallucinations when Gibbs reflects on his past or needs guidance.
How Long Has It Been Since Shannon & Kelly Died In The NCIS: Origins Premiere
Several Months Have Passed Since Gibbs’ Family Died
Shannon and Kelly Gibbs with Jethro Gibbs in NCIS Origins
Shannon and Kelly died in February 1991, and Gibbs joined NIS in August. The pilot’s major case features a videotape that is dated October 1991, which means that the events of NCIS: Origins would have taken place towards the end of the same year. At this point, enough time had passed for Gibbs to pick up the pieces and move on. Still, his emotions from the traumatic incident are raw.
The events surrounding Shannon and Kelly’s death defined Gibbs in the original NCIS series, despite his reluctance to open up about his losses.
The proximity of Gibbs to the most significant tragedy of his life is definitive of the NCIS: Origins story. The events surrounding Shannon and Kelly’s death also defined Gibbs in the original NCIS series, despite his reluctance to open up about his losses. Austin Stowell shows a different side of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, offering viewers a more complete picture of what happened to his wife and daughter.
