NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 3 ‘Bend, Don’t Break’ is the first big piece of the Gibbs puzzle, and at the same time the first real glimpse at the dynamics of this team beyond him. The show cleverly returns to Gibbs’ rules to reframe the man we will one day meet and make sure he fits with the man we’re seeing now. And though there are still many more pieces of the puzzle to discover, so far, we’re enjoying the ride.
It’s hard to look at prequels sometimes without thinking about the ending. We know what will happen to Mike Franks. We know what will happen to Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And we know what will happen to Jackson Gibbs. That isn’t something we can really ignore, even as we try to fit new information into who we thought they were. But sometimes, it’s not about the ending. Sometimes it’s about the journey. About the steps you take to become the person you will one day be. And that, well …that’s exactly why we’re here.
MORE: What did we think of NCIS: Origins Episode 1 & 2? Here’s our review!
I PUT OFF MOVING ON
NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 3 ‘Bend, Don’t Break’ is a pretty good showcase for Austin Stowell, who has gotten to play the sad version of Gibbs before, but who gets to give us angry, reckless Gibbs in this episode, and yet there’s so much contained grief in his anger it’s impossible not to be on his side. This was always going to be the dichotomy of this Gibbs, and Stowell has so far managed to embody a man who is broken and yet one we somehow want to see come out on top.
But for the viewer, it’s impossible to miss that Gibbs is still very deep in the hole. There’s been glimpses, yes. And he has formed somewhat of a connection with both Franks and Randy so far. Not to mention, we already know the tease about Lala. But all of that is just hints at this point. This Gibbs is still putting off the moving on part, and until he makes a decision to move on, he’s just not going to.
The thing about grief is that it sticks to you, and it doesn’t ever really leave you. But it especially doesn’t unless you give it permission to, unless you make it a point to do more than just put one foot in front of the other. Moving on is an active choice, and it doesn’t have to mean forgetting, much less forgiving. But it does mean recognizing that life is still worth living and that if you try, you can still find happiness, friendship, and yes, perhaps even love again.
MORE: Is NCIS: Origins worth the watch? Here’s our spoiler-free NCIS: Origins review!
ARE WE FRIENDS NOW?
If NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 3 ‘Bend, Don’t Break’ does something well is advance the dynamics of the characters in a way NCIS: Origins Episode 1 & 2 didn’t really get a chance to do, what with the serial killer and all. We get to see what Gibbs and Randy can be, and their fledging bromance is a highlight of the episode. We also get to see Randy and Lala’s relationship, as the two gossip about Franks and Gibbs, and we even get a little more of the Lala and Vera duo that we enjoyed so much in the first series premiere two-parter.
But it’s Caleb Foote’s Randy Randolph who really shines this hour. Randolph isn’t strictly the comic relief, not the way Deeks was on NCIS: Los Angeles. He isn’t even as much of a jokester as Tony DiNozzo was in the early days of NCIS. But he is the designated ‘let’s lighten this up’ guy, and that’s a really hard job sometimes, particularly on a show that is by definition, way more serious. That his chemistry with both Stowell and Molino works as well as it does elevates his character, and makes him feel like an essential part of the team.
There’s a lot more the show can do with the dynamics, but even the fact that we got that quasi-apology from Franks to Lala and that we got Vera interacting more with the team bodes well for the procedural. No show can manage longevity with just one interesting character, and even two or three can sometimes strain the possibilities. If NCIS: Origins can really develop all these characters and make us care about them, well …then the show has a long future ahead.
MORE: How much will the show focus on Gibbs’ grief? We have the information here!
A FATHER AND A MENTOR
Gibbs’ relationship with his father Jackson (Ralph Waite on NCIS, Robert Taylor here) was strained by the time we met him in NCIS, and this episode goes a long way toward explaining why. Parents sometimes think they know better than their kids, and though they often do and though Jackson has his son’s best interest at heart, Gibbs is an adult who can and should make his own decisions. Even if those decisions might not always be the best ones.
In this regard, Franks is a much better influence for Gibbs right now, and Franks isn’t trying to be a fatherly figure, just a mentor and a friend. But that’s what Gibbs needs, someone who will call him out, yes, but also someone who will have his back and someone who believes he can be more than the broken shell of a man he feels like he is.
Why does Franks believe this? It’s hard to tell at this point. Gibbs hasn’t really given him much reason to believe in him. Maybe that’s why the faith Franks has in Gibbs is so important to him. Sometimes you just need someone who will give you the benefit of the doubt that you can’t even give yourself.
MORE: How was NCIS Season 22 Episode 1? We have a review of that too!
Things I think I think:
- “Sometimes the worst part about losing a battle isn’t the losing, it’s the surviving.” Are Harmon’s voiceovers just gonna come for the throat all season or…?
- We got two new rules! Rule 8 “Never take anything for granted,” we already knew, but Rule 21 “No man is ever above or below the law,” and Rule 29 “Learn to obey before you command” are new.
- Okay, Eddie is the boyfriend, gotcha.
- “She said I should tell you I’m sorry,” isn’t like, an apology. Just in case you thought it was, Mike.
- At first, I thought for sure this was after what we already know happened to the man who killed Gibbs’ family, but now I’m thinking that makes no sense. It surely hasn’t happened yet, and that’s part of why this is a story he doesn’t tell.
- I like Randy. No, like I really, really like Randy.
- The packing up after a loss is brutal, especially if you have to do it alone.
- “I’m not going to let you throw your life away,” just makes me think everyone’s gonna cover for Gibbs.
- Randy folded so fast. He and Gibbs are besties already.
- Well, I guess this is the ‘origin’ of the numerous emergency elevator stops on NCIS, from Gibbs and others. Gibbs taught his team well.
- “I got nothing to lose. I guess this is what happens.”
- Randy and Lala are perfection together too. And Lala and Vera? The dynamics outside of Gibbs in this episode are on point.
- You didn’t really have to add the “I love you” to the message, Randy.
- “Franks knew there was a time and a place to bend the rules” feels like foreshadowing to me, just saying.
- And the whole bit about Jackson Gibbs? Why are you making me feel sad about this man again, NCIS: Origins?
- “Without any rules at all a man has nothing to hold onto.”
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 3 ‘Bend, Don’t Break’? Share with us in the comments below!
NCIS: Origins airs on Mondays at 10/9c on CBS.
