I Got So Stressed Out Watching NCIS: Origins Set Gibbs On The Path To Becoming A Leader

Warning: SPOILERS for the NCIS: Origins episode “Lean on Me” are ahead!

If you watched the Mark Harmon years of NCIS, you know that Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ alternate first name might as well have been “Boss.” For almost the entirety of his tenure on the show, Gibbs commanded the show’s leading lineup of agents and exuded leadership qualities week after week. But he wasn’t always that way, as we’ve been seeing in the prequel NCIS: Origins, where Gibbs is played by Austin Stowell. However, the latest Origins Season 2 episode to premiere on the 2026 TV schedule showed Gibbs taking his first steps to become a leader, though the events that made this happen stressed me out a lot.

Gibbs caught some flak from Kowalski early on in “Lean on Me” because he asked if Mary Jo could handle telling the office that Kowalski Cocktails, i.e. everyone getting together after work for drinks, rather than him. So Mike Franks did it on Kowalski’s behalf instead, and the Evidence Custodian was disappointed that the younger NIS agent didn’t understand that “a team leader takes significant information and acts on it.” Well, Gibbs certainly understood that when he was forced to take charge when it looked like a deadly virus might have been spread at the Camp Pendleton office.

This all started when Marine Captain Brian Polanco showed up at the office seemingly drunk, only to have a seizure and die soon after. Since it was initially suspected he passed from the Lenka virus, that not only required Gibbs, Assistant Evidence Custodian Herm, secretaries Gail and Nadia, and everyone’s favorite Origins dog Gary Callahan, to be quarantined, but also the NIS people at Daly’s, as Lala and Randy were near Polanco before they left. Though Mike and Vera thankfully didn’t fall into either camp and were able to investigate what was going on, it was on Gibbs to run point at the office since he was the highest-ranking agent there.

Long story short, Polanco didn’t have the Lenka virus; he’d been sprayed with botulinum toxin by a man who was angry that Polanco was sleeping with his wife. But when the virus was still a possibility, Gibbs really rose to the occasion, from giving an inspirational speech to keep morale intact, to working with Herm to get a sample of Polanco’s lung to be studied, to even saving Gary’s life when he consumed some onions in the evidence room. Kowalski certainly had more respect for Gibbs by the end of the episode, and Austin Stowell’s younger incarnation knew from that point forward that he wanted to become a team leader.

I’ve watched enough procedurals in my life to know that none of NCIS: Origins’ lead characters were going to be killed off in “Lean on Me.” However, there were just enough recurring players in this episode that had me worried that one of them would bite the dust. I’m glad that didn’t happen, because as I wrote at the beginning of this year, these side characters are one of the reasons why Origins is currently my favorite NCIS franchise show.

The Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS: Origins is a long ways off from becoming the Gibbs we remember so fondly from NCIS. However, depending on how long the prequel series last, perhaps we’ll see him lead his first team in the coming years. For now, just keep checking back with us for the latest Origins goings-on as new episodes air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, then become available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.