Warning: the following contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins, episodes 1-9.
NCIS: Origins dives into a painful chapter of Leroy Gibbs' life and sees him struggling to piece himself together after the deaths of his first wife and child. While the main series offered glimpses into what happened to them and the man responsible for their deaths, there are so many details unknown about the incident and its aftermath. NCIS: Origins seems like the perfect show to address this by starting from the beginning of the story that Gibbs plans on taking to his grave.
It's not a secret that Gibbs takes things into his own hands. The shocking twist still manages to change everything fans know about the NCIS agent, especially with the prequel series hinting that the manhunt for the killer behind the deaths of Gibbs' family was still underway, if not officially, then under the table. Neither Mike Franks nor Lala Dominguez has ever stopped looking. The series has given a 360-degree depiction of the impact of Gibbs' wife and child's case on everyone in the station, showing them being emotionally tortured by it, which only makes the truth hurt more.
Who Killed Gibbs' Wife and Child, & Why?
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Pedro Hernandez killed Gibbs' wife, Shannon, and their daughter because Shannon witnessed Hernandez committing a crime. She wanted to testify against him. Gibbs' family was then placed in protective custody. A NIS agent was also assigned to keep them safe, but Gibbs' first wife and child were killed in transit. The agent who was in the car was killed at the scene as well. The deaths of Gibbs' wife and child were part of Mike Franks' case. Lala worked on it as well. However, they were unable to catch Hernandez within their jurisdiction. Hernandez escaped across the border to Mexico and disappeared.
While NCIS has been frank about what happened to Hernandez since the early seasons, there were some mysteries around the incident, and NCIS: Origins was able to reveal more details that had been totally unknown till now. It turns out that Randy was the assigned agent, and he was supposed to be the one driving the car, except that his wife just had a baby, so he called off his shift and had another agent, Kurt Michelle, take his place for the transit. Randy didn't tell Gibbs about it, and he buried his guilt deep inside him. The survivor's guilt was weighing down on him until the NIS agent finally confessed about it to a priest. However, Randy wasn't the only one who blamed himself (or herself) constantly, as long as Hernandez was free. Mike Franks blamed himself for letting Hernandez get away, and the same also applied to Lala, who went down to Mexico on a monthly basis to look for the killer responsible for Gibbs' family.
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NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 9, "Vivo o Muerto" sees Mike, Lala and Gibbs heading down to Mexico on a potential abduction case. It reveals more about Hernandez. Murder is only one of the crimes Hernandez committed. The drug dealer is also associated with the Reynosa cartel that traffics women. With this information coming to light, Lala and Mike aim to use the case as their chance to catch Hernandez. Meanwhile, Gibbs seems shockingly calm for a guy who has shown a lot of emotional vulnerability this season. Gibbs dives straight into the investigation as he'd always do and focuses on solving the case. The episode ends with them finding the gas station where the women are kept, but not without a twist. It turns out that Hernandez isn't there.
NCIS: Origins Solves Its Biggest Mystery
What happened to Hernandez isn't a secret that NCIS has been keeping from fans, but there are certain things Mark Harmon's Gibbs can't talk about until his departure from his post. Established in Season 3, Gibbs is the one who avenged his family by shooting down Hernandez in cold blood. The real mystery here is time. While NCIS: Origins led fans into thinking that Gibbs got his form of justice and revenge during the Mexico case or later in life, the killing actually happened before Gibbs joined the NIS, which explains how he's able to focus on work while the killer responsible for his family's deaths is still "out there." The answer has been staring at fans the entire time. Knowing Gibbs, he's simply not the kind of guy who can focus on anything else by simply moving on. The series certainly had fans convinced until Episode 9 dropped the prequel's biggest reveal to date.
Gibbs figured out where Hernandez was hiding after he got the details from Franks' leaked case file. After days and maybe weeks of making no progress, he noticed a small detail that pointed directly to where Hernandez was operating. Gibbs then made a trip to Mexico and killed Hernandez in cold blood with a sniper rifle. Ironically, NCIS: Origins began its first episode with Gibbs working on a sniper case. He had some killer instinct when it came to the sniper. Gibbs also remained doubtful of Franks' prime suspect despite receiving a confession. The big revelation actually solves a lot of mysteries in both the prequel and the original series. It explains how Gibbs is able to reach a good enough place to go back to work and his lack of obsession with his wife and child's case during his time at the NIS. The fact that Gibbs took matters into his own hands and resolved his family's murder with violence also explains why he'd fail his psych report: Gibbs not only has to live with the fact that his wife and child are gone, but he also has to justify the killing of Hernandez as a law enforcement officer, who's supposed to believe in the justice system.
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By killing Hernandez and keeping it a secret until the very end of episode 9, Gibbs watches Lala and Franks going through emotional distress and a tremendous amount of guilt and shame while they believe Hernandez is still out there. It's a lot to be put on one's conscience. When Gibbs and Lala are in Mexico, Lala shares her deepest secret by telling Gibbs how much she blames herself and goes to Mexico every month to try to catch the murderer. She even promises Gibbs that she'll make sure they get Hernandez, which is a moment where Gibbs could've told her the truth. Having remained silent until Hernandez's guy revealed the truth is a huge breach of trust. It also gives a glimpse of Gibbs' character -- he's not a good person. He's heartless to the woman he's affectionate for.
What Does This Mean for Gibbs?
Gibbs choosing to work with Franks in the NIS was a career-changing decision. While his talent for crime-solving is undeniable, the decision didn't make much sense until the reveal. Both Franks and Lala are experienced agents who have worked on a lot of cases and solved many murders. On the other hand, Gibbs is completely new. Working at the NIS documented his first time undercover. So far, Gibbs hasn't officially led an interrogation yet. He's been on the other side of the window and studying, which says a lot about his experience. However, from day one, he seemed to have a very special touch with cases. What really drives him to a career in NIS and later NCIS has a lot to do with solving the murder of his wife and child on his own.
Neither Franks nor Lala were able to find Hernandez. Franks had FBI connections, while Lala also had connections in Mexico. Not to mention, they had the resources at the NIS with full access to the entire agency and database. Gibbs, on the other hand, only had the notes he took from Franks' case file. He was working alone, yet he solved the case, tracked down Hernandez and got justice. It wouldn't make sense for another person, but Gibbs didn't lose a single day of sleep because he killed Hernandez in NCIS: Origins. On the contrary, he's able to find peace and move on and focus on work and healing. What happened to Hernandez must've served as a form of inspiration for Gibbs to pursue a career in solving crimes. He's able to find meaning in life by saving others while finding justice. Of course, this is a story Gibbs doesn't tell anyone, because it's his darkest secret, and he has proven his point by not telling another soul until Hernandez's guy broke the silence. Lala is greatly affected by the betrayal, but Franks seems to understand Gibbs' decision and chooses to look the other way.
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NCIS: Origins
Crime
Where to Watch
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*Availability in US
Release Date October 14, 2024
Cast Mark Harmon , Austin Stowell , Robert Taylor , Patrick Fischler , Kyle Schmid , Diany Rodriguez , Tyla Abercrumbie , Mariel Molino
Main Genre Crime
Seasons 1
Character(s) Narrator , Leroy Jethro Gibbs , Jackson Gibbs , Cliff Walker , NIS Special Agent Mike Franks , NIS Special Agent Vera Strickland , Mary Jo Sullivan , NIS Special Agent Lourdes Dominguez