Warning: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins, season 1, episode 4, "All's Not Lost."NCIS: Origins Gibbs star Austin Stowell discusses episode 4's flashback scene, where Gibbs learned about his wife and daughter's murders in Kuwait. The prequel series of NCIS centers on a darker chapter of young Gibbs' life as he returns home and works at NIS following the tragedy. The flashback scene in NCIS: Origins episode 4 shows that Gibbs stands up, while everyone else is on the ground when the bombs are being dropped around the base.
Talking to TV Insider, Stowell sheds some light on the scene, explaining that Gibbs "[has] seen how fragile life is," and he's searching for more. While the scene may read as Gibbs trying to take himself out, he knows that his death "wouldn't solve anything," and "there has to be more out there." The actor further explains that Gibbs' lost moment is something everyone experiences because that experience is just "part of life" and "the journey to find more." Check out what he said:
It’s at this point that you see, he’s trying to take his own life. He’s seen how fragile life is and of course, he knows that just taking himself out wouldn’t solve anything, that there has to be more out there. We’re all doing that all the time, and it doesn’t have to be circumstances like this. It can be that we’re working a job that we’re not so happy with or we’re in a relationship that we’re not sure if we’re in love with the person and we’re looking for more and it’s okay. That’s just the part of life, the journey to find more.
What This Means For Gibbs In NCIS: Origins
Gibbs Is Searching For The Meaning In Life
Up until this point, everyone around Gibbs in NCIS: Origins had been tiptoeing around him. Gibbs' unwillingness to share personal feelings also makes it hard for his colleagues to trust him. Stowell's comment sheds light on the flashback scene and explains what Gibbs is really going through: he's searching for the meanings in life after losing his wife and daughter. The flashback scene is where he confronts his own mortality, which sends him down a journey of discovery.
Gibbs' flashback scene has been referred to in the early episodes but never shown until now. The scene shows what really happened that caused Gibbs to fail his psych evaluation and the distrust towards him in the team. The actor's comment explains the relatability of the scene, which may seem extreme at first, given that Gibbs isn't taking active measures to protect himself. Rather than reading it as Gibbs having a death wish, the flashback is about him feeling lost in life. It's also a pivotal moment that sends the titular character on a journey to search for more, which shows his resilience.
Our Take on NCIS: Origins Episode 4
The Flashback Is Tearjerking & Pivotal
In NCIS: Origins episode 4, Gibbs helps locate a little girl after a fatal break that targets a local teacher. The case is particularly triggering for Gibbs having lost his own daughter. While working on the case, Gibbs is forced to confront his loss again. However, he eventually finds exactly what he's looking for when he helps track down the hitman and successfully keeps the little girl safe until her father comes. Gibbs is finding meaning in life after the love of his life was taken away from him.
In this episode, Gibbs realizes that he's not alone, and that he can serve a purpose to make sure that the same thing won't happen to another family. At the end of the episode, Gibbs finally joins Mike Franks and his wife for dinner. Instead of trying to shut everyone out, episode 4 of NCIS: Origins is a pivotal point where his wounds start healing. Professionally, this is also where Gibbs begins the journey of becoming who he eventually becomes in the original series.
Source: TV Insider
