“My future collided with me,” says the older Gibbs (Mark Harmon)in voiceover.
So what does Diane’s introduction mean for him going forward?
“But he also knows his gut really well.
Austin Stowell as Gibbs and Kathleen Kenny as Diane in ‘NCIS: Origins’.Credit:Sonja Flemming/CBS; CBS
He knows his instincts are right on.”
“It’s one of the worst processes that one can go through.
There’s no scowl.
Diane (Kathleen Kenny) in ‘NCIS: Origins’.CBS
He’s caught off guard.”
AUSTIN STOWELL:Like anything, it takes time, man.
It’s the impetus of his father calling again.
Austin Stowell and Robert Taylor in ‘NCIS: Origins’.Sonja Flemming/CBS
Whether Gibbs likes it or not, he has real power over Leroy.
And Gibbs knows deep down that it has to happen eventually.
Does he want to live in that house with those ghosts?
Mariel Molino and Austin Stowell in ‘NCIS: Origins’.Sonja Flemming/CBS
Coming into this episode, he’s just learned his trusted group therapy leader was a serial killer.
What kind of space does that leave him in?
Gibbs refuses to do therapy, his psych evals, all that kind of stuff.
Austin Stowell and Mariel Molino in ‘NCIS: Origins’.CBS
He just won’t do it.
And so I was like, “Man, Gibbs is really into this whole therapy phase.”
Now I’m like, “Oh, this is why Gibbs never goes back.”
Austin Stowell in ‘NCIS: Origins’.Sonja Flemming/CBS
This makes him go more and more insular.
He goes, “Okay, I’m going to trust other people.
I’m going to let them in.
This feels right.”
He was pretty not-so-for-it at the beginning, but then finally does start to get something from it.
And he didn’t see it.
He blames his selfishness.
He was too focused on his emotions.
How could he not see it?
He’s not easy on himself.
In that scene, I wanted to show the killer side of him.
Don’t think I wouldn’t do it again.
Don’t mess with me here.
And especially don’t mess with my team."
This is his new family at this point.
His knee jerk reaction is, “Why are you doing this?
Why is this the thread that you’re pulling?
I got rid of a really bad guy.
He’s told repeatedly by both Lala and Franks that he just needs to keep quiet.
He needs to lie.
So why does he then eventually go and hand over the rifle?
It’s because he’ll do anything to protect his family.
And he says it point blank, “Leave them out of this.
You want to come get somebody, come get me.”
She’s a Marine, and there’s a brotherhood-sisterhood there.
Where it’s like, “Okay, fine.
I stepped outside of the law.
I can handle that, but don’t you take my team down with me.
There’s no need for that.”
What prompts him to jump in the pool with Lala?
It’s a bit unlike him.
That’s a testament to the relationship that he has with Lala andthe feelings that he has for her.
He does all kinds of things that he maybe wouldn’t normally do.
He gets in the pool because it also feels like a safe space.
The water is a haven for them.
It has these metaphors of cleansing, purity, and peacefulness.
So many times we’re drawn to the water in times of trauma.
Also the distance between them is too much at that point.
He needs to be closer to tell her this.
He’s truthful to a fault and has this big weight on his conscience.
And this is his way of saying, “I love you.
I did this for you and I’m sorry, but this is how it is.
And it’s not the decision I want to make, but it’s the right decision.”
You almost kiss.Was it exciting for you to feel like the characters were finally getting to that space?
Well, at the table read, we read that and we go, “That’s it?
After all this time we’ve been waiting.
But Gibbs can’t help himself.
He gets in his own way.
Justice and righteousness are paramount.
He’s cleansing himself of the lies at that point.
He can handle the truth.
He can handle all that.
What he couldn’t handle is the idea of having Franks and Lala on the line with him.
Because he thinks that Shannon and Kelly’s passing are in his fault.
He wasn’t there.
He had brought them to live down near the base.
Without him, they would be alive.
He’s not surprised.
I mean, does he want it to go that way?
Does he have more to say?
Certainly as a free man.
He understands that he’s probably going to jail or he is going to go kill himself.
He’s put her through enough.
It’s not fair to keep doing this to her.
He’s coming hat in hand right there.
He gets that she’s going to be mad and he probably wants to tell her.
Thank you for reminding me what it is to love somebody.
Thank you for reminding me about the spark of life.”
He doesn’t know yet, but we learned that Macy’s source was Gibbs himself.
He’s obviously come a long way in terms of drinking and self-control from that night.
But what do you make of that fact?
I’m not sure if he’s ever going to know.
We know what happens to Macy.
She goes on to work at NCIS: LA and there is a continued angst between them.
But it gets swept under the rug.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
