'NCIS: Origins' set to return with Season 3 but there's a huge twist
Fans have been speculating about the fate of 'NCIS: Origins' as the procedural drama wraps Season 2 on Tuesday. The series explores the early days of 'NCIS' legend Leroy Jethro Gibbs, originally played by Mark Harmon for 19 seasons in the parent series. In the prequel, viewers get to see a different version of Gibbs, who is dealing with the death of his wife and daughter. He joins the Camp Pendleton Field Office, training to become the man fans have known for decades under the mentorship of Special Agent Mike Franks. The good news is that CBS officially renewed the show for a third season on January 22.
'NCIS: Origins' is one of 16 shows that have secured spots in the network's lineup for the upcoming season. A premiere date has not been announced yet, but it is anticipated to arrive during the usual September-October window. The upcoming episodes will also air on Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. However, there has been a significant reduction in the number of episodes, down to 10, which is almost half the current season's 18 episodes. 'NCIS: Sydney' Season 4 has also faced similar treatment, with the episode count reduced to 20 from 10. The reason behind this change is CBS' packed lineup of current and new shows. The network is adding three new shows to the upcoming slate, including another NCIS spinoff, 'NCIS: New York', with LL Cool J and Scott Caan leading the office.
'NCIS: Origins' co-showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal will not be part of the third season, leaving David J. North as the sole showrunner. Monreal is leaving the show to focus on new projects, as per Deadline. She has had a long association with the NCISverse, serving as a writer-producer on 'NCIS' for 10 years until 2021. She left the mothership series for a similar reason and worked on shows like 'Paradise' and 'Griselda' before returning to tell the origin story of Leroy Gibbs. "It’s been the biggest honor of my career to write 'NCIS: Origins' alongside my incredible co-showrunner and friend David North," Monreal said in an interview with the same outlet. "I want to thank Amy Reisenbach, David Stapf, and everyone at CBS Network and Studio for their support. To have had this opportunity to work again with the incomparable Mark Harmon, Sean Harmon, our writers, and the best cast and crew in the business—how lucky am I? I can’t wait to see what this extraordinary group cooks up for Season 3."
