NCIS: Origins continues its exploration of Young Gibbs, a man clearly grappling with more than just standard-issue naval crime. This week’s episode, “Bend, Don’t Break,” finds Gibbs still reeling from the loss of his family, a point hammered home with the subtlety of a foghorn by his concerned father, Jackson.
Said father even goes so far as to beg Franks to fire his emotionally compromised son, worried that a job in NCIS will only exacerbate Gibbs’ self-destructive tendencies. It’s a valid concern, especially considering Gibbs later traps himself in an elevator with a suspect, a move less “clever interrogation tactic” and more “cry for help.”
The case itself, involving a body dumped near Camp Pendleton and a shadowy figure dubbed “Mothman,” meanders through a suburban mall and a toy gun smuggling ring. The Mothman angle, played with surprising seriousness, feels a bit out of place, a touch too X-Files for the grounded world of NCIS. Even Franks, not one for sentimentality, can’t help but chuckle at the description.
The episode attempts to juggle multiple storylines, including Franks’ awkward apology to Lala (still a work in progress, that one) and Prado, the head of mall security who gets caught in Gibbs’ elevator-based meltdown. While the various threads eventually connect, the narrative feels a bit stretched thin, as if the writers are trying to cram too much plot into a single hour.
Despite the somewhat convoluted storyline, the episode offers a few moments of genuine character development. Franks, displaying a rare flicker of emotional intelligence, acknowledges his misstep with Lala, even if his apology lacks polish. And Gibbs, despite his volatile state, demonstrates a keen instinct for reading people, correctly deducing Prado’s innocence in the initial murder.
“Bend, Don’t Break” serves as a pointer that even young, grieving Gibbs possesses the raw talent that will eventually make him a legendary agent. It’s a journey, albeit a sometimes messy one, that’s worth watching, if only to see how the pieces will eventually fall into place.
NCIS: ORIGINS airs Monday nights on CBS.
