NCIS & NCIS: Origins Crossover – Harmon’s Nostalgia-Laced Return Is Good (But Could Have Been Better)

NCIS’ crossover with NCIS: Origins features a compelling case that spans decades, but while it’s a decent TV special, a few tweaks could have made it better. The NCIS franchise is not new to staging crossovers, as the majority of its earlier spinoffs such as NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: NOLA were launched using the storytelling trick.

With the cancelation of its traditional offshoots, however, crossovers have become a rarity, especially as the premises of its current kickoffs make it difficult to craft a narrative that could be tackled by multiple shows in the universe. Somehow, however, CBS is able to find a way to stage a crossover with NCIS season 23 and NCIS: Origins season 2 despite the shows being set in different points in the timeline.The case starts in the past as one of the earliest and most controversial ones that Gibbs handled with Franks’ squad. Thirty years later, a break in it prompts MCRT to re-visit it and eventually close the mystery. The two-hour TV special is a treat for all NCIS fans, especially as it includes an update on how Harmon’s Gibbs is doing in Alaska.