Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
It looks like NCIS: Origins traded in its usual gunfire and life-or-death situations for a little emotional warfare instead. In all seriousness, this had to be the most emotionally charged episode of the season.
Truth be told, I wasn’t sure why the series needed to backtrack to how Gibbs ended up at the NIS. The story could have easily gone on without Gibbs’s little journey from Marine to NIS Agent. It seemed pretty cut and dry.
Thankfully, the NCIS: Origins writers never miss an opportunity to showcase how easily they can make audiences cry. Someone should see how Kleenex’s stock is doing.
While “Blue Bayou” didn’t deliver action or mind-blowing twists, it did offer the insight we’ve been craving for Gibbs and even Lala. That said, is anyone else annoyed by the bait-and-switch Christmas episode?
Gibbs Was Never Going To Be Able To Move On Without A Helping Hand
If you read the NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 10 Spoilers, you know that CBS made “Blue Bayou” seem like a Christmas episode.
Well, now we know that was all a farce. The network’s clip showed a scene in which the opening credits were still rolling in the episode, and the two unknown characters had nothing to do with the plot.
Then again, how could they? “Blue Bayou” was a giant flashback to one of Gibbs’s most volatile times in his life. That’s putting it lightly because he was wailing on those army guys in the bar.
It definitely helps that viewers got to see a more stable and together Gibbs at the start of NCIS: Origins Season 1. The contrast between the two versions of Gibbs (Austin Stowell) is a testament to his journey of healing and growth.
Best of all, it shows that Gibbs, while an amazing agent, is still human. He was never going to get over his trauma alone.
As Gibbs said at the start of the series, “It’s the story of her.” Move over Lala because “Blue Bayou” was the story of Ruth.
It’s The Story Of Ruth
Ruth is the very definition of “I came in like a wrecking ball.” That woman bulldozed her way through Gibbs’s depressing life until she broke through to sunlight.
In one episode, we learned more about Ruth, Gibbs’s self-appointed big sister, than we have all season about Lala. The series did not hold back either.
We first met Ruth in NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 7. That was the episode where the daughter-in-law accidentally killed her elderly mother-in-law, who had dementia. Don’t think about it too long.
London Garcia, the actor who played Ruth, has been leaving her mark across the broadcast spectrum since the ‘90s. Garcia’s versatile character quality allows her to slip into any story seamlessly.
She has certainly seen her fair share of procedural roles on shows like 9-1-1: Lone Star and S.W.A.T. Suffice it to say, the series knew what they were doing when they cast Gibbs’s best friend.
The most heartbreaking part of this episode was getting halfway through it before asking, “If they’re so close, where has she been all this time?” Did the realization hit you like a ton of bricks, too?
The NCIS: Origins Writers Are Sick Geniuses Who Will Wring Out Every Tear They Can Get
If anyone ever needed proof that NCIS: Origins has some of the best writing on broadcast television, this episode showcases it.
Raise your hand if you thought Ruth sucked at the start of the episode. To be fair, Gibbs wasn’t much better, and she had every right to get on him about trashing the apartment.
In the end, it really was the story of Ruth. She put Gibbs on the path he was meant to be on.
Best of all, she got Gibbs to stop acting like a drama queen because, lord, that man had become a tantrum-throwing child. Big sisters can be great like that.
However, nothing could have prepared us for discovering the meaning of Gibbs’s call at the start of the episode.
It was fantastic writing, but I was ready to cuss out everyone at CBS‘s NCIS: Origins. They introduced us to this amazing character at the same time they took her away.
That said, as someone who lives in New Orleans, I can tell you it’s one of the best cities to spend your final days in. Here, death is a celebration of the life lived.
NCIS: Origins Wraps Up Gibbs’s Trauma In A Nice Little Bow, Setting The Series Up To Move Foreword
Well, “Blue Bayou” wasn’t the Christmas episode some had hoped it would be, but the audience got something even better after closely examining it.
Since the NCIS: Origins Season 1 premiere, the show has been trying to paint Gibbs and Lala as romantic leads. Let’s just say it: the whole thing has felt forced, awkward, and confusing.
However, by the end of NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 10, I can NOW fully see Gibbs and Lala becoming intimately entangled in each other’s lives.
As great as NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 9 was, it threw out random plot points in the most inorganic way because did anyone else know Lala was still so heavily involved in the case of Gibbs’s family?
Honestly, I may have missed it because it wasn’t until this episode that I realized that Lala’s Mariel Molino (Promised Land) has two different-colored eyes, aka heterochromia.
Either way, sticking with NCIS: Origins has certainly paid off, with all the ducks in a row and all the characters being likable for once.
Overall, this was a great episode to end with before winter break. It nicely wrapped up what brought Gibbs to where he is, and now, much like the character, the series can move forward.
However, it looks like we’ll be going back to the beginning once again. Despite the recent chaos, Vera has worked hard on her profiling program.
We’re going back to the NCIS: Origins Season 1 Premiere. If you missed it right at the end of the episode, there was a close-up of a single sliver from a shredded document that said, “Bugs had worked closely with a second sniper.”
That’s a pretty strong pivot back to the main story, but realistically, how long could NCIS: Origins stay focused on Gibbs’s backstory without it going stale?
While we may have a month or so before NCIS: Origins returns for more crime-busting and Mike’s mustache, fans can still relive the incredible first half of NCIS: Origins Season 1 on Paramount+.
How do you feel about Lala after everything that has happened?
Do you think the series will move on from Gibbs’s trauma to allow for a fresh second half of NCIS: Origins Season 1?
Please drop a comment below to let me know what you liked about this episode, and join me again when I review another episode of NCIS: Origins!
And keep an eye out for NCIS: Origins Spoilers, posted before each new episode!
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