‘NCIS: Origins’: Austin Stowell Teases Gibbs’ First Interrogation as He Balances His Work and Personal Life (Exclusive)

This week’s episode of NCIS: Origins will be seeing a Gibbs first, and Austin Stowell spoke to PopCulture.com about what to expect.

In “Who by Fire,” airing on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, “When the body of a college swimmer washes up on the beach, the team must determine if it was an accident or murder. Also, Gibbs prepares for his first interrogation.”

Showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal previously revealed that Season 2 would be showing Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ first interrogation, and although fans have seen him do it a lot on NCIS, things are a little different in the ‘90s. Stowell admitted, “A lot of birds don’t fly the first time they try. You can only imagine how well it might go.”

“At the end of the day, this is a very well-trained marine,” he continued. “This is somebody who is incredibly observant and logical, but is also an emotional character at the end of the day. Sometimes those emotions can get in the way of the goal. And there’s so much going on for Gibbs at this point that he is learning how to settle into this job, while trying to begin a relationship that we know will turn into a marriage, while also balancing what we know are feelings for a coworker.”

After Gibbs and Lala’s almost kiss in the first season finale, it was a surprise to see Gibbs with a new girlfriend in the Season 2 premiere, Diane. However, as Stowell pointed out, we know she will be his second wife in the future. So, having to focus on work while also dealing with some personal things, as Mariel Molino’s Lala returns to work, it won’t be easy. And his feelings for Lala won’t just go away.

“There is a reason that it’s the story of her,” Stowell explained. “There is a reason that he is thinking about her 40 years down the line and writing about her. And what was it that made her so important to him that he couldn’t tell anybody else about it? That he’s essentially spilling out these emotions in the golden years of his life. And Mariel, I’m lucky that I have an actress and a woman like Mariel who fits the bill for somebody who could be thought of after 40 years.”

It’s clear that Gibbs will have a lot on his mind when he does his first interrogation, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s a complete fail, as Stowell hinted. But considering we know how well he does interrogations on the Mothership, it might just take some time before he really nails it. If only the same could be said for his love life.

Tune in to a new episode of NCIS: Origins on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day on Paramount+.