“Hello, my brother.” That’s how Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) greeted Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula) in the 2014 NCIS backdoor pilot for NCIS: New Orleans. Now, NCIS: Origins is getting ready to reveal how that strong bond began.
TV Insider has learned exclusively that NCIS: Origins is casting a Young Dwayne Pride for an episode later this season. He joins the growing list of iconic characters receiving younger versions in the prequel, including Gibbs, Mike Franks, Ducky, Vera Strickland, and Tobias Fornell. Bakula played Pride for seven seasons on NCIS: New Orleans.
In Origins, Pride is a former Sheriff’s Deputy turned probationary NIS Special Agent from the Panama office. He shares a complicated past with Gibbs (Austin Stowell), and the episode will explore how the two resolve early tensions while working undercover together.
“One of the special things about Origins is exploring the early days of beloved characters,” co-showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North said. “We’re excited to meet the 1990s version of New Orleans’ own Special Agent Dwayne Pride and uncover more of his history with Gibbs.”
The original “Crescent City” episodes revealed the Fed Five – Gibbs, Pride, Mike Franks, Dan McClane, and Felix Betts – and showed that Gibbs and Pride were probies at the same time. That backstory sets the stage for the new prequel appearance, which may also explore Pride’s dynamic with Franks.
In 2014, Gibbs told his team he’d known Pride for 30 years and trusted him with his life. This new storyline looks poised to show how that trust began – even down to running gags like Pride claiming Gibbs stole his famous “stop the elevator” move.
NCIS: Origins recently introduced a young Ducky, once again played by Adam Campbell, giving fans an in-depth look at how key characters became who they are.
The series is produced by CBS Studios with David J. North, Gina Lucita Monreal, Mark Harmon, and Sean Harmon serving as executive producers.
What are you hoping to see from Young Pride’s debut on NCIS: Origins?
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