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Key Points Gibbs inspired Ducky’s career move, though Gibbs barely recalls their impactful early friendship. Ducky’s advice to Franks emphasizes valuing sibling relationships, reflecting his sadness over his lost brother. Gibbs’ suggestion shaped Ducky’s signature practice of speaking to the dead during autopsies. NCIS: Origins revealed more of the backstory of Special Agent Leroy Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and NIS medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (Adam Campbell) on tonight’s episode, and it was a surprise how much Gibbs’ friendship meant to Ducky and how little of it Gibbs remembered. We learned that 12 years earlier, the two men had been day drinking in Washington, D.C., and Gibbs was only half paying attention, preoccupied by a ship-in-a-bottle, when he suggested to Ducky that he become a medical examiner for NIS. For Ducky, who had had a life-altering experience at refugee camp in the Middle East where he was forced to keep reviving a man who was being tortured until he finally let the man die so he wouldn’t be tortured anymore, had vowed not to work on living patients any more, so working with the dead was the perfect solution. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 “I think the reason why Ducky has this fond memory of Gibbs is because what Gibbs might have felt was an off-the-cuff remark that, ‘You’d make a good medical examiner,’ Ducky holds that dearly,” Campbell tells Parade. “I think that moment between Gibbs and Ducky years ago changed the course of Ducky’s life. And so, in this episode, obviously Ducky arrives in California with this seemingly deep connection with Gibbs and this fondness for their friendship, but I don’t think Gibbs really remembers that as fondly as Ducky does.” Of course, since that time, Gibbs has been through so much, including the murder of his wife Shannon and daughter Kelly, so the time that he spent with Ducky a dozen years prior isn’t a prime memory. “There’s almost a disappointment that Ducky has like, ‘Wait, man, you don’t remember this amazing connection we had?’” Campbell continues. “And Gibbs is rather standoffish with him, and almost suspicious of him, like Mike Franks [Kyle Schmid] is of him, like, ‘Who is this guy in a bowtie and a funny hat telling these long, drawn-out stories?’ Obviously, over the course of the episode that friendship is rekindled thankfully.” Related: Mark Harmon Set for Exciting Special Guest Appearance on NCIS: Origins So much so that we learn that it is also Gibbs’ suggestion that Ducky not follow the advice of his mentor to conduct autopsies in silence, but rather to speak to the dead. And Ducky returned to D.C. at the end of the episode and did just that, becoming the medical examiner we knew on NCIS as played by David McCallum. “In this episode, Ducky goes on his own journey and he realizes that the connection he used to have with living patients he now needs to develop in his relationship with patients who’ve passed away. That’s a cool discovery that we learn in Ducky’s interaction with the victim in this episode.” One other fact that we know about Ducky from an NCIS episode is that he had a younger brother, a half-brother, who left London with his mother and then disappeared and despite trying, Ducky was never able to locate him. At least, not at this point in the story. Related: NCIS: Origins Adam Campbell on Returning for the Episode Honoring Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard (Exclusive) So, when Franks asked him for advice on how he should handle his relationship with his brother Mason (Philip Winchester will play the role), Ducky has some sage advice for him. “I think you see a bit of emotion there from Ducky,” Campbell says. “I can’t remember exactly what the stage direction was, but it was something like, ‘This is a very tender moment for Ducky, there’s a sadness to him when he talks about that he had a brother.’ And so, he gets to speak to Franks with real integrity. He knows how important it is to have a sibling, ‘Don’t waste this relationship that you’ve got. Make the most of it.’ And so that’s really heartfelt from Ducky, that he really does challenge Franks to not squander a good thing in his life.” NCIS: Origins airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Streams next day on Paramount+.
