‘It Is A Deep Pull’: NCIS: Origins Showrunner Explain Why It Was Important To Feature Vera Strickland Following Her Sole Appearance On NCIS

‘It Is A Deep Pull’: NCIS: Origins Showrunner Explain Why It Was Important To Feature Vera Strickland Following Her Sole Appearance On NCIS

As a dedicated fan with a memory that rivals IBM Watson, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and nostalgia as I delve into the upcoming series, NCIS: Origins. The return of Vera Strickland, a character who left an indelible mark on NCIS Season 11, is like finding an old photo album that you thought was lost – it stirs up memories and rekindles the passion for the storyline.


In Season 11 of NCIS, the character Vera Strickland was first introduced in the episode “Under the Radar,” portrayed by Roma Maffia. Previously, she had been Mike Franks’ partner, a role played by Muse Watson. Although Vera didn’t reappear on NCIS after that, she will now be one of the main characters in the Leroy Jethro Gibbs prequel series, NCIS: Origins, with Diany Rodriguez playing her. With only two weeks left before NCIS: Origins premieres on the 2024 TV schedule, co-showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal explained why Vera’s presence is significant in the latest NCIS spin-off.

As a dedicated NCIS enthusiast, I can’t help but share an exciting revelation. Collaborating with David North on our latest venture, NCIS: Origins, we’ve decided to introduce Vera Strickland into the narrative. This move might seem like a deep dive even for seasoned NCIS fans, but let me explain why her presence is essential to the show.

As I delved into the storyline, it became clear she would’ve been stationed at Camp Pendleton back then. On NCIS, she was introduced as Frank’s first partner, a character with a hint of mystery surrounding her. Bringing Vera to life in this role has been an engaging experience; unraveling the depth and complexity of a character sketched so briefly on that episode has been genuinely enjoyable.

More NCIS: Origins Coverage

‘It Is A Deep Pull’: NCIS: Origins Showrunner Explain Why It Was Important To Feature Vera Strickland Following Her Sole Appearance On NCIS

Following the exciting announcement of “NCIS: Origins,” I can’t help but express my eagerness to discover what’s been happening with Leroy Jethro Gibbs since his departure.

Austin Stowell from the NCIS spin-off series “Origins” shares an intriguing story about nearly overlooking his casting announcement for the show. A similar level of stealth and precision that Gibbs himself would appreciate!

In the series NCIS, Roma Maffia’s character Vera Strickland appeared long after Mike Franks had passed away. Although Muse Watson continued to portray Franks in Gibbs’ imagination until Season 15, the writers of NCIS found an opportunity to bring Strickland back when they introduced a spin-off called NCIS: Origins. Set in 1991, this new series allowed for Vera Strickland’s character to be present during the time that Austin Stowell’s Gibbs joined what was then known as NIS. However, by this point, her partnership with Mike had ended.

In the new series, Vera Strickland presents as largely open to interpretation, with only her previously shown traits from NCIS, her history with Mike Franks, and her survival by 2013 known. This gives the writers of Origins ample creative freedom to mold the character. This also means that actress Diany Rodriguez has a great opportunity to make Vera uniquely hers. Moreover, she doesn’t have to worry about her character being written out of the storyline. Vera, played by Rodriguez, along with Austin Stowell as Gibbs, Kyle Schmid as Mike Franks, Mariel Molino as Lala Dominguez, and Tyla Abercrombie as Mary Jo Sullivan, form the main cast of Origins.

As a gaming enthusiast (or TV aficionado), I’m excitedly looking forward to the premiere of “NCIS: Origins” on Monday, October 14, right after the first episode of season 22 of good old NCIS. If you want to catch both these shows as they air on CBS, don’t forget to subscribe to Paramount+ because that’s where you’ll be streaming all the new episodes afterward.

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2024-10-05 06:37