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NCIS New Orleans legend Dwayne Pride makes his Origins debut tonight in a shocking meeting with young Gibbs. The two agents who will one day become trusted allies first encounter each other with tension, grudges, and a dangerous undercover mission that tests their breaking point.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Episode Air Date: March 17, 2026 at 9 ET on CBS
- Young Pride Actor: Shea Buckner, a 6-foot-4 former Olympic water polo player and Only Murders star
- Episode Title: “Feelin’ Alright?” featuring the Fed Five’s origin story
- Their Canon Bond: The two become lifelong friends and trusted colleagues by the time they appear on the original NCIS
Enemies Before Brothers: How Gibbs and Pride Really Met
When Mark Harmon and Scott Bakula played these agents on the original NCIS series, fans knew them as trusted allies with deep respect. But tonight’s episode reveals a shocking truth: their first meeting was anything but friendly. Austin Stowell‘s young Gibbs harbors a major grudge from a late-night bar encounter in New Orleans involving Gibbs’ overserved father, Jackson. When Buckner’s Pride doesn’t even remember that encounter, Gibbs’ tension becomes immediately apparent. This volatile first impression sets the stage for an explosive partnership.
According to executive producer Gina Lucita Monreal, the showrunners wanted to explore “how the relationship began,” knowing fans understand their eventual deep bond. “We enjoyed seeing them play off of each other in a different way that we hadn’t seen before,” she explained, revealing that getting to see this other, antagonistic side of their early dynamic was key to building their character foundation.
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The Undercover Assignment That Changes Everything
Despite their outright tension and unresolved history, Gibbs and Pride are forced together on a dangerous undercover assignment. The case begins when a lieutenant’s water-logged body surfaces with a potential connection to an international smuggling ring. NIS Panama agents are called in to assist, forcing both men to work side-by-side despite their clear mistrust. Their mission involves infiltrating an arms dealer operation, complete with an unforgettable terrible gold chain for Pride to wear as part of his cover.
Executive producer David J. North teases that this undercover moment is crucial: “them going in undercover creates a lot of fun and start to see the way that their relationship formed.” The pressure of a high-stakes mission, combined with their personal resentment, forces both agents to discover what made them eventually respect each other so deeply. Tonight’s episode reveals how necessity becomes the mother of their legendary partnership.
How Shea Buckner Captures Young Pride’s Charisma
| Element | Details |
| Actor | Shea Buckner, USC water polo star and Only Murders Season 2 cast member |
| Character Background | Newbie Probationary Special Agent Pride, moonlighting as jazz pianist and sheriff’s deputy |
| Key Traits | Pride’s signature smile, New Orleans accent, charm, coolness, musical spirit |
| Prior NCIS Experience | 2018 NCIS episode playing suspected sniper Xavier Blackburn, where Mark Harmon talked sports with him afterwards |
The casting of Buckner proved inspired. As he told USA TODAY, embodying Pride meant capturing the character’s essence: “It wasn’t lost on me how important Pride is in the NCIS universe and to fans.” Scott Bakula created this character with such charm and charisma that the pressure to honor that legacy loomed large. Buckner credits settling into Pride’s distinctive New Orleans accent as the key to unlocking the character’s musicality and laid-back spirit. The 6-foot-4 actor brings an athletic presence while maintaining Pride’s natural cool demeanor.
The Fed Five Officially Forms Tonight
Beyond Gibbs and Pride’s contentious origin story, tonight’s episode marks a major milestone in NCIS canon: the formation of the legendary Fed Five, the celebrated team that operated until 1994. The group’s official members included Pride, Gibbs, Felix Betts, and was led by Michael Franks. Notably, Dan McLane, who lived long enough to be discussed in the original series, appears as well. Tonight’s episode shows how young Franks and McLane establish their evolving relationship, while young NIS Agent Betts rounds out the team. David J. North noted that while the Fed Five will have a presence in Origins, exactly how much fans will see remains to be determined.
This formation is significant because it establishes the operational foundation that shaped Gibbs‘ leadership style for decades. The bonds forged tonight, despite their rocky start, become foundational to the team’s legendary cohesion and success on high-stakes cases.
“We know that the NCIS fans know how close Gibbs and Pride are and how much respect they have for each other, so we thought it’d be fun and interesting to see how the relationship began. And clearly it didn’t get off to the best start, but the fact that they meet how they do with sort of not seeing eye to eye, them going in undercover creates a lot of fun and start to see the way that their relationship formed.”
— David J. North, Executive Producer
Will This Mark the Beginning of an NCIS Legacy?
Tonight’s episode represents a pivotal turning point in NCIS mythology. Viewers have known for years that Gibbs and Pride shared a deep, unshakeable bond rooted in professional respect. But Origins finally answers the question every fan wondered: how did two agents from such different backgrounds, with such different temperaments, become brothers-in-arms? The answer lies in pressure, mutual survival, and the realization that their differences actually made them stronger together.
Shea Buckner’s portrayal of young Pride will either confirm or surprise longtime fans who’ve only known Scott Bakula’s wise, charismatic version of the character. The episode airs at 9 ET / 8 CT on CBS, closing the gap between the 1990s world of NCIS Origins and the modern-day legacy that Gibbs and Pride eventually build together. Tune in tonight to witness how a bar fight and a botched grudge evolved into one of television’s most iconic partnerships.
Sources
- TV Insider – Exclusive sneak peek of upcoming episode with executive producers’ commentary
- USA Today – Detailed casting analysis and episode preview with actor biography
- National Today – Episode air date confirmation and plot synopsis
