NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 5 recap: Gibbs uncovers a decades-old murder and the town’s dark secrets

NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 5, Funny How Time Slips Away, dropped on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.

Season two kicked off earlier, back on October 14, right in the middle of their fall TV lineup. Now, Episode 5 is the big one, as it marks the first-ever crossover between Origins and the OG NCIS. Mark Harmon is back in action, and Gibbs and his crew are off to Serenity, California, poking around after a guy named Louis Burke dies under mysterious circumstances. There is history, drama, and they are digging up secrets that rattle everyone, rookies and vets alike.

If you have somehow missed the memo, NCIS: Origins is the prequel to the franchise, rewinding to the ’90s when Gibbs was just getting his feet wet at NIS (before NCIS even existed). You get to see how all those legendary Gibbs quirks and rules got cooked up, plus there is a whole mentor-buddy thing with Mike Franks.

Imagine a younger, scrappier Gibbs running around Camp Pendleton and other throwback locations, solving cases that actually molded him into the no-nonsense person people binge-watch today.

NCIS: Origins nails that balance between character drama and the usual crime-solving formula, peeling back the curtain on what made Gibbs the legend he is.

NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 5 recap – Funny How Time Slips Away

Episode 5 of NCIS: Origins (Funny How Time Slips Away) hits the sweet spot for mystery junkies and old-school NCIS fans. If you are into a blend of who-done-it drama and a healthy dose of franchise throwbacks, this one has got you covered.

This instalment featured a crossover moment with the main NCIS crew, digging up a cold case from the '90s: naval officer Louis Burke’s death in a sudden train accident. The NCIS: Origins team cracks the lid on it, and you get a back-and-forth between flashbacks and the present.

So, the opener: Burke’s car is on the train tracks out in Serenity, California. Everyone in town swears up and down that it was suicide, claiming that despite their warnings, he stayed in the car. However, our guy Gibbs (Austin Stowell’s version, the young buck) isn’t buying it for a second.

Soon, somewhere around the scene, they find a severed arm with Burke’s watch, and immediately suspect something is off. Bloody smears on the car door, and a bunch of photos thrown around look staged, like someone is trying way too hard to sell a story.

There is even a local store that has subtle details like Gibbs’ dad’s place, which gets you right in the feels if you remember the OG series.

Anyway, the team starts poking around, talking to locals. Their stories are practically copy-pasted. Everyone seems desperate to believe it was suicide, probably so they can sleep at night. But forensics blows that idea to bits as it was revealed that Burke got shot in the heart before the train even showed up. And now we have a murder on our hands.

Gibbs and Franks are running all over, pulling prints off the gearshift, prepping to fingerprint the entire town. Before they can really dig in, Sheriff Tommy Mulligan steps up and takes the blame and even hands over his gun.

Gibbs and Franks, however, sense inconsistencies. Turns out, Mulligan has a thing for Lainey Sims (or “Birdie,” as the locals call her). She ran the store, was pregnant back then, and owned the murder weapon. The shot was fired from inside her shop. Mulligan’s “confession” is basically him falling on his sword for the woman he loves.

The ending of Episode 5 of NCIS: Origins packs a punch. The whole town is kind of guilty, in a way, either by keeping quiet or by going along with the lie. Mulligan is stuck in prison, and Mike Franks keeps visiting him every year.

The modern NCIS team, meanwhile, is looking at this whole mess and seeing how the past just refuses to stay buried. In the end, Mulligan’s kid, Jason, finally owns up to everything, keeping the old lessons alive.

The banter between young and older Gibbs, the team’s chemistry, and even some clever detective work clicks. Episode 5 of NCIS: Origins nails what a prequel should be: honoring the original but not just living in its shadow.

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Meanwhile, Episode 5 of NCIS: Origins wasn’t just ticking boxes or following some formula; it actually shook things up for what is coming next. And now, Episode 6, titled Happy Birthday, looks like it is diving right back into the mess with Mike Franks and his brother Mason.

And don’t get us started on the cold case rabbit hole. Digging up old crimes always leaves people rattled, and with this crew, the personal sacrifices just keep coming. The cast of NCIS: Origins keeps finding new ways to rub each other the wrong way or show some heartfelt loyalty.

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