Origins Cast Update Confirms One Star’s Promotion To Series Regular

An NCIS: Origins recurring star has been promoted to a series regular. The prequel series, set in 1991, follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) during the early days of his career at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office alongside other characters like Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid). While the series has brought back many NCIS characters, it has also introduced newer faces, including NIS Special Agent Bernard ‘Randy’ Randolph (Caleb Foote), who guides a newly recruited Gibbs through the ins and outs of the job.

Now, Deadline has reported that Foote will be promoted to a series regular. The timing of his promotion aligns with the show’s winter premiere, “Flight of Icarus,” airing on January 27, 2025.

What This Means For The Future Of NCIS: Origins

Gibbs & Randolph’s Relationship Is Set To Evolve

Foote’s promotion is a key development for NCIS: Origins as it signals an expanded role for his character. As a core member of the NIS unit, his character acts as a mentor to Gibbs, which may play a pivotal role in the protagonist’s development. This promotion suggests that Randy will have a more substantial presence in future episodes. The dynamic between Randy and Gibbs provides an opportunity to evolve their mentor-mentee relationship. This is especially key since the character does not feature in the main NCIS series, which could be due to a possible falling out or a tragic fate.

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Furthermore, the timing of the promotion aligns with the prequel’s winter premiere. In the upcoming episode “Flight of Icarus,” the team is set to investigate a Marine commander’s son’s death while also taking a look into Mike Franks’ past. Foote’s promotion reinforces a commitment to fleshing out NCIS: Origins’ characters and further integrating them into the larger NCIS universe. This is important since it is now known that Randy was the original agent responsible for keeping Gibbs’ family safe before asking to be unassigned. Therefore, this detail may become integral to Gibbs and Randy’s arc moving forward.

This Update Will Affect Gibbs’ Character Development

Foote’s promotion to series regular was a smart move for the series. This means that the relationship between Gibbs and Randy will become tight as the series progresses, and it appears that Randy’s own confessional to a priest will likely become important in the new episodes. This also makes sense as the series is set to dive into Franks’ past, which means that the new episodes will be more character-driven. As NCIS: Origins continues to establish its identity, expanding Foote’s role is an essential step in its ongoing development.

NCIS: Origins airs at 10 pm ET on CBS.

Source: Deadline