NCIS: Origins has introduced the origin story behind several of Gibbs’ most vital characteristics and his first elevator trick has surprisingly deeper ramifications. In NCIS, Mark Harmon’s Gibbs already has a strong personal history that has shaped his ever-growing list of rules, but in NCIS: Origins, these rules unfold as the episodes occur in real time. One of Gibbs’ most important rules actually has its start in Gibbs’ first elevator trick in NCIS: Origins episode 3.

Throughout NCIS, Gibbs often used his trick of stopping the elevator in between floors as a way to get more information out of his fellow traveler. The first instance of this in NCIS: Origins occurs early on in the NCIS spinoff. Gibbs is known for breaking the rules and his appearances in NCIS: Origins only emphasize this characteristic. But while Gibbs’ rule breaks in NCIS occur as a result of pre-established Gibbs rules, NCIS: Origins shows these incidents as they happen for the first time, including holding a suspect captive in a stopped elevator.

NCIS: Origins Episode 2 Reveals How Gibbs’ Elevator Schtick Started

Gibbs Has A Long History With Stopping Elevators

In NCIS: Origins episode 3, Kyle Shmid’s Mike Franks has just benched Austin Stowell’s Gibbs because he does not think he is ready for the field. In true Gibbs fashion, Gibbs disobeys Franks’ command and discovers that NIS’ biggest suspect is about to flee. His only chance is to stop the elevator and hold the suspect captive to give NIS enough time to find the evidence they need to hold him legally. The tense scene shows off Gibbs’ mental state, impeccable attention to detail, and is the start of Gibbs’ long trend of holding people captive in a stopped elevator.

As a rule-breaker, one of Gibbs’ most important values is achieving justice, no matter the cost. He is not afraid of holding suspects illegally or bending the rules to right a wrong. In NCIS, Gibbs has stopped the elevator several times to gain more information about a suspect or colleague in the pursuit of justice. While Gibbs’ mental state is significantly different in NCIS from that in NCIS: Origins, his character’s sense of right and wrong has remained, and his elevator trick is just one example of that.

Gibbs’ Knife Helps Him Get Out Of The Stuck Elevator

Gibbs’ Rule #9 — “Never Go Anywhere Without A Knife.”

Gibbs’ impromptu elevator stop also led to the creation of Gibbs’ NCIS rule #9, which was first revealed in the original NCIS. After breaking off the emergency stop button, Gibbs holds his suspect in the glass elevator until he sees Mike Franks waiting for him on the first floor. In a normal situation, Gibbs and his suspect would have to wait for emergency services to get them out, but luckily, Gibbs pulls out his knife and sticks it in the elevator’s mechanism, and the two head back down.

Rule #9 was first introduced in
NCIS
season 1, episode 13, “One Shot, One Kill.”

Previous scenes with Gibbs revealed that his wife Shannon had first created a series of rules, which Gibbs learned to follow and expand. While rule #9 could have already existed, the elevator scene is the first time that it was seen in action, making that scene the first official reference to rule #9. It is also a big coincidence that the rule’s execution took place during the origin of Gibbs’ elevator trick as well in NCIS: Origins.