NCIS: Origins: Why Ducky's Gift To Gibbs Is The Perfect Easter Egg

Contains spoilers for "NCIS: Origins" Season 2, Episode 3 — "The Edge"

One of the best things about "NCIS: Origins" is that it lets viewers see characters interact with each other years before they meet up in Washington D.C. as part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' team. Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Ducky Mallard (Adam Campbell) already have a personal history together, which is why Ducky's called in as a liaison between Gibbs' people at Camp Pendleton and the D.C. NCIS office — and also why Ducky gifts Gibbs upon their parting with a special object that they both admired while out on the town together: a boat in a glass bottle.

All it takes is a little bit of thinking to realize why this present is so special — it's symbolic of Gibbs' love of boats, sailing, and crafting his own vessels. "[Ducky] always had a way of knowing who I was meant to be," the older Gibbs (Mark Harmon) remarks in a voiceover, a truism if there ever was one. He displays the boat on a pile of wood he's been holding onto all season — perhaps the starting point for the ship he will craft someday.

Eventually, as any "NCIS" fan worth their salt knows, Gibbs will build his own boat in his basement between cases, a hobby which will keep him busy over the ensuing seasons. When he retires, he'll take that craft out on the Alaskan waters and fish to his heart's content (and sometimes his deep discontent). But that isn't the only fun Easter egg waiting for fans of both Ducky and the actor who first played him, David McCallum, in "The Edge."

Even the title of the episode, "The Edge," is a nod toward David McCallum's history. It's named after a composition on an album McCallum released in 1966, which featured him conducting an orchestra and playing various popular tunes and new songs that he wrote. The piece of music can even be heard during "The Edge" at various intervals, as can other songs the actor performed. This is noted in a vanity card which appears at the end of "The Edge," which features an image of McCallum playing guitar. "This episode is dedicated to, and features music performed by our friend, David McCallum. 1933-2023," it reads. 

It's a fine and very heartfelt goodbye to McCallum, who passed away at the age of 90 in 2023. While "NCIS" itself already said goodbye to Ducky last season, allowing the character to die of natural causes and holding a memorial service for him, it's nice to see "Origin" give Ducky his own farewell — while showing off what a bright future he's going to have as a part of Gibbs' family.