‘NCIS: Origins’: Adam Campbell Reveals How Gibbs & Ducky’s Friendship Has Changed in His Return

Welcome back to Pendleton, Dr. Donald Mallard (Adam Campbell)! Ducky returns to NCIS: Origins in the Tuesday, March 31, episode, and while it’s good to see him again, the circumstances around his return aren’t exactly happy.

In “Homeward Bound,” Dr. Tango (Julian Black Antelope) is arrested for stealing human remains from a national park, and it’s Ducky that the other ME calls in for help proving his innocence. The episode also offers an update on Ducky’s life in D.C., and TV Insider has an exclusive clip of just that, in a conversation with Gibbs (Austin Stowell). Watch it above.

Below, Adam Campbell previews his return and Ducky’s friendships with Gibbs and Doc Tango.

Ducky’s now head ME! We see him and Gibbs catching up about that, Gibbs being married and building a boat… It feels very much a continuation of where we left these two, and there’s more warmth building between them and in their interactions. What can you preview about their interactions and that dynamic this time?

Adam Campbell: Yeah, I think you’re absolutely right. Picking up from the last episode, I think Ducky was really keen to feel that he was actually Gibbs’s friend. And at the end of the previous episode, 203, Gibbs does refer to Donald as Ducky. And I think Ducky feels quite touched by that because he said, “Well, only friends call me that. ” And so I think Ducky’s really glad to be back at Pendleton. They slip right back into it. There’s no hesitancy. I think Gibbs and Ducky are straight into being friends, getting to know each other. There’s a bit of humor between them. And Gibbs is very, very comfortable sharing private stuff with him. And the fact that he discusses with him his boat building escapade indicates to Ducky that they do have a close relationship.

Greg Gayne/CBS

I think really for Ducky in this episode is about building friendships, continuing to build relationships out in California — and not only with Gibbs, but also particularly with Dr. Tango. They spend a lot of time together. He loves learning about his background and he defends his honor and all the rest of it.

I was going to say, I absolutely love Ducky and Doc Tango’s friendship. It’s like, as soon as these two start talking, of course they’re going to be friends. What is it about these two that make them perfect sounding boards for each other?

Well, I think there’s a professional connection that they have; they’re both medical examiners, and so they have this unique wisdom that they can share with one another. They’re offering each other advice every week on particular cases that they’re dealing with. I think both Ducky and Tango love the riddle and the mystery of some of these cases that they’re doing. And so they work on these puzzles together.

But I think as they discuss things professionally, it’s very clear that they also discuss personal things as well, and both Ducky and Tango clearly need that in their life. They need somebody to share personal stuff with. Ducky is a bit lonely, and in a sense, Tango is as well. And you could argue that they seem unlikely bedfellows. They’re from very, very different backgrounds, but they’re both very generous with each other. Tango is fascinated by British culture and is learning from Ducky how to make a proper cup of English tea. And Ducky’s likewise fascinated by Tango’s background by his Payómkawichum tribe heritage. Ducky has always been fascinated, I think, by Native Americans, and so to have Tango as this kind of encyclopedic knowledge that he can just dip in and out of, I think Ducky feels really excited by that.

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But Doc Tango is also in some trouble in this episode, arrested for stealing human remains. So what can you say about how Ducky’s going to be helping him in the team?

Well, I think Ducky is really touched to be Tango’s one phone call from jail. Tango knows that Ducky would be able to help him. And so I think Ducky jumps at the opportunity, not only to help his friend, but also to get back to California to see his other friends.

Tango definitely puts himself in a very serious position and he really puts his professional career on the line here. His job is definitely in jeopardy here. But as the episode unfolds, we realize why, that this is to do with his family, this is to do with his heritage, and that’s why he takes it so seriously. He steals some human remains. Now it doesn’t look very good on paper, but as the episode progresses, we realize exactly why he’s done that. Everybody at Pendleton NIS thinks he did the right thing, and the goal for the team is to really exonerate him and attempt to make sure those remains get buried properly and that Tango gets let off.

You brought up his other friends in California, and I like that there’s a warmth from everyone towards Ducky — it’s much better than last time when he initially came in and people were wary about his presence.

Yeah. Well, it’s funny. I think Randy [Caleb Foote] and Lala [Mariel Molino] are very kind with him and lovely with him and welcoming. Same with Gibbs. Obviously Tango is a good friend of his. I would say there’s still a little friction with Franks [Kyle Schmid]. I think he’s still slightly suspicious of him. They’re very, very different people. I think there is a moment where Frank’s is actually quite impressed by this young British eccentric.

NCIS: Origins, Tuesdays, 9/8c, CBS

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