NCIS special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs regularly brings down the bad guys on his CBS seriesg and has a pretty solid track record. Bad guys in his crosshairs are pursued with intricate planning and precision, and more often than not, they're brought to justice by Mark Harmon's character and the rest of his team. If they weren't, then someone would really be questioning why he's been the head of the NCIS task force for so long.
That being said, how would Gibbs fare against some of the most notorious bad guys in television history? Would he be able to outmaneuver the most cunning criminal minds of the modern era of television if he had a chance to take them on? That's what I'm here to explore as I put one of television's most popular crime fighters through the ringer in match-ups against some fearsome adversaries that may give Gibbs a run for his money.
Before we dive in, I'm aware that technically the NCIS team would have little to no cause to investigate any of these individuals. So, for the sake of argument, let's say that all these characters exist in a universe where they served some time in the Navy or Marine Corps. Now that we have that out of the way, let's dive in and determine if Gibbs could take these characters down.
Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan was able to evade capture as the Bay Harbor Butcher for a long time, but would he have been so lucky if the NCIS team was on the case? It's certainly up in the air as Gibbs and the team have brought dozens of serial killers to justice over the years. In fact, Gibbs marriage to Stephanie Flynn ended due to his obsessive pursuit of Kyle Boone, so we'd say he's dedicated to taking them down.
Now, we can debate all day whether the NCIS team could've captured Dexter in other seasons, although the clear home run here is the series finale. A boat explosion with no recovery of a body? Gibbs would've seen right through that ruse, and while it would take some time, he'd find Dexter. I'm 90% sure he would've taken him in after, although Dexter's unique brand of justice isn't one Gibbs is foreign to, so maybe he wouldn't look that hard?
Walter White
Walter White evaded capture as Heisenberg for years despite his brother-in-law working as a major player in the DEA, but we can't attribute that to Walt's clever tactics of evasion. Really, Hank was probably just too close to the situation, and had an outsider stepped in and seen the amount of evidence stacked up against Walt, they would've been on his tail much sooner than Hank was.
A lot of Walter White's protection from law enforcement came through his partners and a bit of luck. Had someone like the NCIS task force been assigned to figuring out the blue meth operation, Walt probably would've been captured more quickly. With that said, Gibbs probably wouldn't be able to get the job done while Gus was in the picture, as there's just too much power and evil behind that man. Afterward or before? The odds look good.
Tony Soprano
Gibbs and the NCIS crew have dealt with mobsters before, although none quite as resourceful or relentless as Tony Soprano. The Sopranos' mob boss was able to bob and weave his way around the FBI over the course of six seasons, and even when they seemingly got the upper hand, Tony typically was one step ahead. Arresting a mob boss is a task in and of itself, but getting the charges to stick is the real issue.
Even if the owner of the Bada Bing was caught in a situation where Gibbs could put his exceptional marksmanship skills to the test, Tony Soprano is pretty resilient. He took some bullets a couple times in The Sopranos and managed to pull through both times, even though the last incident was a close call. Provided Gibbs wasn't disguised as that guy who left the bathroom in The Sopranos' finale, I'm thinking Tony would escape the NCIS head.
Littlefinger (Petyr Baelish)
Westeros didn't have an NCIS task force, but man, how this game would've changed if House Gibbs was going around solving the show's most brutal and mysterious murders. We could run down the litany of ways this show could've been transformed from some good old fashion investigative work from Gibbs and crew, but one thing is for sure: Littlefinger would've gone down a lot quicker.
Especially in that Purple Wedding business, in which House Gibbs could've stepped in and been the voice of reason. There was no true motive in Tyrion murdering Joffrey, and while finding the connection between Littlefinger and the Tyrells wouldn't have been easy, the skilled team would've sniffed them out. With Tywin still alive, he would've seen reason and directed his murderous daughter's vengeance towards the Tyrells and Littlefinger. The only downside? The Lannister family might've exited that incident much stronger!
Wilson Fisk
Much like Tony Soprano, Wilson Fisk is one of those well-connected individuals in the Daredevil universe that may not be the hardest to lock up, but definitely hard to keep behind bars. Fortunately, Daredevil and his friends do what they can to keep him in check, and it's possible with Gibbs and the NCIS team providing back up, they could make something stick that keeps him behind bars.
That's assuming Team Gibbs would be cool with a vigilante, and a recent Season 16 arc definitely showed they aren't. Gibbs even had an internal crisis as it made him confront his own vigilante past, although he ultimately moved past it to understand the differences between himself and other vigilantes. Once he discovered the motive and methods of Matt Murdock and crew, one would think he'd be more understanding of him as well. It's bad news for Fisk either way.
Negan
To this point, we've operated in a world where a universal form of law and order exist. In The Walking Dead justice tends to vary depending on the community, and as the series has shown, some leaders are more just than others. If the NCIS team were its own community of survivors, how would they fare against Negan and the saviors? Could they take the malicious leader down?
While they may not have the full power of the law on their side, Gibbs and the NCIS team know how deranged minds think and are all specially trained for firefight situations as trained agents. It would take a lot of patience to outmaneuver Negan, but Gibbs could do it. Now, just imagine a community in The Walking Dead universe that personally follows his "rules" as some sort of doctrine for a community. It sounds awesome, so can this actually happen please?
Just to recap, I'm putting Leroy Jethro Gibbs above everyone on this list in terms of capture, although he may not be able to keep Tony Soprano behind bars. And while I'm relatively sure he'd bring in Dexter Morgan, there's that little bit of darkness in Gibbs that may just give the serial killer a pass because he understood his motives. As for the rest, they'd be as good as done if Gibbs and the NCIS crew were around.
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Agree? Disagree? All opinions on the NCIS team, and how Gibbs would fair against all of these characters, are all welcome in the comments. Stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on all things NCIS, and stay up to date on the latest news in television and movies.
