Mark Deklin joins the cast of “NCIS: Origins” as Dan McLane, a respected agent whose future corruption shocked the NCIS universe. This casting finally puts a face to a character only known through stories in the original show. The prequel is set to show McLane as a leader years before his decisions led to a major scandal.
Season 2 is building a team known as the “Fed Five,” a special task force from the early 1990s. This group includes a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his mentor, Mike Franks. The upcoming episode will introduce the final two members: Felix Betts, played by Adam Kulbersh, and Dan McLane. For longtime fans, McLane’s arrival is significant, as his past actions were a pivotal part of a major storyline in “NCIS” Season 11.
The Long-Awaited Debut of the Fed Five
The Fed Five was first mentioned in a two-part episode of “NCIS” in 2014 that served as the launch for “NCIS: New Orleans”. The team was described as a group of elite agents who handled the most difficult cases. In that original story, the murder of Dan McLane, by then a congressman, forced the surviving members to reunite and investigate.
However, viewers never got to see McLane alive or as an active agent. He existed only in flashbacks and memories. “NCIS: Origins” now has the chance to show this character in his prime. The upcoming episode, currently slated as Season 2, Episode 11, will feature McLane as “a highly revered veteran field agent” called in from the Panama office to lead a task force against a stolen weapons ring.
According to the official description, Mark Deklin will play “the highly revered veteran field agent working out of the Panama office who is called in by the Camp Pendleton team to lead a joint task force aimed at stopping a stolen weapons ring”.
This episode will also feature the debut of a young Dwayne Pride, played by Shea Buckner, who was McLane’s probie in Panama. The story will explore past tensions between Pride and Gibbs as they are forced to work together undercover.
The Shadow of the “Privileged Killer” Case
For fans familiar with the lore, Dan McLane’s name is inextricably linked to a case called the “Privileged Killer”. This storyline from the original “NCIS” revealed the dark truth about McLane’s past. Years after the Fed Five disbanded, it was discovered that McLane had taken a bribe during that investigation.
The “Privileged Killer” targeted members of the military. The Fed Five believed they had caught the right person, a man named Victor Lorta, who always maintained his innocence. The real killer’s father, Josef Hanlon, bribed McLane to look the other way and let an innocent man go to prison. This secret festered for years.
The betrayal was deeply personal for Gibbs and especially for Pride, who saw McLane as a mentor. When McLane, later a congressman, decided to finally confess the truth, he was murdered before he could come clean. This is the heavy legacy that “NCIS: Origins” must now contend with as it introduces a younger, respected version of the character.
Building a Character Beyond a Cautionary Tale
The prequel’s main challenge is to make viewers understand who Dan McLane was before his fall. The show has the opportunity to transform him from a mere plot point into a fully realized person.
“NCIS: Origins can finally give this character some real depth instead of leaving him as just a cautionary tale. Showing McLane during his good years lets everyone understand why people trusted and admired him so much,” one analysis notes.
By portraying him as a capable leader and a mentor to Pride, the tragedy of his later corruption becomes more impactful. The show can explore the pressures he faced, potentially including financial struggles due to family health issues, which were hinted at in the original storyline. This context would help explain how a good agent made a terrible choice.
This deeper dive also enriches the history of Gibbs and Pride. Seeing the foundation of their friendship and their shared respect for McLane will add new layers to their later partnership in the original series.
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The Fed Five’s Influence on Gibbs’ Future
The formation of the Fed Five is a key moment in the professional life of a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs. His inclusion on this elite team, despite being a relatively green agent, raises questions the show may need to address. Other, more experienced agents like Lala Dominguez or Randy might seem like more obvious choices.
His participation in this high-profile team likely helped solidify his reputation within the agency and played a part in his eventual transfer to the Washington D.C. Navy Yard and leadership of the Major Case Response Team. The success of the Fed Five undoubtedly put Gibbs’ name on the map within the NIS.
The series returns with new episodes on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, on CBS. The Fed Five episode is scheduled to be the eleventh episode of the season.
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