NCIS: Origins’ debut season included two episodes flashing again to a youthful Mike Franks, each of which aired inside just some weeks of one another on the 2025 TV schedule. The primary one explored Mike’s relationship together with his brother Mason in 1969. And but, when Mike was adopted up on in 1982, he talked about that he didn’t have a brother. Effectively, sorry to these of you who assumed that Mason died within the Vietnam Battle, as a result of the NCIS: Origins Season 1 finale revealed that Mason remains to be alive. The prequel’s showrunners talked to CinemaBlend about bringing within the “current day” model of the character, which stems from simply “one line” about him within the authentic NCIS.
Arguably the largest occasions in “Cecilia” had been Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Lala Dominguez almost kissing, adopted by Lala getting in a devastating automotive crash. However in direction of the top of the Season 1 finale, Mike bought a name from Mason, who instructed him that they wanted to speak about what occurred in Vietnam. With the stage now set for the brothers to reunite, I requested Origins showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal what we are able to count on from Mike and Mason in Season 2, North instructed me:
I feel that is an thrilling story for us to inform as a result of that is actually the entire story with Mike Frank’s brother is simply originating from one line that was set within the mothership of Franks having a brother. I feel up till this level, a lot of the viewers was assuming. Franks’ brother was killed in Vietnam. No less than from my conversations with individuals, that was the thought.
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Muse Watson performed Mike Franks in 20 episodes throughout Seasons 3 to fifteen of NCIS, each as a dwelling human and a ghost that Leroy Jethro Gibbs would sometimes see of his late mentor post-“Swan Music.” Whereas we did be taught a good quantity about Mike on the “mothership,” NCIS: Origins is working with a nonetheless largely clean slate with Kyle Schmid’s youthful incarnation of the character. So like North stated, what began out as only one line of dialogue from years in the past on NCIS is now being crafted as a Season 2 storyline.
Admittedly, when the flashbacks in “Monsoon” began, I’d puzzled if Mason died in Vietnam, which is why Mike had drowned himself in alcohol and medicines. Nevertheless, when Mike’s then-partner instructed him that there was somebody calling and claiming to be his brother, to which Mike stated he didn’t have a brother, I began considering there was one thing else occurring. Certain sufficient, Mason is alive and nicely, though apparently issues didn’t finish nicely between him and Mike. David J. North continued:
So realizing he is nonetheless on the market, realizing that there was some type of of rift is kind of uncharted waters for us to essentially take it to no matter course we would like. What’s attention-grabbing to me is the one factor we find out about Franks, this can be a loyal man, man. He is loyal to his core. So no matter occurs that is prompted this divide between his personal blood needs to be one thing that was actually important to him.
Mike Franks’ telephone repeatedly rang all through “Cecilia,” just for nobody to reply at any time when he answered it. That ended up being Mason, although he shortly knowledgeable his brother that him reaching out was not meant to be an “olive department.” Like North stated, loyalty is certainly one of Mike’s most admirable traits, so I’m intrigued to seek out out what was so dangerous that led him to chop ties together with his personal brother.
Whether or not or not this plot thread might be picked again up at the beginning of NCIS: Origins Season 2 or later down the road stays to be seen. What we do know is that the prequel is anticipated to return someday this fall on CBS alongside NCIS Season 23, and we’ll let you understand when a selected date is introduced.
