As a longtime fan of NCIS and someone who has seen Mike Franks‘ journey unfold since his debut in Season 3, I must say that the prequel series, NCIS: Origins, has been a delightful addition to the franchise. The midseason finale, “Blue Bayou,” not only teased the next big villain but also provided insight into how Franks and Gibbs first crossed paths.
Even if you’re well-versed in the storyline of Mike Franks from NCIS, the spin-off series NCIS: Origins offers a unique perspective by delving deeper into his past, including events not previously explored on the main show. Kyle Schmid portrays a younger version of the character in this prequel, which debuted on the 2024 TV schedule in October. Some intriguing Franks-related developments we’ve seen so far include him revisiting one of his most challenging cases and revealing how he first met Leroy Jethro Gibbs. With the midseason finale of Origins now over, TopMob spoke with co-showrunner and executive producer David J. North to find out what’s next for Franks, and I must say it leaves me both eager and apprehensive.
Prior to the broadcast of “Blue Bayou”, which hinted at the upcoming Season 1 antagonist while also revealing the sequence of events that resulted in Gibbs joining Mike Franks’ NIS team, I had the opportunity to chat with North about his work on NCIS: Origins. In our discussion, I inquired whether there would be flashbacks featuring other characters this season since the Gibbs-centric flashbacks have now reached where Origins started, and he replied:
In the second part of the season, we delve deeper into the backstory of Mike Franks, revealing surprising details about his past. We’re particularly thrilled about this because viewers may find it hard to believe where our story takes him. Despite what we already know about Franks, we continue to maintain authenticity while exploring how he transformed into the character we all recognize.
Mike Franks has been a significant figure in the NCIS universe since Muse Watson portrayed him in the final two episodes of Season 3. Over the course of Watson’s 20 appearances on the original series (with many being ghostly appearances), we gained insight into Franks, but his life before meeting Gibbs remained largely unexplored. However, David J. North has hinted that one or more episodes of NCIS: Origins will explore how Franks evolved into the vibrant character we’re familiar with. At a minimum, I’m eager to discover details about how he joined NIS after his service in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The television series, “NCIS: Origins“, has delved into Mike Franks’ private life, introducing his 1991 romantic partner, Tish Kwa’la, portrayed by Tonantzin Carmelo. However, in the episode “One Flew Over”, it was disclosed that prior to the series, Tish suffered a sexual assault in a parking lot. Despite this, she asked Franks not to pursue her attacker in the show. Given this traumatic incident and the fact that Tish is seldom mentioned on “NCIS“, I expressed my apprehension to North that their story might end in sorrow. Here’s his response to my concern:
In the approaching season, we will explore their relationship in greater depth, and Frank will grapple with personal matters that have a profound impact on him. When she asked him to stop searching for her attacker, that might be too challenging for Frank, and it could be something he simply cannot comply with.
Mike Franks remains resolute in finding the assailant who harmed his beloved, even going as far as requesting his ex-partner Vera Strickland to secretly draft a psychological profile of the suspect, Tish. However, it seems that he may have agreed to abandon this pursuit, but an upcoming situation might force him to renege on his word or blatantly breach his promise. This could potentially strain their relationship due to trust concerns, which would be unfortunate, though it’d be better than the possibility of Tish being in danger.
The revival of NCIS: Origins continues on CBS on Monday, January 27. However, David J. North hasn’t disclosed when the Mike Franks-focused storylines will air in the 2025 television lineup. Fortunately, since Season 1 has been extended to 18 episodes, we’ll get to spend more time with him than previously anticipated.
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2024-12-18 04:07