NCIS: Origins Showrunners Spill Secrets About Mike Franks’ Shocking Past!

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Warning: SPOILERS for the NCIS: Origins episode “Flight of Icarus” are ahead!

As a passionate film enthusiast, I recently found myself captivated by the midseason finale of NCIS: Origins, where they wrapped up the Gibbs-focused flashback storyline, revealing the pivotal moments that led to Austin Stowell’s character joining the Naval Investigative Service. However, this isn’t the last we’ll see of flashbacks on the show, as co-showrunner David J. North hinted to TopMob that Origins Season 1 will also delve into the enigma of “how Mike Franks became Mike Franks.” This intriguing exploration began tonight with the airing of “Flight of Icarus” on the 2025 TV schedule. Intrigued, I had the opportunity to chat with North and fellow showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal about their plans to delve into Franks’ past and how these flashbacks will further develop Kyle Schmid’s character.

In the current plot of “Origins,” Gibbs, Franks, Lala, and Randy investigated the death of infantry officer Cameron Reid, uncovering that it was a suicide. Simultaneously, a flashback narrative took us back to when Franks was 21 and working on his mother’s ranch in Texas with his brother, Mason. During my conversation with Monreal and North before the “Flight of Icarus” episode aired, I enquired about their main objective for this storyline, and this was their response:

The present narrative of “Origins” followed Gibbs, Franks, Lala, and Randy as they probed into the death of infantry officer Cameron Reid, concluding it to be a suicide. Concurrently, we delved into a flashback storyline that transported us back to when Franks was 21 years old, working on his mother’s ranch in Texas with his brother, Mason. I asked Monreal and North about the primary aim of this narrative before the “Flight of Icarus” episode aired, and they explained:

Or even shorter:

In “Origins,” we saw Gibbs, Franks, Lala, and Randy investigating infantry officer Cameron Reid’s suicide while also delving into flashbacks of Franks working on his mother’s ranch at 21. I questioned Monreal and North about the purpose of this narrative before “Flight of Icarus.”

The goal here is to maintain the same information but make it more concise, easy-to-read, and natural sounding.

As a passionate film buff, I can confidently say that diving deep into the character of Frank was an exciting challenge for our team. While we had some established markers from the original series regarding Frank’s past, there was plenty of room to explore new territories. Our main goal was to peel back the layers and truly understand what makes this complex character tick. This journey led us to delve into his family background, childhood, and the events that shaped him into the man we see on screen today.

David J. North: “This episode is merely the start of his story, as we follow him to Vietnam. As flashbacks unfold in subsequent episodes, we’ll move forward in time to explore what transpired upon his return from Vietnam. And when it comes to Frank, always be ready for the unexpected.

More on NCIS: Origins

As a devoted fan, I’m eagerly anticipating a significant moment approaching for Gibbs and Randy in NCIS: Origins, as the Executive Producer has hinted. I can hardly wait to see how their creative team will skillfully unfold this intriguing development.

In a simpler, conversational style:

Austin Stowell from the show “NCIS: Origins” discusses Gibbs’ rules and shares a real-life lesson he picked up from his co-star, Mark Harmon.

In Austin Stowell’s interview for “NCIS: Origins”, he delves into the principles of Leroy Jethro Gibbs and discloses a genuine guideline he obtained from acting legend, Mark Harmon.

At first, young Michael Franks only had concerns about his new boots causing him foot pain and some livestock from their ranch escaping. However, life became more complicated when Michael was called to serve in the Vietnam War. Initially, Mason attempted to persuade Michael to escape the draft by going to Mexico; but Michael resisted. In response, Mason opted to enlist as well, under the condition that they both join the Marines.

After the ending of “Flight of Icarus” left us wondering if the story would carry on, it’s reassuring to learn from Gina Luctia Monreal and David J. North that this will span across several episodes, similar to how Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ backstory was developed in the first half of NCIS: Origins Season 1. They also clarified the absence of Mike and Mason’s father in the storyline when I enquired about it.

Monreal: “We’ll delve deeper into this as well since Frank’s story has many unexplored aspects. As mentioned earlier, we plan to uncover more details in the future. For example, we already knew he was a Marine and served in Vietnam. So our goal is to fill in all the missing pieces while maintaining the authenticity of the character we are familiar with.

“Adam, it’s truly exciting, isn’t it? With a series like NCIS, having such a long history and dedicated fanbase, we need to respect the established lore. However, Gina and I have made an effort to balance this with creating innovative, standalone stories that even newcomers can enjoy. This balance has been crucial for us.”

Although it’s well-known that Mike Franks’ story in the original NCIS series concludes in a certain way, I’m thrilled that NCIS: Origins is delving into more aspects of his character beyond the 1991 backdrop. While Gibbs is undeniably the lead character in this spin-off, Mike Franks is just as crucial to the storyline, given his role in recruiting Gibbs for NIS. By shedding light on Franks’ life prior to meeting Gibbs, we can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the character, whether he’s portrayed by Kyle Schmid or Muse Watson.

On Mondays at 10 pm Eastern Time, you’ll find new installments of the series “NCIS: Origins” on CBS. If you miss the live broadcast, don’t worry! You can catch up later by streaming them, along with the entire collection of “NCIS” franchise shows, with a subscription to Paramount+.

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2025-01-28 07:07