Warning: SPOILERS forNCIS: Originsseason 1.
WhileNCIS: Originslargely focuses on Jethro Gibbs’ backstory upon first joining the agency, the series has done a lot to make Mike Franks feel like a much more engaging character. The series begins with theNCIS: Originscastinvestigating a murder case right after Gibbs joins the team. Although there are similarities betweenNCISandNCIS: Origins, the prequel show’s early focus on the deaths of Gibbs’ wife and daughter gives the show a much darker tone than the original series.
This setsNCIS: Originsapart from otherNCISspinoff series, which largely adopt the same more lighthearted tone as the flagship. Characters such as Mike Franks, Randy, and Woody do occasionally get to enjoy more comedic moments, butOriginsis generally much grittier and prone to melodrama. But what really makesNCIS: Originsstand out is that its own protagonist sometimes feels like an afterthought compared to the series’ main supporting role, and there are several major reasons for this.
5Franks Is A More Expressive Character Than Gibbs
Gibbs Barely Emotes In NCIS: Origins
Mark Harmon’s Jethro Gibbson the originalNCISis anything but a softy, but his gruff personality makes way at least some of the time for a dry sense of humor. Austin Stowell’s portrayal onNCIS: Originscontains no trace of this character trait, andat times it feels the show largely forgot to give Gibbs a personality at all. He struggles with rage and overprotectiveness of Lala a few times in the first half of the season, but his grief over the loss of his family generally lends itself to a quietly reserved performance by Stowell.
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This isn’t really an issue with anyone else, andKyle Schmid’s Mike Franksdisplays a much more dynamic personality than Gibbs.Franks’ emotions rarely stand in the way of his sharp tongue, and even his angrier moments occasionally lead to some rather witty lines. His emotional ups and downs make him more entertaining to watch, whereas Gibbs simply feels too static a character to be all that interesting.
4Gibbs Main Storyline Is Basically Over
There’s Nowhere To Go With His Wife’s Killer Dead
Despite the series setting up a revenge plot involving Gibbs looking for his family’s killer, it’s revealed halfway through the season thatGibbs already got his revenge off camera months before the series even started. This was definitely an effective twist for how unexpected it was, but it also ended Gibbs’ main story arc somewhat anticlimactically. His main arc right now merely revolves around theOperation Sundown mystery, which doesn’t clearly tie into Gibbs’ personal life as meaningfully just yet.
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By contrast, Franks’ storyline has been a major focal point since Gibbs’ twist revelation.It’s not clear yet whether Franks will follow through on getting justice against Tish’s attacker, and even his plans to do so have caused major drama. The series has also shown a bit more of Mike’s past family life, and it seems there may be some unexplored backstory about his time in Vietnam as well. That all gives Franks significantly more plotlines to explore than the series has established for Gibbs thus far.
3Gibbs’ Story Doesn’t Really Affect Anyone Else
Jethro Largely Fights His Own Inner Demons Alone
Franks provides Gibbs with a lot of moral support early in the storyline about his family, but that plot’s resolution hasn’t affected Mike in any discernible way thus far.The only NIS member affected by Gibbs’ revenge has been Lala, who’s now in the unfortunate position of knowing Gibbs took someone’s life on a rogue excursion. But that hasn’t had any major impact onGibbs and Lala’s relationship, nor is it clear whether it ever will. In fact, the person arguably most affected by Gibb’s backstory has been Ruth, who was merely a one-time character.
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By contrast,Mike Franks’ own revenge story has had a potentially lasting impact on his relationships. Vera knows what he’s doing and seems to have strong opinions about it, andFranks and Tish’s relationshipmight be forever changed (if not ended completely) over his refusal to drop the issue. This makes his story’s stakes feel a great deal higher.
2We Don’t Know As Much About Franks’ Past
Gibbs’ Backstory Was Already Established On NCIS
Jethro Gibbs wasn’t the most open book during his time onNCIS, butthe more important footnotes from Gibbs’ history did come up on the flagship series. For instance,the fate of Gibbs’ wife and daughterwas already known well beforeNCIS: Origins. There are definitely details the show can freshly explore, and the series has already set up tension regarding what’s ultimately going to happen to Lala, but the fact that she never came up onNCISmakes it hard to determine just how important her story really is when it comes to influencing Gibbs’ future.
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But while it’s interesting to learn what happens toGibbs’ original NIS team, there are a lot of gaps from Franks’ timeline that can still be explored. Sinceit’s not known precisely when Franks’ multiple marriages ended or why, there’s more tension regarding whether he and Tish will get back together or stay separated after her recent departure. It’s yet another example of Mike’s story feeling more consequential than Leroy’s.
1Gibbs’ Actor Simply Can’t Live Up To Mark Harmon’s Legacy
Austin Stowell Rarely Feels Like The Same Gibbs
One of the most frequent complaints about Austin Stowell’s performance onNCIS: Originsis that he simply doesn’t feel like Gibbs. Ever sinceMark Harmon’s final scene onNCIS,fans have been hoping he would find some way to return to the series. Between Stowell’s portrayal in the prequel scenes and Harmon’s narration,Originsis the closest thing fans have gotten to that wish fulfillment. But the character feels like such a shell of the one we’re all familiar with that it’s just not the same.
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Meanwhile, Kyle Schmid’s portrayal of a young Mike Franks feels so accurate that it’s immediately clear how closely Schmid must have studied Muse Watson’s appearances on the flagship before shooting his scenes forNCIS: Origins. He’s able to capture Mike’s spirit while still bringing a bit of his own personality to the role, which is exactly what any prequel needs to accomplish with its more familiar characters. It’s a shame the series just hasn’t done as right by the one character who should matter most.
NCIS: Origins
Cast
NCIS: Origins is set in 1991, preceding the events of the original series. The series introduces Leroy Jethro Gibbs as a new special agent at NCIS Camp Pendleton. Under the leadership of NCIS legend Mike Franks, Gibbs navigates his role within a tenacious, unconventional team.
