As longtime followers of the unique NCIS know, Mike Franks, performed in that present by Muse Watson, was killed by Jonas Cobb, a.ok.a. the Port-to-Port Killer, in Season 8’s “Swan Tune.” So we all know how his story ends, however NCIS: Origins, which is at present airing on the 2025 TV schedule, is offering the chance to flesh out the character because it tells the story of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ first years working for NIS. In an interview with CinemaBlend, Kyle Schmid, who performs the youthful Franks, shared with us the large a part of his mustachioed lawman’s life that he hopes the prequel will cowl. I’m hoping this gives just a little extra incentive for Origins Season 2 to be greenlit.
After chatting with Schmid concerning the NCIS: Origins episode “Monsoon,” the place we noticed flashbacks of Franks in 1982 and an enormous blow being dealt to the character’s relationship with Tish, I requested him if there was a giant occasion about Franks’ life that was talked about in NCIS that he’s trying ahead to exploring later down the road in Origins (which you’ll be able to stream with a Paramount+ subscription). He began off by telling me:
So Mike has a child… I am so excited to see the place Mike goes from tomorrow to the place we see him in that world. I really feel like Mike can be an awesome father. He is a really laborious man, however… we see how a lot Mike loves his staff and his household, we see how a lot Mike loves Tish. I am so curious to know concerning the origin story of the household and the place he goes and who he falls in love with subsequent, who that could be. I am curious to see how somebody like Mike will get again into that world of being open to discovering maybe love once more.
Mike Franks’ son, Liam O’Neill, was launched within the NCIS Season 4’s “Iceman,” though he didn’t keep alive for lengthy. Viewers discovered that Franks and Liam’s mom, Mary O’Neill had been collectively in 1982 for six months, however then Franks walked out on her, unaware she was pregnant. Like his father, Liam joined the Marines, and whereas he was serving in Afghanistan, he met a lady named Leyla Shakarji and bought her pregnant. Liam sought out his long-lost father for his assist in getting Leyla and their daughter, Amira, out of Afghanistan, and the 2 bought to know every over throughout their transient time collectively earlier than Liam died.
Given the aforementioned “Monsoon” flashbacks, the primary of which confirmed Mike Franks leaving the lady he was with behind when he agreed to move medication to California, I believe we are able to safely assume that is Liam’s mom. I would definitely be intrigued to see how NCIS: Origins would deal with Franks discovering he’s a father, maybe with Mary O’Neill coming again into his life to let him learn about Liam, who can be turning 10 in 1992. The trick is furing out whether or not it might retcon something from NCIS (which has already been executed with how Franks met Jackson Gibbs), that means Franks couldn’t be that current in Liam’s life for lengthy. Nonetheless, I’d be recreation to see how Season 2 handles this.
As Kyle Schmid talked about, he’s additionally to see what’s subsequent for Mike Franks on the romantic entrance, as a result of as of “Monsoon,” he and Tish are not collectively (though I’m skeptical that they gained’t get again collectively). Schmid additionally informed me he’s wanting to see his character’s relationship with Gibbs, performed on this sequence by Austin Stowell, change into extra absolutely developed, saying:
There’s quite a lot of story to be informed between Franks and Gibbs. I am actually excited to see them on the highway collectively. I am excited to see them have some good one-on-one bonding expertise, , that relationship is so sturdy within the mothership, You understand, I simply, I simply can’t wait to see all of the spokes on that wheel that carry it collectively.
There are 5 episodes left to go in NCIS: Origins Season 1, so hopefully we’ll study within the coming weeks whether or not Season 2 is on the best way or not. In the meantime, I’ll be trying ahead to seeing extra of Mike Franks bonding with Gibbs the “probie,” and seeing their relationship transfer nearer to what we noticed between the 2 of them in NCIS, because the prequel airs episodes at 10 pm ET on CBS.