Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
The hands behind NCIS: Origins should have titled this episode “There’s Something About Mike Franks.” I think the man just about felt every emotion under the sun in “Last Rites.”
It doesn’t take long after meeting Franks to see he is an acquired taste for some. So, it’s not at all surprising that he manages to rub people the wrong way.
The NCIS character has a big heart. Unfortunately, his mouth is connected to his brain, and that thing is soaked in brown liquor. Still, it wouldn’t be NCIS: Origins without the franchise vet.
Before we get into it, let me start by saying I went into NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 5 thinking Franks had lost all his marbles. However, by the end, I fully understood his POV.
Mike Franks Is The Kind Of Man That Leads With His Fists
Despite coming around to seeing things from Mike’s point of view, it still has to be said that the man was nuttier than a squirrel up a tree. There is unhinged, and then there is whatever Hope did to Franks.
A few flashbacks revealing Hope’s interactions with Mike over the last six years would have enhanced the episode.
It might be morbid, but does anyone else have an itch to know what Hope told Mike to drive him so crazy? That guy was all kinds of creepy. How was Hope married in the first place?
The strangest thing about what he did was how he went about disposing of the bodies. He buried them according to their religion. Is that considerate or just wrong on every level?
Let me save you some time. Murdering them overshadows any possibility of their being even the tiniest bit of redemption. The guy was a monster. And it seems like he’s good at bringing out in others.
Remember how I said I saw things Franks’s (Kyle Schmid) way by the end? That’s because Hope had the audacity to tell the victim’s sister that she needed forgiveness for getting her sister killed.
And why? Because she drove her sister to a bar with “fancy drinks” where she met a nice guy. Yeah, he was that crazy.
If you’re like me, that was your breaking point. That was when you were ready to reach through the TV and strangle the character.
So, in that regard, I understand entirely why Franks was ready to rip Hope’s head off.
But how awesome was it watching Franks tell Hope they finally discovered the location of Anna’s body right before he died? That was so delicious, and I wanted more.
As dramatic as NCIS: Origins is, you’d think they would’ve had Hope react. Oh, well.
At least the case is closed, and Franks can move on because he has some cleaning to do in his personal life.
No One On NCIS: Origins Is Safe From The Work Place Drama
It’s obvious why Mike Franks married Tish. Steel sharpens steel. Did you see how quickly she was able to shut him down? Lord, that is one intimating lady.
I’m pretty sure that was fear in Mike’s eyes when she got on him about how intensely he was taking the case. And when he told her it wasn’t her business, I thought she was going to kill him right then and there.
However, the lady of the house was absolutely right when she responded that it becomes her business when Mike brings it into her house. Don’t worry about Mike; Tish is going to set him straight.
Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later because Mike seems to struggle with talking and interacting with the opposite sex. Strickland is the biggest victim of this.
It’s unclear what went wrong with Franks and Strickland’s partnership. It was briefly discussed during the NCIS: Origins Season 1 Premiere but with vague details.
In “Last Rites,” we saw multiple turning points in their relationship. What did Vera mean when she said, “How can I be partners with someone who doesn’t even see me when I enter the room?”
That was a loaded question she asked, and we still haven’t really gotten an answer to what happened. However, it may be a moot point by now.
Franks came through in the end for Vera by getting Wheeler to approve Strickland’s profiling program.
Little do they know they are just getting Gibbs one step closer to finding the man who killed his family.
What NCIS: Origins Needs More Than Anything Is A Staff Therapist At The NIS
In NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 4, we saw the moment Gibbs received the news that his family had been killed. In that instance, he made a decision that we finally saw the results of.
Gibbs walked right towards the enemy camp during a battle, hoping to be taken out. There are no words to describe what a cry for help that was.
Like Lala said about his psych eval, Gibbs has depression due to trauma, impulsivity, and unaddressed anger issues. So, let’s give him a gun and send him after bad guys.
All that says is that this series clearly takes place in the ‘90s. There’s no way that would fly today.
At least Lala softened the news by revealing that she and Franks also had disturbing evaluation results. This put Gibbs and Lala one step closer to whatever entangles their stories.
However, he really flew off the handle when he pulled his gun out on those two Hispanic guys in the truck. The optics really weren’t excellent, but to be fair, those guys were misogynistic, racist jerks. They had it coming.
Gibbs (Austin Stowell) definitely needs to meet with a therapist twice a week, but I guess fishing will do the trick for now. I don’t think catching bass is going to stop him or his plan.
NCIS: Origins Could Either Make Or Rewrite The History Of Gibbs
NCIS: Origins has done a great job tip-toeing around what we know is coming. According to Gibbs from NCIS, he eventually found the man who murdered his family and killed him.
Still, there could be more to that story than was previously revealed. With Franks having Strickland build a profile for the killer, we could see Gibbs build his plan at any time.
Quite frankly, it doesn’t seem like Franks or Gibbs should be out in the field right now. Both have shown that they need to get their heads right.
There is only so much Mary Jo can keep in her “vault” for the team. Speaking of Mary Jo, I am officially praising NCIS: Origins for the character.
If you read previous reviews for the show, you know I dinged the series for using the cliched “black woman in admin who is everyone’s secretary” trope. Mary Jo is not that woman.
It’s apparent that Mary Jo’s role is to be wise and sane. Just about every episode so far has featured Mary Jo giving all the comfort and sweet words to either Mike or Gibbs.
However, I doubt even she could talk Gibbs out of killing the man who murdered his family. Either way, unless the show pivots to some previously unrevealed secret, it’s inevitable.
CBS‘s NCIS: Origins sure knows how to keep its audience guessing.
Do you think Mike went overboard with his reactions in this episode?
How many episodes do you think it will take before we see Gibbs and Lala end up together?
Please drop a comment below to let me know what you like about this episode, and join me again when I review the next episode of NCIS: Origins!
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