Kyle Schmid teases what to expect from young Mike Franks’ relationship with Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS: Origins. This fall, CBS is launching a brand-new expansion series in the evolving NCIS universe. But unlike previous spinoffs, which just see new branches of the agency in other locations, NCIS: Origins will be a prequel. Set in the ’90s, on the heels of Gibbs’ return from Operation Desert Storm, the new show will tackle his early years as part of Franks’ tag team. As such, it will also reveal the beginning of the pair’s unbreakable bond.
Ahead of NCIS: Origins’ premiere in October, Schmid talks to TV Line to preview what viewers can expect from his take on young Mike Franks. Specifically, he discusses the dynamic between him and Austin Stowell’s young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, as the prequel also chronicles the beginning of their relationship. Read his full quote below:
“As Mark Harmon and [showrunners] Gina [Monreal] and David [North] mentioned [at TCA], there was something ‘broken’ in the Jethro Gibbs character in the beginning, something that I believe Mike Franks sees in part in himself.”
“To potentially lose somebody based on the circumstances and experiences that they’ve had is a shame, and I think Mike Franks sees an opportunity to try and save somebody from themselves. Bringing Gibbs into the world of NIS in 1991 was an opportunity to give an incredibly talented young man a second chance after a broken heart.”
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When Muse Watson’s Mike Franks was introduced in the main NCIS show, he and Gibbs were already years removed from their time working together at Camp Pendleton. By then, he was retired and living a quiet life in Mexico. He was called back to Washington DC after his probie almost died during an operation gone wrong and was the procedural’s first proper foray into Gibbs’ past before leading the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) in Navy Yard. Franks went on to appear several more times in NCIS, even after he died, but as a form of vision for Gibbs.
Gibbs and Franks will be the backbone of NCIS: Origins . It’s a relationship that was central to Mark Harmon’s character arc in the flagship series…
Despite his countless returns, NCIS: Origins is the first time that the franchise will really delve deep into the beginnings of Franks and Gibbs’ relationship. The pair often referred to their time working together, and sometimes they were even haunted by cases and perpetrators that they put behind bars. However, the flagship never really tackled why their bond was so strong. It’s worth noting that NCIS: Origins’ story picks up at a particularly vulnerable point in Gibbs’ life. He is still grieving his first wife and daughter, and it will be curious to see how Franks helps with it.
Gibbs and Franks will be the backbone of NCIS: Origins. It’s a relationship that was central to Mark Harmon’s character arc in the flagship series, and while there’s a sense of understanding that the men were brothers until the end, it’ll be interesting to see how they formed that bond to begin with. Perhaps a backdoor pilot in NCIS season 22 could help set up the show; that way, Watson can also return as the original iteration of Franks.