Some of the most memorable episodes on TV have been the ones centering on a supporting character that has generally been underappreciated by the rest of the characters. We’ve gotten “5 to 9” in House M.D., where we see Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) trying to balance the board, doctors, patients, her personal life and House’s (Hugh Laurie) antics together, or “Donna” in Suits, where the titular character (Sarah Rafferty) is under the insane pressure of being the subject of a legal trial while navigating her feelings for Harvey (Gabriel Macht), leading to Donna kissing him and leaving the firm. We know they secretly keep their respective metaphorical ships afloat, and it is always exciting to see them in action or make some sort of change.
In NCIS: Origins, this underappreciated, overworked character is undoubtedly Mary Jo (Tyla Abercrumbie). The NCIS prequel spin-off series that follows the younger version of Gibbs (Austin Stowell) structures itself differently from the case-of-the-week format of the rest of the franchise. While we still have that element, the show has an abundance of supporting character-centric episodes, including one about Mary Jo, which makes us realize how instrumental she is to the NIS office. So much so that we need Season 2 to give Mary Jo her flowers.
Season 2, Episode 14 of ‘NCIS: Origins’ Is an Important Episode for Mary Jo
Mary Jo was on the administration team of the early NIS office, constantly filing paperwork, taking calls and organizing schedules, to name a few of her professional duties. One of her less official tasks was to essentially do the emotional labor for the team, namely for Franks (Kyle Schmid), as she was frequently talking him down a cliff or providing him with free therapy sessions without anything in return. Naturally, she juggled all of this with a smile on her face and a comedic attitude, always bringing a touch of levity during these fairly somber episodes. And, of course, the only recognition she received was a cursory “thanks” every time she completed a practical task, but much of her efforts (and even existence) remained ignored unless she was required to do something.
In the episode dedicated to her, Episode 14, “To Have and To Hold,” we witness Mary Jo complete her regular rounds while juggling the training of a new hire and a crisis in her personal life. Her husband had officially filed for divorce, shaking her to the core as the long-time separation after the death of their child was now real. But the only person who knows about this and helps her is Lala. In her harried emotional state, she makes a mistake that Franks completely slams down on her for (despite this being the first one we ever see), yet she still accepts responsibility, carries on, and later even gives Franks a pep talk as if nothing had happened. Mary Jo is the definition of invisible labor, as throughout the seasons we only see glimpses of her as someone yells out “Mary Jo” across the office for menial tasks, but Episode 14 shines a light on the human and soul behind the name.
Mary Jo’s ‘NCIS: Origins’ Episode Explores Gender Dynamics
Mary Jo’s episode almost belongs at the crossroads of Cuddy’s and Donna’s, as we see her everyday workload as well as the conflicts in her personal life, all while highlighting the emotional toll it has on her. But what makes Mary Jo’s episode stand out is Origins’ specific consideration of gender dynamics (due to the story being about Lala), so it was fascinating to watch how that idea played out in Mary Jo’s arc. Up until this point, we had really only seen how the blatant sexism had impacted Lala, especially as she constantly tried to match her male colleagues’ raucous remarks and “macho” attitudes to reduce her femininity in order to be more accepted in the male-dominated workplace. Despite being fairly high-ranking in her team, as Franks often left Lala in charge when he left, she had the constant need to prove herself, since the societal pressure of there always being another man more deserving of her position weighed down on her.
With Mary Jo operating in a role that is far less visible than Lala, it was interesting to witness how the male-dominated workplace impacted her. Like Lala, she was often on the receiving end of sexual harassment, but Lala’s colleagues tried doing it behind closed doors, whereas with Mary Jo, they shamelessly harassed her right to her face. Though both situations are atrociously uncomfortable, the normalization of sexual harassment around Mary Jo is still jarring. But what was most striking was when Franks parroted Mary Jo’s pep talk almost word-for-word in his own speech, symbolically taking her voice and making it his own. It empowered the team to keep their hopes up, to the point that even the team members would start repeating those same words and credit Franks for it. As such, Mary Jo truly is the epitome of being the heart and driving force of the team, yet is invisible for it.
‘NCIS: Origins’ Season 2 Needs To Acknowledge Mary Jo
Though she never gets credit for her pep talk in Origins, by the end of her episode, it is notable that only Lala, the other major female cast member, knows about her personal struggles. It is reasonable to ascertain that the foundation of their friendship, at least early on, was the unique understanding they had of each other as women working in a male-dominated field — especially under Franks. Thematically, this upsetting and almost inconsequential ending to Mary Jo’s episode is fitting, as her life and labor remain as underappreciated and invisible as they were at the start of the episode, reflecting the idea that this is just the reality of being a woman during those times. But that doesn’t mean that Mary Jo can’t get her flowers in Season 2.
The season finale of Origins set up some drastic changes that are sure to shake up the team, paving the way for potential new storylines for the characters. With the future of NIS on the rocks, the show can hopefully also address Mary Jo’s position. Ideally, this would be in the form of genuine acknowledgment of all her efforts, but with the amount of testosterone in that office, this is less likely to happen, even in the bizarre way House manages to do so with Cuddy in her episode. What would be more realistic and still exciting to see is Mary Jo having a personal triumph, and not in the sense of finding closure after her divorce like in Episode 14, but perhaps taking a page out of Donna’s handbook and leaving the job that mistreats her. We could not imagine NIS without the reliable and hilarious Mary Jo, and it’s about time the show appreciated her, too.