Mike Franks Suffered a Loss In NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 13 That Would Bring Any Grown Man to Tears

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of hearts breaking all over as fans of NCIS: Origins’ Mike Franks watch their favorite character lose what matters to him most in this world.

The show is no stranger to some truly devastating drama, and it never takes a week off. It’s about time the series gets the recognition it deserves for how much it gives audiences.

When NCIS: Origins first started, many viewers were skeptical of what it could add to already established stories. Well, now we know it plays the perfect balancing act on the tightrope of drama and comedy.

As the series continues into its freshman season, the cases, characters, and all-around setting feel more real with every episode. “Monsoon” was a rollercoaster of tears and laughs, sometimes simultaneously.

NCIS: Origins Doesn’t Get Enough Credit for It’s Carefully Crafted Comedy

Before we get into the heavy of NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 13, let’s start things off nice and light with what was possibly some of the funniest bits of NCIS: Origins Season 1 so far.

Did else have to take a moment after Detective Archer made his slow and steamy entrance into the precinct? I would love to say I am above such shameless baiting but I was hooked as soon as I saw those dreamy eyes.

Vera has never been as relatable as she was in this episode being the thirsty full-grown woman that she is. Some of us were right there drooling next to her.

It also led to some of the funniest moments of the show so far with Vera’s subtle moments of injecting herself into any and every situation with Detective Archer.

My hat is off to Diany Rodriguez (The Blacklist) who did an incredible job of bringing those moments across in a way that surprisingly felt real despite the risk of being overly cheesy. Then again, I couldn’t stop hysterically laughing, so, I could be biased.

How could you not laugh at Vera walking into the bullpen and saying with a straight face, “I’m just delivering paper clips for Mary Jo”?

Or when she invited herself to watch Detective Archer interrogate that skid mark, Jeremy. Without missing a beat and with her eyes on Archer, she said, “I just came to see if you saw the motivational poster in the bathroom.”

It was the perfect amount of campy comedy to balance out this overwhelmingly sad installment to the season. At least Gibbs (Austin Stowell) got a break from being thirsted after.

I mean, Vera didn’t even move when Detective Archer attacked the suspect. She just kept her eyes on the prize and accepted that her man has flaws. That’s commitment right there.

Besides, the suspect, Jeremy absolutely needed to have his clock cleaned.

NCIS: Origins Manages to Tackle Issues That Are Still Relevant Despite Taking Place in the ‘90s

As one of the saddest parts of “Monsoon,” we eventually learned that while Jeremy is a complete and total sociopath, he was not the murderer in this episode.

You have to admit, the writing on NCIS: Origins took a minute to take off but we are thirty thousand feet into the air of quality, expert plotting, and writing.

I gasped when it was revealed that poor Marine had inadvertently killed his friend due to deep-set PTSD. Since the start of NCIS: Origins, there have been some truly heartbreaking moments.

There were countless flashbacks to Gibbs losing his family that culminated with him having to come to terms with his new normal in NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 10.

However, this one, for some reason, felt way too real, but it was a necessary story. Thankfully, PTSD awareness has risen exponentially since the ‘90s and vets now have a multitude of resources to help them adjust back to civilian life.

So, kudos to the NCIS: Origins writers for knocking it out of the park with an episode that didn’t just tug at the heartstrings.

It pulled them down to earth to show a very real issue that men and women defending our country have to go through after putting their lives on the line.

As “Monsoon” revealed, being a hero sometimes means losing parts of yourself or those that you love, as Mike Franks is finding out.

NCIS: Origins Has Been Heavy with the Drama and It’s Time to Inject a Little Hope Back into the Story

You wanna talk devastation? Was anyone else absolutely floored by the end of the episode and Tish’s choice to no longer be with Mike?

That was one thing I don’t think anyone was expecting so soon, and even if they did see it coming, no one could predict how heartbreaking it would be.

Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) wouldn’t be the man he is if he could just let go of what happened to the love of his life. As much as he wanted to let it go for Tish, it’s not in Mike’s nature, and Tish knew that.

Watching them at their start just to see them reach their end was like a punch to the gut. It was perfectly executed and possibly left many viewers running for the Kleenex.

Seriously, NCIS: Origins should be sponsored by the company.

And even though the details of what happened to Tish weren’t explicitly laid out, I think we can all agree that we know enough at this point. I don’t need to see a recreation of the incident.

What’s going to happen to Mike now? We saw what he was like before Tish and we all know she saw him for the man he could be.

Personally, I don’t want him to give up on Tonantzin Carmelo’s (La Brea) Tish, but how can she ever get over what happened to her if the man she loves keeps making her relive it by continuing to look into it?

It’s a horrible situation for Mike because he can’t leave an animal like that on the streets, but why should he have to lose so much for trying to make the world a safer place?

Honestly, now I’m kind of hoping things between Lala and Gibbs heat up because the series needs some hope injected back into it.

Without Even Realizing, Special Agent Lala Has Become Not Only Tolerable But Much More Likable

Even though his steps have been slow and steady, watching Gibbs make strides to overcome his trauma has been incredible.

Save for “Blue Bayou,” the character hasn’t been much of a focus since NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 9 when it was revealed that he killed the man who murdered his family.

Instead, the series has chosen to focus on everyone’s favorite NIS agent, Mike Franks.

However, Gibbs has been inching his way back into the spotlight one episode at a time.

Unlike many shows that prefer to have the strong silent type just move on from their baggage, NCIS: Origins shows, in no small manner, that even the roughest and toughest can’t handle everything on their own — especially not when the fight is for your very self.

Do you know who else has gone through monumental changes? Special Agent Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez.

I don’t know exactly when it happened, but I genuinely like Mariel Molino’s (Promised Land) Lala now.

It’s nuts because I can remember being annoyed with her character at first, but after everything that has happened, that feels like small potatoes.

If nothing else, watching the way she comforted the traumatized witness was the last nail in the coffin for me. She’s a good egg, that Lala.

So, if Gibbs and Dominguez start something now, I am all for it, because we will need something to offset Mike losing Tish.

But, first, we’ll need a depiction of Lala dealing with her issues, and I am also surprisingly on board for that as well.

Have your feelings about Lala changed since the NCIS: Origins Premiere?

Were you heartbroken by what happened between Mike and Tish?

Drop a comment below to let me know what you thought of this episode, and join me again when I review another episode of NCIS: Origins!

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