NCIS: Origins Season 1, Episode 13, “Monsoon” is another hard-hitting episode of the prequel. Mike Franks takes center stage again, but this is essentially a follow-up to Episode 11, “Flight of Icarus.” Viewers are able to see some of what happened to Franks in Vietnam — and a lot of the burden that he and other veterans bear. The episode still has some repetitive flaws, but they’re vastly outweighed by the emotional impact of the story.
“Monsoon” involves the discovery of a murdered Vietnam veteran, and the realization that he’s one of several victims. But instead of telling a typical serial offender story, the script focuses on Franks developing a rapport with the victim’s best friend. Plus, there’s also a tragic subplot connected to how Franks learns about the murder in the first place. Origins still has a few things to fix, but this episode has an awful lot going for it.
NCIS: Origins Does This One Thing Better Than the Original
Season 1, Episode 13 Cements the Prequel’s Emotional Power
NCIS: Origins has been on a run of episodes that don’t just tug at viewers’ hearstrings — they yank at them. “Flight of Icarus” had the painful flashbacks to Franks being drafted, while Season 1, Episode 12, “Touchstones” was a bittersweet story focused on Kowalski. “Monsoon” circles back around to Franks for an even bigger gut punch. The episode shows very little of Franks in Vietnam, choosing to follow him after he leaves the service and struggles to make his way as a civilian. His journey unfolds somewhat in parallel to that of the other Vietnam veterans featured in the case of the week. The episode makes a powerful statement about how society needs to do more to support veterans; while it focuses on Vietnam vets, the message is applicable to veterans of any and every kind.
This is where Origins is distinguishing itself from its predecessor: it’s telling much more emotional stories that then have a more lasting impact. The original NCIS has done many touching episodes over the years, but it never lines three of them up back-to-back-to-back like this. And in general, that series makes a point of including humor and being more light in tone, unless the plot of the week is something especially grim. Origins is more serious, and it’s much better for it — because the actors and characters are much better in dramatic moments than in the funny ones. One needs only to look at Kyle Schmid’s performance in this episode, which is heartbreaking as Franks tries to support Tom Molina and also preserve his relationship with Tish. All Franks wants to do is help, and he ultimately can’t save either one of them.
But there’s also a relatively brief subplot about Gibbs ultimately deciding to go to a support group (after previously considering the idea in “Flight of Icarus”). Whether it’s him, Tom or Franks, there are different perspectives on post-combat struggles and how those burdens shouldn’t have to be carried alone. “Monsoon” is less a whodunit and more of a character exploration, which also allows it to buck some of the cliches that other Origins episodes hve struggled with. The only thing that would make it even better would’ve been including some information at the episode’s end directing viewers to veterans’ support organizations, to encourage them to get involved with something that’s still a very real issue.
The NCIS Prequel Destroys Franks’ Most Important Relationship
Franks & Tish Reach the End of the Line in Episode 13
“Monsoon” also depicts the breaking point that NCIS: Origins fans knew was coming. Earlier in the season, Tish told Franks to stop pursuing the man who assaulted her and leave the investigation to the FBI. But Episode 13 reveals he’s done the exact opposite — he’s staked out the laundromat where the suspect was most recently seen, sitting there for hours on end, reading the case file while hoping to catch the guy. It’s an incredible amount of dedication, and exactly what the audience would expect from Franks, or even Gibbs with his tragic past. But in going so far to help Tish, Franks ultimately ends up losing her. She leaves him once he confesses that he’s still looking into her case.
By showing this key moment in the same episode where viewers see how Franks and Tish originally met, Origins drives the pain of their breakup home even further. Crossing paths with Tish while trying to hitchhike down the road with literally nothing but the clothes on his back, Franks finds a lifeline in her. It’s said speciifically in the episode that she saved him. His intention to catch the person who harmed her couldn’t be more noble, but in practice it winds up being very selfish, because he’s ignoring her wishes and lying to her about his whereabouts. The audience watches Franks find hope again and lose it within the same story.
Mike Franks (to Molina): What we saw over there shouldn’t get buried. Even if no one wants to hear it.
In his interactions with Molina, Franks also serves as a sort of surrogate audience member. He wants to help the other man, just like viewers do, and fans share his sadness when he realizes that Molina is the true killer. Molina had experienced a war flashback and attacked his friend without realizing it. Franks says what the audience can’t. The question will be how much further NCIS: Origins probes into Franks’ backstory and particularly his mental state. There have already been other Franks-centric episodes, but with Tish walking out the door and everything that entails, this is the perfect time to keep digging into Franks and seeing how he copes (or doesn’t cope) with the loss. Will he keep working on Tish’s case now that she’s gone? Does he have more baggage to unload? “Monsoon” gives Franks plenty of options, some of which could potentially send him into a downward spiral.
NCIS: Origins Uses One of TV’s Most Annoying Tropes
Needle Drops Are a Problem for the Show
The biggest flaw in NCIS: Origins Episode 13 is a major problem across TV in general: the need to use popular music to supposedly enhance a scene, when in fact the song just detracts from it. Ironically, “Monsoon” shows how pop music can be used well, before giving viewers possibly one of the most irrelevant needle drops ever. Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” is heard multiple times, so that when the younger Franks hears it playing on Tish’s radio, audiences know why that matters. The use of the tune supports what’s been accomplished by the story, instead of substituting for it.
Conversely, this episode runs the risk of ruining Bryan Adams’ classic movie ballad “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” by playing it over Detective Archer’s interrogation of Jeremy Brody. This scene doesn’t need any music at all; the moment in which Archer assaults Brody loses a large portion of its impact because the first part of the sequence is undercut by this gimmick. The song serves no purpose than to reinforce the other characters comparing Archer to Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Mentioning that resemblance once would have been fine, albeit a corny joke. Bringing the song from that movie into the episode is unfunny and unnecessary. But that trope, and the whole subplot of people fawning over Archer in general, is the one weakness in “Monsoon.” Otherwise, it’s another great NCIS: Origins episode that makes this prequel story even richer.
NCIS: Origins airs Mondays at 10:00 p.m. on CBS.