NCIS: Origins Revealed Why Mike Franks And His Brother Were Estranged, But There Were Also Two Big Twists I Didn’t See Coming

Warning: SPOILERS for the NCIS: Origins episode “No Man Left Behind” are ahead!

Last season on NCIS: Origins, we met Mason Franks, Mike Franks’ older brother, in the episode “Flight of Icarus,” which had flashbacks showing how the two ended up serving the Vietnam War. Tonight on the 2025 TV schedule, “No Man Left Behind” finally introduced the older Mason, played by Philip Winchester, after his forthcoming arrival was teased in the Season 1 finale. As welcome as it was to learn why Mike and Mason don’t get along, there are two especially surprising twists from this Origins Season 2 episode that I also need to discuss.

Mike And Mason’s Post-Vietnam War Past Was Revealed

The flashbacks in “No Man Left Behind” showed that during the Vietnam War, Mike started taking drugs to cope with the horrors he saw. He continued struggling with that addiction when he and Mason came home, and it got so bad that Mason kicked him out of their family ranch in Texas because of how much he was hurting their mother. That explains the state we found him in during the “Monsoon” flashbacks. Mike also wasn’t aware at the time that their mother was sick, so because of the 13-year estrangement, he didn’t learn she’d died until it was too late.

In the present day storyline of “No Man Left Behind,” Mason Franks arrived unannounced on Mike’s doorstep for his help in helping the ranch. Their mother was forced to sell the ranch while they were serving in Vietnam. While there was a handshake agreement with the new owners that the Franks family could rent the house back, continue working the land and repurchase it, eventually Mason had to start taking loans from some unsavory characters to keep things running. With the ranch now being sold to a developer, Mason went to Mike in the hopes he knew someone who could help them out.

That person ended up being Diane Sterling, Gibbs’ future second wife, who’s good with both real estate law and accounting. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done, and Mason would have to move out of the ranch. The good news, however, is that not only is Mike and Mason’s 13-year estrangement over, the brothers will now be living closer together. Mike set Mason up at The Range, which we first saw in the Origins Season 2 premiere, and living there will allow him to continue working outside with his hands.

NCIS: Origins Brought Back A Familiar Face From The Season 2 Premiere

Speaking of the NCIS: Origins Season 2 premiere, one of the men who robbed the Navy bank in “No Man Left Behind” ended up being Corporal Wade from that same episode. At the start of the season, Wade was brought into NIS headquarters to be interrogated over his connection to the death of PFC Myers near The Range. It was revealed that Wade left Myers out there on his own and told him not to come back until he found the grid point of a tack he’d hidden. This indirectly led to Myers being killed for his expensive sneakers.

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During the interrogation, Mike Franks criticized Wade for ignoring the U.S. Armed Forces creed “No Man Left Behind,” resulting in Wade spiraling and taking part in the bank robbery so he could send his cut of the money to Myers’ family. The whole thing went to hell when his partner was shot during the robbery and later bled out, despite Wade trying desperately to save him. Feeling even more guilty, Wade anonymously reached out to Mike over several phone calls, and eventually Kyle Schmid’s character was able to identify him and bring him in. Now I wonder if we might see Wade a third time in NCIS: Origins Season 2 if another case requires Mike to see him in prison.

Mary Jo Knows About Wheeler’s Relationship With Oakley

Towards the end of NCIS: Origins Season 1, viewers learned that NIS Special Agent in Charge Cliff Wheeler and FBI Detective Noah Oakley shared more than just a professional past together; they were once in a romantic relationship. Since he’s married and has a son, not to mention it wasn’t the easiest thing being openly queer in the early 1990s, Wheeler has understandably kept this part of himself secret from the people at the NIS office. However, now Mary Jo Hayes knows, though it wasn’t an intentional revelation.

Mary Jo learned this information when Wheeler and Oakley separately told the same story about how they’d once been on a bad date with someone when an 8-track of the Elton John song “Daniel” was stuck in a car stereo while they were arguing in the car. Obviously Mary Jo was able to piece two and two together quickly, and it’s inevitable there will come a point when she tells Wheeler that she knows about his and Oakley’s secret connection. The good news is that because Mary Jo is such a kind and maternal figure, I don’t think we need to worry about her judging Wheeler for his sexuality. Quite the opposite, as maybe she’ll become a confidant for him.

Next week, NCIS: Origins will cross over with the flagship show with a story spanning over 30 years. If you want to watch live on CBS, make sure you tune into Origins at 8 p.m. ET instead of the usual 9 p.m. ET time slot, which NCIS will temporarily fill.