NCIS fans are left curious about the absence of Mike Franks, played by Muse Watson, as the show gears up for its 20th season. Franks, introduced in season three, was a mentor to Leroy Gibbs, helping him seek revenge for the murder of his wife and daughter. Despite frequent appearances, tragedy struck in season nine when Franks was killed by serial killer Jonah Cobb while trying to protect Gibbs. Watson, the actor behind Franks, clarified on Twitter in 2012 that his departure was the writers’ decision, not his own, and expressed dissatisfaction with how the exit storyline unfolded.
Looking back on his character’s death on “NCIS,” Muse Watson revealed his true feelings about how Mike Franks was killed off the show. Speaking with NCISfanatic in June of 2012, the actor said he felt his character wasn’t justified. “To be fair, I think in planning it, it sounded good, but the way it played out — I think Mike needed more,” he said, pointing out how it didn’t truly make sense that the tough and gruff Franks would be taken down by “a boy in the rain with a scalpel.” Watson continued, “When you sum it up … it just wasn’t enough to get Mike.”
Despite his higher expectations, Watson maintained nothing but an amicable relationship with the cast and crew of “NCIS.” In fact, Watson actually continued to appear on the CBS program following his character’s death, showing up as the guardian angel of Gibbs in the Season 9 episode titled “Life Before His Eyes,” IMDb states, and continuing his part up until Season 15 in 2017.
As actor Rocky Carroll said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight (via CheatSheet), Watson was written back into the series because he was considered to be one of the favorite guest characters. “He’s been back more in the afterlife,” said Carroll, who played Leon Vance. Though no plans have yet been established, we hope Watson will revive his character on “NCIS” in the future!