SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 9.

The NCIS: Origins spring premiere makes up for the show’s extended hiatus by essentially wiping its slate clean. The CBS series has always had a keen eye for continuity (it has to, being a prequel) but “Fools Rush In” feels like it’s efficiently checking off a list of plot points. It’s not the series’ most powerful episode, but it generates interest in what’s now possible.

Season 2, Episode 9 primarily has to resolve the cliffhanger that saw a member of The Range blow up an Oceanside movie theater. The case of the week plot is surprisingly light compared to what Origins normally is able to do. It’s not a huge shock that the mastermind of the bombing plot is Abe, the leader of The Range, because he’s always seemed like such a nice guy in his prior appearances—which cynical TV fans know makes him a prime candidate to be revealed as a villain.

It’s also not a surprise that Mason Franks is briefly suspected as an accomplice, since that’s an easy way to generate drama. Surprisingly, that plot twist doesn’t actually use actor Philip Winchester enough; Mason is mostly off-screen, while Kyle Schmid is tasked with carrying the emotional weight by having Mike Franks go through several understandable outbursts. And as usual, Schmid is great at playing Franks on tilt. He and Tyla Abercrumbie could probably lead a sitcom together someday, with how easily they play off each other.

“Fools Rush In” is a lot more about where all of the main characters are in their personal lives, with NCIS: Origins finding ways to weave updates into the procedural part of the story. For example, numerous jokes are made about Gibbs having a hangover following his drunken Las Vegas wedding to Diane Sterling. However, all of that corny humor actually has a story point: it’s what enables Gibbs to finally do his first interrogation, as Kowalski comments that he’s in the right frame of mind for it. The only part that winds up feeling cheesy is the entire rest of the team watching his interview with Abe and cheering like it’s a spectator sport, but that’s forgiveable because viewers know how big a moment this is for Gibbs’ character, so they’re happy for him too.

Franks’ strained relationship with his brother gets resolved through this plot, as Mike offers to let Mason stay with him given that The Range is no longer a viable option. Lala’s dynamic with Flaco Navarro comes into play, too, which allows “Fools Rush In” to then push forward her secret flirtation with Manny. Even Cliff Wheeler’s heartbreak factors in since NIS has to work with a new FBI agent, who is naturally totally different from the now-promoted Noah Oakley. Patrick Fischler’s performance in Wheeler’s handful of scenes is bittersweet here, and a nice follow-up to the great work he just did on Paradise. But every character point that was brought up before the midseason break has a place within Episode 9, even if some are more prominent than others.

NCIS: Origins has created an entertaining palate cleanser. Season 2, Episode 9 doesn’t have a particularly memorable scene or any huge emotional moments, but it does provide closure and progress so that the audience knows where characters are going and why they should care. Gibbs has now cleared both the professional and personal hurdles holding him back, having done his first interrogation and decided not to annul his marriage to Diane (even if fans already knew that).

There is hope for Franks and Mason, even as Mason’s subplot seems to be over, and conversely sadness as Wheeler moves on from Oakley. Lala is further down the rabbit hole, while both she and the audience are not allowed to forget how she may feel about Gibbs. Plus, Kowalski has more words of wisdom and Chicago Hope alum Roxanne Hart makes a guest appearance. There’s a lot packed into this episode, and a lot to look forward to now that NCIS: Origins has returned.

NCIS: Origins airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.

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