SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 12.

NCIS: Origins regains its form with Season 2, Episode 12, “The Gambler,” which is basically a Mary Jo Hayes appreciation segment. And that works for the CBS show, because Mary Jo does deserve more of the spotlight. It’s nowhere near as heavy as last season’s “To Have and to Hold,” mercifully, but it makes very clear that it’s not just the agents who are the heroes in this origin story.

The case of the week is actually the least interesting part of “The Gambler,” because it involves a repetitive element: the commanding officer of the murder victim (or in this case victims) is actually involved in the crime. Fans will see that one coming. What’s interesting is that the script seems to be conscious of the idea that the investigation is playing second fiddle, because everything gets wrapped up super-conveniently. Said captain blurts out a confession as soon as NIS bursts into his house, the stolen funds are found immediately under his floorboards, and Cliff Wheeler explains the totality of the money-laundering scheme to the audience (via Mary Jo) in case somebody wasn’t paying attention.

The actual meat of this NCIS: Origins episode is that Mary Jo faces an involuntary transfer to the regional office, and how everyone reacts to that development. One must give props to Chad Powers alum Toby Huss, who’s asked to come back for one scene to make Regional Director Barrett look even more like a jackass. But Huss has always been great at playing the kind of character audiences love to hate; this is the same actor who used to voice Cotton Hill on King of the Hill.

All of the best scenes involve Mary Jo’s interactions with everyone from Gail all the way up to Mike Franks. The best line in the episode is when Franks echoes Lala Dominguez, saying to Mary Jo that he hasn’t mentioned the Barrett situation because “I don’t want to cry.” Audiences know he means that, and that means a lot coming from the normally gruff Franks. This is also a showcase episode for the dynamic between Mary Jo and Cliff Wheeler, as Wheeler vows to find a way to fix the situation—and he does, learning enough terrible things from Barrett’s secretaries that he gets his boss placed on leave. Flowers are due to Patrick Fischler for how well he’s developed Wheeler into a slightly corny but really genuine guy; between this and his appearance on Paradise, Fischler is doing some amazing work of recent.

At the core of “The Gambler,” though, is the romantic relationship between Mary Jo and Dalton (a wonderful Jeff Boehm). NCIS: Origins fans probably didn’t have Mary Jo dating Dalton Basement on their bingo card, but it makes sense, and the episode gives Boehm moments to show how much Dalton really does care about Mary Jo. Especially after how the audience was privy to the painful end of her marriage in Season 1, it’s so nice to see Mary Jo in a happy, healthy relationship. It’s also fun to learn more about Dalton, like his actual last name (which of course is something huge and difficult to say). Season 2, Episode 12 is a thoughtful way to tie two of the show’s underrated characters together.

“The Gambler” orbits around Mary Jo Hayes and Tyla Abercrumbie, but it doesn’t just exist to fete character and actor—which is a mistake that a lot of backstory episodes make. Yes, the audience learns more about Mary Jo, and yes, the case isn’t that complicated. But viewers get a reminder of how Mary Jo affects all of the characters around her, they get scenes that enable other characters like Dalton and Wheeler to shine, and there’s the plot development of Barrett’s suspension. NCIS: Origins showcases Mary Jo but it does so with purpose, and that’s what makes this episode well worth the time.

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

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