NCIS: Origins episode 13 recap: Who killed Peter Rice?

NCIS: Origins, an investigative drama series on CBS, is a spinoff of the popular ongoing series NCIS. It focuses on the key character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, who Mark Harmon originally portrayed for 19 seasons.

Set in 1991, the story follows a young Leroy Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell. Gibbs learns to become an ace agent under the mentorship of Mike Franks while dealing with the trauma of losing his wife and child.

The episodes post the mid-season break have focused more on Mike Franks' backstory than Gibbs. In NCIS: Origins episode 13, titled, Monsoon, viewers are taken back to 1982 when a Vietnam-returned Franks was lost in life and struggling to survive until he met Tish. The episode followed the NIS team investigating Lance Corporal Peter Rice's murder.

The series, created by Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North, stars Austin Stowell, Kyle Schmid, Mariel Molino, Tyla Abercrombie, Diany Rodriguez, and Caleb Foote in prominent roles.

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Mike Franks' post-Vietnam troubles in explored in NCIS: Origins episode 13

NCIS: Origins episode 13 opened with flashbacks of Agent Mike Franks' life after his return from Vietnam. At the age of 21, he was deployed to the war with his older brother, but a part of him never returned home; there wasn't a PTSD program to help him cope with his emotions.

As seen in the flashback from 1982, Mike was lost, emotionally vulnerable, and had no direction in life. He was running drugs and living with a woman whom we know as Mary O'Neill from the NCIS lore.

To his luck, he met Tish, who cared for him and helped him become the man he was. However, she just asked him one thing in return, to never investigate an old crime that was committed upon her. Years back, she was r*ped by a stranger and went through hell to move on in life.

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NIS team investigates the death of Peter Rice in NCIS: Origins

Presently, Mike Franks encountered a homeless man being troubled by a cop. Upon intervening, he found out that the homeless man, Lance Corporal Tom Molino, was a veteran like himself. Molino was asking the cop's help, as his friend Peter Rice, had been murdered.

The NIS team arrived at the scene and found the victim's body, who had been struck by a brick. The victim had also been dealing with the hopelessness of post-war life like Franks and Gibbs. Many veterans ended up on the streets and were treated with disrespect.

Back in the precinct, the team was visited by Detective Archer, who informed them that the murder was connected to a string of attacks on the homeless and that there was a survivor. The detective also piqued the interest of Mary Jo and Vera.

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Tom Molina killed Peter Rice in NCIS: Origins episode 13

The team realized that the missing witness was also a veteran, Jonathan. After he was found, he was shown several photos of potential suspects, and he pointed at Jeremy Brody.

Brody was brought in for questioning, but he asserted that he had nothing to do with the murders. The team could find evidence that tied him to the murders. However, Franks was able to extract that Brody was guilty of assault.

On the other side, Franks had checked Molina into a veteran's support group and later was informed that he suffered from violent PTSD-induced night terrors. When Franks checked the sleeves of Molino's jacket, he found the residue of the brick that was used to kill Peter Rice.

Molino killed Rice during one of his night terrors and woke up with no memory of it. The episode highlighted the horrors of the war and the sufferings of the veterans. In the end, Franks confessed to Tish that he had been pursuing her assault case in secret. This revelation broke her heart and she left him, which makes Franks' story even more tragic.

However, one positive aspect of NCIS: Origins episode 13 was that Gibbs enquired about the veteran's support program and eventually decided to try it out.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on NCIS: Origins and other films and TV shows as the year unfolds.