The NCIS: Origins Crossover Quietly Resurrected An Original Series Character With CGI Magic

Contains spoilers for "NCIS: Origins" Season 2, Episode 5, and "NCIS" Season 23, Episode 5

"NCIS" applied a bit of CGI wizardry to bring Muse Watson's original version of Mike Franks (who is played by Kyle Schmid in "NCIS: Origins") to life in "Funny How Time Slips Away," the "Origins" part of the crossover event linking the prequel with the flagship series. During the episode's final scene as it segues into the "NCIS" episode "Now and Then," which continues the story in the present day, we're treated to a time-lapse montage of Franks' many visits to Thomas Mulligan over the years.

Mulligan was convicted following the death of a naval officer back in the 1990s, and now he's inexplicably launched a prison break with just three weeks left on his sentence. Franks comes to doubt Mulligan's confession, and with each visit, he tries to get Mulligan to reveal why he admitted to a crime he clearly didn't commit. As each scene passes by, Franks and Mulligan age, until they take the forms of actor Michael Lowry — playing the older Mulligan — and Watson.

It's clear that some special effects trickery was used to transform Schmid into Watson, bridging the gap between Franks in "Origins" and "NCIS." However, according to TVLine's exclusive interview with "NCIS: Origins" executive producer David North, Watson was back on set briefly to reprise his role as the elder version of Mike Franks for the first time since 2017.

Understandably, Watson's eight-year-long absence from the franchise might lead fans to wonder what other roles he's taken on in the years since.

Muse Watson has not appeared in anything since 2021, when he played The Creator in the web series "Diary of a Lunatic." Prior to that, he had small parts in films like "The Dead Ones" and "Valley of Bones," but he's done nothing major since "NCIS" killed off Mike Franks. Watson played Franks a total of 20 times between 2006 and 2017, and the Supervisory Special Agent is arguably his most recognizable role, though he's also known for playing Charles Westmoreland in "Prison Break" and Ben Willis, aka the Fisherman, the main antagonist of "I Know What You Did Last Summer."

However, just because Watson hasn't been doing any acting lately doesn't mean he's not busy. The veteran thesp made his first-ever convention appearance at the Chiller Theatre in April 2025, signing autographs and chatting with fans about his past roles. He even brought his fisherman hook from the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" films along. If you're an "NCIS" fan, then keep an eye out for future convention appearances. Watson's version of Mike Franks may be gone, but there's a chance you could meet the man behind him in person.