It took approximately 52 seconds into the hour before my allergies flared up and my vision mysteriously got blurry.
Let’s get it out of the way just in case there’s anyone out there reading this before tuning into the episode or finishing it. Did the dog die? No, Gary Callahan ends the hour alive and kicking.
And NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 14 not only gives us an origin story for one of television’s best canines but also for Mike Franks.
Gosh, dammit, I love this show more than I can ever put into words.
From the title alone, I was hesitant to tune in to The Beautiful Ballad of Gary Callahan because I feared it would mean the death of one of NIS’s trusty agents and Mike Franks’ best friend.
And my heart would not have been able to bear that loss.
Make no mistake, Gary Callahan came close to knocking on death’s door.
With an opener that told us HIS origin story as the runt of his litter with so much grit, drive, and determination, it’s unsurprising to discover that nothing can take Gary Callahan down — not even a stab wound that threatens to paralyze him.
Frankly, I didn’t pay much attention to the case.
We had a robbery gone bad at a convenience store, some bored rich kids looking for a rush because life wasn’t hard enough for them, and an unhoused person who needed a break.
We also had Gary Callahan being a good boy and protecting his team while sustaining a gnarly wound in the process.
And through that, we got to see just how much Gary Callahan has touched the lives of everyone on the team.
What is it about NCIS: Origins? They spent a full hour on a German Shepherd and practically had me in tears the entire time. And it was some of the best character exploration currently on television.
I genuinely wish this series got the proper due that it deserves because it truly is one of the best-written shows on broadcast. It even beats streaming and cable shows.
If you disagree with me on that, it’s fine, but you’re wrong.
Gary Callahan is a survivor, and we saw that when he chose to walk for the first time upon realizing his breeder had dropped him off outside the kill shelter because no one wanted a “broken” dog. Except Gary Callahan wasn’t “broken.”
He just hadn’t found his home yet, until Mike happened across him during one of his many side gigs he took up after he returned home from war.
There’s something quietly satisfying about how the series continues to explore the difficulties that veterans face with such realism, and through Mike, it’s always compelling stuff.
Before NIS, he didn’t have much purpose or hadn’t fully found his calling. He had a gig at Animal Control, but it wasn’t where his heart lay or where he could put his natural skills to good use.
There was something about Gary Callahan that Mike connected with… perhaps he just related to the restless spirit of a lone dog who had so much grit and refused to let life break him.
He found a kindred spirit in Gary Callahan, and so he took him home, unable to figure out what the next steps were for him. Ironically, you could see early on that his love for this dog overruled everything else and that he wanted to keep him.
Even Trish figured that out. It was such a delight to see her again — and at a time when Mike was truly happy with the woman he loved and this rambunctious dog.
Given that and Mike and Gary’s origins, one can fully understand why Mike clings to him so much. It’s not just the rich history they have, but the fact that he found Gary and took care of him with Trish.
Gary is all he has left, a living memento of the time when he was happy with Trish. The handsome little fella even sleeps in Mike’s bed with him. That shot of them made me giggle.
They kept calling Gary Callahan a miracle dog, and that’s what he is. He’s a bit of an angel, too. We got to see how many things clicked into place because of him.
Without Gary Callahan, Mike never would’ve found out about NIS. He wouldn’t have set Gary up to become a canine agent there, and he wouldn’t have found HIS calling.
Mike never would’ve crossed paths with Wheeler, who saw something in him and encouraged him to be an agent. I keep marveling at how Wheeler is one of the most underrated characters on this series.
He has so many layers and complexities, and it scratches an itch in my brain every time we get to see a character who would’ve been sidelined or ignored on any other show, serve as a silent backbone to the team.
You walk away from this hour realizing that Gary Callahan is the linchpin of what NCIS is. Without him, we wouldn’t have Agent Mike Franks, and without him, there is no Agent Gibbs — and you get the picture, right?
A freaking German Shepherd did that. I love it so much.
And his injury had everyone spiraling. Gibbs was all steel. It took me back to NCIS Season 5 Episode 13 when Gibbs protected Jethro, even after he bit McGee.
Yes, that put me in my feelings. He didn’t write off a dog that bit someone, just like Mike didn’t write off Gary Callahan for biting him. And that’s how McGee ended up with his own dog, who probably protected him to his dying day.
Tensions were naturally running high for the two who loved and handled Gary the most: Mike and Herm.
Mike indeed treats Gary Callahan like his own pet, and he often overrides things when Herm is the one who is training him and putting in the work with Gary.
I can imagine how difficult it is when you’re trying to do a job, and someone is overriding, at times undermining, and undoing what you’re doing.
In the field, Gary Callahan was doing what he needed to do, but he also wasn’t responding to some of Mike’s commands. Because he didn’t have him on a leash, Gary took off after Plum, and that’s how he got stabbed.
Herm’s frustrations were valid, and he’s usually such an even-tempered person that not even Mike could say much back to him when he blew his gasket.
The two clashes were tense, but I always appreciate it when other characters give it to Mike just as much as he gives it to everyone. Not only can he take it, but he knows when to admit when he’s wrong, and he respects people who call him out.
The two of them making up was endearing and so quintessentially Mike, who was a softie so many times during this hour that he ran the risk of becoming goo.
Personally, I loved how he just let Randy hug him instead of giving him a hard time! Goodness, I love this family.
Most of all, I appreciated that this entire hour was about the resilient souls who graduated from the School of Hard Knocks and their ability to sniff each other out and give one another a break.
It would’ve been so much easier if the person who stabbed Gary Callahan was this evil monster who hurt a dog for some twisted, terrible reason.
But in this case, Plum was genuinely trying to defend himself after Gary bit him.
And we learned that he was the protector of the housing encampment. Everyone looked to him, respected him, and loved him precisely because he looked after them, brought food, and made sure everyone was safe.
He had the essence of Gary Callahan and Mike. In the end, how could Mike look at this guy who needed a helping hand and a shot and punish him?
With Gary Callahan serving as his conscience, whether people understood the whole way they communicated with each other or not, it was a beautiful chance for Mike to pass the torch the way it was handed to him, and that was a beautiful moment.
The whole thing coming full circle with Gary Callahan walking again, proving that he wasn’t down and out after all, to accept his award and NOT returning after all didn’t make me cry at all, I swear!
Once again, NCIS: Origins delivers another poignant hour that puts you right in the feels.
Additional Thoughts:
- It was annoying that after Gail showed improvement, she was back to screwing up.
- I loved Mike playing “Creep.” Origins’ playlist is unmatched.
- Kowalksi is such a DAD, and I love it. And my heart smiles that he’s making homemade dog biscuits.
- Seeing how Gary Callahan got his name broke me a little. The cardboard box he carried around as a puppy — and he now gets to bear the name.
- The past two episodes have put me in some Trish feels. Do you think we’ll see Mike finding a nice lady to connect with anytime soon? He’s so lonely.
- Wheeler totally does look like a teacher, but I would’ve pegged him for an English teacher, not a Biology Teacher. I love that nugget about his own start in the agency.
- I thought the running bit of Randy looking for a godfather would result in him having a nice scene of sking someone, but Herm is a good choice, if he accepted, even if Mike was the one to relay the message.
- Woody and Phil are such scene-stealers. I love their lab antics every single episode.
Over to you, NCIS: Origins Fanatics!
Let’s discuss all the juicy tidbits from this emotional hour! I’ll see you in the comments.
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