NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 12 Review: Everybody Loves Mary Jo

Critic’s Rating: 4.1 / 5.0

4.1

There is a universal truth of NCIS: Origins, and it’s that everybody loves Mary Jo.

She’s the beating heartbeat of NIS. Their office doesn’t function properly without her, and the prospect of it without her is absolutely frightening.

NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 12 explores what that could be like in a low-key but entertaining hour, and it merely reinforces just how integral Mary Jo is as a character and why she’s won all of our hearts.

On the surface, it doesn’t feel like we learn all that much more about Mary Jo than we did during the incredible NCIS: Origins Season 1 Episode 14.

But as an extension of that hour, what’s nice about The Gambler is that we couldn’t appreciate it nearly as much if we didn’t have her backstory.

We learned about Mary Jo’s failed marriage and her loss, with devastating revelations, so by the time we open with the shock of the century: Mary Jo is secretly dating Dalton Basement, it’s a jolt, yes, but even satisfying.

Mary Jo’s previous episode shows us the scars she bears, but this hour lets us see just how happy she is. It’s satisfying to see that she found love, or at least romance and happiness, even when it was with someone unexpected.

And because we can understand Dalton’s love for Mary Jo, we can appreciate him, too, and even see another side of him.

You can’t dislike a guy who is smart enough to worship the ground that Mary Jo walks on. And based on how he was handling Louie when he thought he was getting out of line, Dalton doesn’t play about Mary Jo.

Hell, we know that no one does. Mike himself would happily rough up anyone who came at her sideways, but that extra layer of the man you’re involved with having that protective streak, well, it just takes it to a whole new level, doesn’t it?

Because who knew Dalton, the guy who was always whining about letter openers, had that in him?

This hour gives us a peek at the happiness that Mary Jo has found with a good man who treats her right, and given that we previously saw how lonely she was at the end of the day when she went home, you get the fuzzies over this.

But then it’s all threatened by Barrett and all of the changes.

I could totally understand why Mary Jo didn’t want to disclose her relationship with Dalton, but I also knew exactly why he’d fear it was because she was embarrassed by him. Dalton isn’t unaware of how others perceive him or that they make fun of him for dwelling in the basement.

He genuinely thought, especially since they were carrying on in secret, that Mary Jo didn’t want anyone she cared about to know that she was dating him, or that putting it down on paper officially would make it all too real.

But Mary Jo’s sentiment about it was understandable. And much of it came from her genuine care for him, not just from a desire to preserve her privacy, which was a big factor.

She knows Dalton has high hopes of getting into the SEC, and she doesn’t want anything to interfere with that. Unfortunately, her relationship with him could interfere with his chances of climbing the ladder.

Mary Jo and Dalton seemed so utterly random as a pairing that I did not anticipate liking them and seeing how easily they clicked. Their ability to communicate their feelings properly was so endearing and refreshing.

Even when things were a bit hectic around them, I felt they were very clear with each other about where they stood. And once we saw that they were together, the chemistry and the way they lit up around one another were palpable.

But the hour also reminded me of the downsides to being too good at your job. It’ll always catch up to you in ways you don’t desire in the end.

Barrett wanted Mary Jo at his office to make himself look good, and also because he was a pig who wanted to add Mary Jo to his collection of female staff members he sexually harassed.

Again, I love how consistently this series explores sexism in the workplace. It’s a common thread that never goes away but is rather interwoven throughout every episode in one way or another.

It wasn’t even her decision, but rather an uncontested assertion that she’d move to his office, end of story.

Everyone freaking out about it made me smile.

The choruses of “Not My Mary Jo” made me genuinely laugh, especially freaking Mike, because in many ways, she always feels like his work wife. And she’s one of the few women who can call him to the carpet, and he takes it because he respects her so much.

I also loved the bit with Mike and Lala saying they didn’t want to cry and trying their best to tamp down their feelings, and Mary Jo seeing through them and telling them she loved them.

And Mary Jo and Wheeler’s scenes always make me emotional.

Wheeler is a guy who keeps so much close to the vest, partly out of survival, but Mary Jo is one of the only people who really sees and understands him.

You could see the exact moment he realized that would slip away from him and how crushed he was. But he has this way of quietly going into action that I’ve learned to appreciate and admire.

Wheeler works the system in clever ways that the others don’t immediately notice or even properly appreciate. And via those interviews with the staff, he was already formulating his plan to tank Barrett and exploit the recent scandal with sexual harassment.

It’s interesting how many variations of a “Me Too” movement we have, isn’t it?

There will be a wave of progress and accountability, but then things fall off, and two decades later, you look up to find you’re still combating the same issues.

But I loved that Wheeler was able to capitalize on the Handsy scandal to stick it to a jerk like Barrett, serve as an ally to the poor women working under him, and keep their Mary Jo.

In the meantime, they were able to stall by using Mary Jo’s connections in Atlantic City to help solve the case. The best thing about it was that she was a genuine asset to this murder investigation and robbery. Mary Jo wasn’t just “assisting” in name only.

And they showed her the full respect by keeping her abreast of every break in the case. It was just one of many quiet ways in which we saw how much they value this powerhouse of a woman.

The case itself felt like background fodder to the office conflicts, and that was perfectly fine.

We don’t always need exciting cases to keep things flowing, especially on one of the rare procedurals that genuinely treats all of its characters like the main event.

It was a case that delivered some of the small nuggets that make this team so endearing to watch. Mike and Lala, paired up, are always fun to watch because they’re so alike in the field.

Like Randy, I too get excited watching Gibbs own the interrogation room.

Still, it was also nice to see Lala tap into her signature empathy to see Sunshine for what she was, an exploited sex worker and one of the invisible members of society who falls through the cracks and can easily become a victim of a flawed system.

The case mostly lends itself to great office moments and incorporates the humor that many thought the series lacked in NCIS: Origins Season 1.

But this was an hour that had me chuckling often. Randy is such a hoot in any capacity. The entire gossip chain bit in the field and around the office was a simple gimmick that worked.

Dalton’s Swedish name being so difficult to pronounce that they just resorted to calling him Basement made me laugh.

And Mike simultaneously busting Gibbs’ balls about being late to the crime scene (because he and Diane are doing this long-distance thing now that she took the job) and outing Lala for being “worried sick” had me snickering.

The fax machine and copywriter antics were just classic office fun and humor.

As someone who spent Saturdays growing up in the cubicle across from my mother’s, the distinct office humor and antics pre-COVID make me nostalgic and are also among the many reasons Office Space is one of my most cherished films.

And NCIS: Origins captures all of that well. Because on the surface, this isn’t an hour that moves much forward for plot, nor is it flashy in introducing a huge case that’s remotely memorable.

However, it puts you in mind of the genuine fun of a filler episode.

There’s always been an underrated art to those, and that’s why many of us adored those types of installments so much — the character work, the dynamics explored, the humor and fun.

And that works for me!

But does it work for you? Where are my Mary Jo Fanatics at? We need to discuss this unexpected romance! I’ll see you in the comments, or share with a friend, if you like. Thanks either way!

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