NCIS: Origins Jokes About Mark Wahlberg’s ‘Marky Mark’ Era

NCIS: Origins celebrated the nostalgia of the ’90s by referencing Mark Wahlberg’s earlier persona as “Marky Mark” and his brother Donnie Wahlberg’s renowned group, New Kids on the Block.

In the episode that aired on Tuesday, October 14, the audience learned that Randy’s (Caleb Foote) earlier desire to spend less time in the field led to him being assigned desk duty. This allowed Randy to listen to more music and discover new artists.

“I’m telling you, this song [‘Good Vibrations’] is something special,” Randy expressed to Franks (Kyle Schmid), Wheeler (Patrick Fischler), and Gibbs (Austin Stowell). “When the world feels off, Marky Mark lifts your spirits.”

Franks, perplexed by the reference, queried, “His last name is Mark and his mom named him Marky?” Randy clarified that Mark is seen as “the bad boy” of the family compared to his brother, Donnie, who belongs to a boy band.

“Donnie Mark,” Franks inquired, to which Randy corrected, “No, it’s Donnie Wahlberg.”

Randy attempted to clarify that it’s a stage name, only for Franks to confuse which brother uses a professional name instead of their actual one.

“Who uses Wahlberg as a stage name?” Franks joked. Meanwhile, Gibbs attempted to get into the music of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, quipping, “Marky Mark doesn’t make me feel good at all.”

Despite Gibbs’ lack of enthusiasm, he joined Franks, Randy, and Lala (Mariel Molino) in a singalong of “Good Vibrations” as the episode wrapped up. Season 2 also introduced exciting twists, including the surprise that Lala survived a deadly car accident.

Before the season 2 premiere of NCIS: Origins, creators Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North shared insights about upcoming episodes.

“Our main objective from the beginning was to create a show that satisfies long-time fans of the original series while also welcoming new viewers who can start fresh with NCIS: Origins,” Monreal stated exclusively to Us Weekly in April. “We want viewers to easily engage with our characters and their stories. We aim to achieve that balance successfully.”

North also teased what lies ahead for Randy, who stood out in season 1.

“We can’t get enough of Randy. In season 2, he will be featured prominently but will face challenges, as many agents do. Balancing family and a perilous career can be tough. We assure fans that Randy will remain a significant character in our stories,” North affirmed.

NCIS: Origins airs on CBS every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.