Who is Mike Brooks, honored with NCIS: Los Angeles title card?
The closing minutes of the episode “Joyride” tonight paid tribute to Brooks, who worked behind the scenes of the CBS hit as a construction coordinator for more than 200 episodes. This is a time-consuming job that requires a lot of expertise, and it is certainly one of those that often goes unheralded. He also worked in a similar capacity on some other series including The Cleaner as well as Eli Stone. Before getting into the TV business, Brooks worked in the prop department for a number of notable motion pictures, including Jurassic Park, Wild Wild West, and The Flintstones. This is a man who was very experienced and clearly loved what he did tremendously.
By honoring him at the end of Sunday’s new episode, what NCIS: Los Angeles allowed viewers the chance to do is reflect a little bit more on his time with the show. Hopefully, this article offers up a sense as to who he was and what he accomplished in this industry. It is appropriate that he be honored at a time in which NCIS: Los Angeles itself had characters honoring those they had lost at the conclusion of tonight’s episode. It bridged the art and life of the series in a very poignant and heartfelt way. The holidays can be a time of celebration, but they also allow for moments of reflection.
Unfortunately, Brooks passed away on November 23 in Thousand Oaks, California, according to his profile on IMDb. He was only 46 years old, and we imagine that the loss has reverberated through the entire NCIS: Los Angeles crew in a powerful way. These are people who knew him, loved him, and went through thick and thin with him. Title cards for cast and crew members are incredibly important; they allow for a sense of healing from not only the family, but also the people who worked alongside them. It also offers viewers a reminder that a show like NCIS: Los Angeles is about so much more than the people on-screen. It’s a crew of many who work behind the scenes, the majority of them outside of the spotlight, but without them our favorite shows would never be made.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Brooks’ family and loved ones as his family continue to heal. We hope that the tribute tonight helps them in the healing process further.
NCIS: Los Angeles will return with new episodes on CBS in 2019. (Photo: CBS.)