NCIS: Origins’ Official End Of An Era Begs For A CBS Reboot

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The first season of NCIS: Origins has concluded. CBS’s strategy of launching a “Super Tuesday” lineup for the 2025-2026 television season proved effective, as grouping all current NCIS shows together on one night maximized viewership. However, CBS unexpectedly adjusted the schedule near the end of the season, causing the second season of NCIS: Origins to premiere before the new seasons of the original NCIS and NCIS: Sydney.

When NCIS: Origins was first announced, it was promoted as the story of how Leroy Jethro Gibbs started his career with NCIS, showing events that would later impact the original series. It was therefore unexpected when the show revealed in its first episode that it was actually focused on the story of Lala – who she was and her connection to Gibbs. The show spent two seasons following Gibbs’ early days at the Camp Pendleton office with his team, alongside a developing romantic relationship with a colleague. However, the end of season two makes it clear that this initial period of the show has come to a close.

NCIS: Origins Fulfills Its Two Main Purpose At The End Of Season 2

The eighteenth episode of NCIS: Origins season 2, “Hollywood Ending,” signals a significant change for the series. With the Camp Pendleton office facing closure due to a restructuring of the NIS, the team races to solve a final case while also attempting to prevent the shutdown. Ultimately, Vera Franks and her colleagues succeed by highlighting their investigative skills, which leads to the agency being rebranded as NCIS.

The recent rebranding had been planned for the main series and was based on actual events. Now that the change is complete, NCIS: Origins can finally explore a major storyline that will impact the future of the franchise. While this event was always going to happen in the prequel, showing how and who was involved adds important details and fills in gaps in the show’s history.

Everyone anticipated the show’s name change, but a welcome surprise was seeing the slow-developing romance between Gibbs and Lala finally come to fruition. Though their relationship hasn’t been as dramatic as some others within the NCIS franchise, it was still rewarding to watch them share their first kiss in the episode “Hollywood Ending.” This solidifies their connection, revealing a new side to Gibbs’ past and proving that NCIS: Origins is truly about how Lala changed his life.

What Rebooting NCIS: Origins Means For Season 3 Means & Why It’s Important To Its Future

Even though the original run of NCIS: Origins is over, CBS doesn’t have to cancel the show entirely. Like many other network dramas that have reached a turning point in their stories, it needs a fresh start. If the show transitions from NIS to NCIS, it should also include a significant change in how things operate at Camp Pendleton to make the shift feel impactful.

The relationship between Gibbs and Lala is about to enter a new phase, as NCIS: Origins resolves the question of whether they’ll get together. Now that their feelings are out in the open, the show needs to keep viewers engaged – it’s a tricky point in any romance, and how it’s handled will determine if the couple has a future.

Look, let’s be real, NCIS: Origins can’t live on the will-they-won’t-they of Gibbs and Lala alone. The show needs a central mystery to keep us hooked. Thankfully, Mark Harmon’s voiceover already gave us a little nudge about where things are headed romantically. He basically admitted he wishes Gibbs and Lala had gotten their happy ending, which definitely feels like a setup for something new to unfold.

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2026-05-13 20:38