Lala’s NCIS: Origins Season 2 Return Continues a Frustrating Gibbs Story from Season 1

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Season 2 of the *NCIS: Origins* prequel, focusing on Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ early career, is back, but it’s revisiting a storyline that proved problematic last season. The new season begins by showing the fallout from the accident involving Mike Franks’ teammate, Lala Dominguez, which left her in critical condition at the end of Season 1. Thankfully, Lala is back this season, though her return creates friction with Gibbs.

Wow, things got intense for Lala! Just when she’d managed to talk Lara Macy (Claire Berger) out of pursuing the Pedro Hernandez murder case – a huge win for her – she was involved in a terrifying car accident. A young girl ran into the street, and Lala swerved to avoid her, flipping her Jeep. At the end of Season 1, it really looked like Dominguez might not be coming back. Thankfully, she pulled through, but now the show is tackling a familiar storyline, revisiting old ground. It’s a clever move that throws a new spin on things, and I’m really curious to see where it goes!

Lala’s Fate In NCIS: Origins Season 2 Fully Explained

Following the dramatic ending of Season 1, the show intentionally kept Lala’s situation a secret. Through voiceover narration by Mark Harmon as the older Gibbs, the episode highlighted how much the team struggled after Agent Dominguez’s loss, showing how her absence had fractured them. It initially appeared Gibbs believed Lala had died in the car crash. But halfway through the episode, *NCIS: Origins* subtly revealed that she had, in fact, survived.

Gibbs hinted that Lala is still alive by recalling Agent Dominguez’s habit of unexpectedly swimming in a neighbor’s pool. He explained that a few months after Lala’s accident, a young woman asked to use the pool while recovering from an injury. The show then reveals this woman was Lala, using the water to regain her strength and rebuild muscle lost during her recovery.

By the end of the episode, Lala returns to Mike’s team. Her arrival at the crime scene while Mike, Gibbs, and Cliff Wheeler investigate the current case is a welcome relief, as it means his team is complete again. Though Gibbs is initially worried about Lala overdoing it after her injury, she quickly demonstrates she’s capable and doesn’t require any special consideration, officially marking her return to duty.

Lala & Gibbs Have A Frustrating Romance Dynamic In NCIS: Origins Season 2

Although Lala has returned, things aren’t back to normal. Franks’ team is together again now that Randy (Caleb Foote) is allowed to work in the field, but Gibbs and his partner are still strained. Before the accident, Lala and Gibbs had become close again, repairing their friendship after Lala felt betrayed when she learned Gibbs secretly authorized the killing of Pedro Hernandez.

Throughout the first season of *NCIS: Origins*, Gibbs and Lala developed a strong connection. This culminated in the finale when Gibbs found Lala swimming. He impulsively joined her in the pool, stripping down to his underwear. They shared a tender moment, holding each other’s faces and nearly kissing. However, the romantic tension was broken when Gibbs confessed to turning himself in to Macy, revealing he’d surrendered his rifle.

After storming off, Gibbs doesn’t see Lala again until after the accident. The start of *NCIS: Origins* Season 2 implies Gibbs hasn’t visited her while she recovers, and he’s begun a relationship with Diane, the real estate agent who sold his house. This creates a tense situation when Gibbs and Lala finally reconnect, mirroring the difficult relationship they had in Season 1.

Lala and Gibbs shared a clear connection in Season 1, but a romantic relationship didn’t develop because of their work environment and Gibbs’ recent loss of his wife. While understandable, this created a drawn-out, frustrating will-they-won’t-they dynamic, as both characters had feelings they kept to themselves. Season 2 revisits this storyline, and it’s become even more complicated now that they have a history, yet Gibbs is currently in another relationship.

NCIS: Origins Has Fully Justified Gibbs & Lala’s Romance After Shannon’s Death

The romance between Gibbs and Lala in the first season of *NCIS: Origins* felt forced because Gibbs was still deeply mourning his wife, Shannon. Shannon’s death was a defining moment for Gibbs in the original *NCIS* series, and the reason he joined the agency. While the prequel aimed to show this difficult time in Gibbs’ life, introducing a new love interest so soon after his loss didn’t feel natural.

Although Gibbs didn’t pursue a relationship with Lala, he often finds comfort in thinking about her. Throughout the first season, Gibbs starts therapy, which helps him confront his past trauma and realize he deserves happiness. These conversations eventually allow him to consider a new romance, feeling justified in moving forward after a long period of healing and personal growth following Shannon’s death.

When *NCIS: Origins* Season 2 begins, Gibbs has unexpectedly started a relationship with Diane instead of pursuing things with Lala. The season premiere shows them comfortably hanging out together in Gibbs’ apartment, suggesting they’ve been together for a while. This is a letdown for viewers who were hoping to see Gibbs and Lala become a couple, especially since Gibbs only became open to a relationship when Diane came along.

Lala and Gibbs’ coworkers think they know why their relationship isn’t working. Randy suggests to Mary Jo that Gibbs still cares about Lala, but didn’t pursue a romance after her accident because he feared losing her, having already lost a partner before. Mary Jo agrees and tells Lala that Gibbs is dating Diane because he’s afraid of losing Lala herself.

Can Gibbs & Lala Still Get Together In NCIS: Origins Despite His New Romance?

Lala’s accident made an already difficult situation even more complicated, and highlighted the constant danger she faced. It also raises questions about whether Lala and Gibbs will ever find happiness together, considering what we already know from past NCIS episodes about Gibbs and his relationships. Because the audience has some background knowledge about Diane, it influences the possible paths the romance between Gibbs and Lala can take in NCIS: Origins.

Fans of *NCIS* will remember that Diane became Gibbs’ second wife. They married and relocated to Washington, D.C. when Gibbs took a job at NCIS Headquarters. However, their marriage ended in divorce, largely due to Gibbs’ all-consuming pursuit of serial killer Kyle Booner. Years later, Gibbs confessed he still had feelings for Diane, but she realized she could never measure up to Shannon, and it seems Gibbs feels a similar connection with Lala.

While it’s possible Gibbs and Lala could become a couple between his second and third marriages, it doesn’t seem very likely. The show has already revealed Gibbs marries Diane, then another woman (not Lala), indicating they’re never meant to be together. Even after his divorce, a relationship would be difficult because Gibbs will be working in Washington D.C., far from California where the original team and *NCIS: Origins* are located.

Now that Gibbs and Diane are officially a couple, it seems unlikely that a romance will develop between Gibbs and Lala. However, we probably haven’t seen the last of their complicated connection. The situation is already tense, with everyone at the office commenting on Gibbs and Lala’s awkward dynamic. But given the show’s connection to the original *NCIS* series, it’s likely the agents will continue to struggle with their feelings for a while.

NCIS: Origins airs on Tuesday nights at 9 pm Eastern on CBS.

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2025-10-18 16:40