NCIS: Origins Season 2 Is Shaking Things Up With Gibbs And Lala’s Relationship. What I Learned About Where These Two Go From Here

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Warning: SPOILERS for the NCIS: Origins episode “Who By Fire” are ahead!

I’m really getting into NCIS: Origins Season 2, and things are already so intense for Mariel Molino’s character, Lala Dominguez! That Flaco Navarro came back, and he immediately put a huge demand on her – he wanted her to take out a rival gang leader as payback for her sparing Randy last season. It was a really tough spot for her, but I admired that Lala ultimately refused to go that far, even though it meant risking trouble with Flaco. The way the latest episode, “Who By Fire,” ended, it’s obvious their conflict is far from over, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Many viewers are still following the connection between Lala and Austin Stowell’s character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, on NCIS: Origins. I recently spoke with Mariel Molino before the “Who By Fire” episode aired, and she shared what happens with their characters in Season 2, even though a romantic relationship seems unlikely now.

Does Lala Actually Still Have Feelings For Gibbs?

The car accident involving Lala at the end of NCIS: Origins Season 1 had a big impact on everything that followed. While Lala recovered, Gibbs started a relationship with Diane Sterling, who would eventually become his second wife. When the show returned for Season 2, Mary Jo suggested Gibbs was only with Diane because he didn’t want to be alone after Lala’s accident, but Lala dismissed it, saying Gibbs was just too complex for her. However, it’s unclear if Lala truly feels that way. Here’s what Mariel Molino shared with me when I asked about it:

She’s just putting up a front, really. She’s proud, but deep down, she still loves him. While there’s some truth to what she’s saying – he is complicated, and being with him would be difficult – I don’t think that’s the real reason she’s hesitant. They have to see each other at work every day, which makes things even more complicated. So, what she’s saying might be true, but I believe her feelings for him are the core issue.

Lala and Gibbs had a rocky reunion when Lala returned to work at NIS at the beginning of Season 2. Gibbs worried Lala was taking too many risks in the field due to her health, while Lala felt he was being overly cautious and hindering her work. Thankfully, their relationship mostly recovered by the episode “Who By Fire,” even after the slightly awkward moment where Gibbs confessed that Lala had subtly affected his decision to conduct an interrogation himself – which didn’t go as planned.

Despite these positive developments, Gibbs and Lala will still face challenges in the future. When I asked Mariel Molino about what’s next for their relationship in NCIS: Origins Season 2, she told me:

The central question of whether they’ll get together remains, and that tension will continue to build. Several challenges will test their relationship both at work and in their personal lives, and they’ll heavily influence each other’s choices. They have a lot of respect for one another, which makes them a significant factor in how the other person thinks. Expect things to stay complicated and uneasy, but these issues will be dealt with eventually.

It’s unclear when the suspense will really build, but I’m definitely curious about what’s going to happen with these characters. As we learn from the older Gibbs (narrated by Mark Harmon in Origins), this series tells the story of “her” – Lala – and it’s a story he’s never shared before. Since Lala survived the car accident, what caused such a strained relationship between them? We’re still waiting to find out.

Why Didn’t Lala Tell Gibbs About What Happened With Lara Macy?

At the end of NCIS: Origins Season 1, Lala was driving to tell Gibbs she’d successfully persuaded Lara Macy to stop investigating Gibbs for the death of Pedro Hernandez – the man responsible for the murder of Gibbs’ family. However, a car crash occurred, and fans know from the original NCIS that it would be almost 20 years before Gibbs learned what Macy had done. Now, the question is: why is Lala suddenly silent about her role in preventing Gibbs from being imprisoned? Mariel Molino explained to me:

I believe Gibbs has a strong sense of right and wrong, and Lala might be afraid of how he’d react if he knew the truth. She’s essentially taken the blame for something she didn’t do, and he’d likely be upset to learn that. She probably understands this and doesn’t want to burden him with it. Ultimately, she likely feels it’s best to leave the past alone.

Things are already strained between Lala and Gibbs, so Molino thinks it’s a bad time for Lala to tell Gibbs about what happened with Macy. Gibbs already knows Macy covered for him in an old NCIS episode – one that actually served as the first episode of NCIS: Los Angeles. Lala wasn’t involved then, as she hadn’t joined the show yet. But it does make you wonder if Gibbs ever found out about Lala’s part in it too.

Find out what happens next with Gibbs and Lala as new episodes of NCIS: Origins air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on CBS. If you miss the live broadcast, you can stream the episodes on Paramount+.

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2025-10-22 05:09