The ‘NCIS: Origins’ Finale Will Explain “Why We’d Never Heard of Lala Before”

A young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) has enjoyed one hell of a ride in the first season of NCIS: Origins. There have been obstacles aplenty as the young agent begins his career in the Naval Investigative Service that operates out of Camp Pendleton. The first season of the show, which is a prequel to the long-running crime drama NCIS, concludes today with Season 1, Episode 18, “Cecilia.” Since it chronicles the early days of Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon in the flagship series, a number of key characters from his past have made appearances. One of them is Special Agent Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino), but given her importance to Gibbs, one wonders why she was never mentioned until now.

Throughout the flagship series’ long run, the show has introduced several of Gibbs’ ex-wives, lovers, and partners, but Lala remains missing. Looking ahead to the upcoming season finale, TVLine’s Matt Webb Mitovich reveals that the episode will justify Lala’s absence from Gibbs’ extensive canon in NCIS. Mitovich explains that the point of the series was to help ignite the question of why the audience had never heard of Lala before. His comments read:

“One could argue that since hearing Gibbs’ narration at the end of the very first NCIS: Origins episode – about finally telling “the story of her” – that Season 1’s raison d’être was to raise and fuel the question of why we’d never heard of Lala before. I am happy to report that this Monday’s incredibly powerful finale, at least in my mind, satisfyingly answers that question. In fact, Narrator Gibbs himself pretty much answers it.”

The Lala Mystery Was Not a Coincidence in ‘NCIS: Origins’

Molino’s character, Lala, has proven to be a valuable ally to Gibbs in the first season of NCIS: Origins, both professionally and emotionally. While we wait to fully understand this particular mystery, it is good to know that the show and showrunner, David J. North, were always aware of this particular gap in the story’s plot so far. The decision to let Narrator Gibbs answer the question looks set to help deliver a satisfying explanation to the question of Lala.

Depending on what the Narrator Gibbs offers as an explanation for Lala’s absence from the canon so far, there is the potential for it to set up a future storyline. Whether it does remains to be seen. However, if it does, CBS has already decided before the conclusion of Season 1 that NCIS: Origins had been renewed for Season 2, so that story can be explored. The decision to renew the prequel series is one that showrunner North describes as “a real highlight of my life.” Given the extensive nature of Gibbs’ story on NCIS, there are certainly other threads to pull on in Season 2.