NCIS: Origins Season 1 Ending Explained: Gibbs’ Future Begins & A Final Twist Leaves Lala’s Fate Hanging md24

NCIS: Origins season 1 has finally ended, and the finale was filled with exciting moments. The NCIS spinoff is the first of its kind as a prequel and NCIS: Origins season 1 has delivered fantastic moments centered on the NIS team. While the prequel’s premise was originally about following Gibbs’ life following the loss of his family, NCIS: Origins has expanded beautifully to feature the backstories of all of Gibbs’ colleagues.

Expanding NCIS: Origins into more of a drama rather than a typical police procedural means that the show has been able to feature deeper storylines than usual. The NCIS: Origins characters are particularly intriguing and unique with their own dilemmas, which were only highlighted in the season finale. While Gibbs is the star of the show, NCIS: Origins has been known for centering storylines on other characters and nothing showed that better than the intersection of everyone’s lives in the finale.

Jackson Gibbs Returns

The Gibbs Men Reunite

Credit: Custom Image by Ana Dumaraog

The finale saw the return of Jackson Gibbs, Leroy Gibbs’ father, and it was a heartwarming moment. The last time Jackson appeared on NCIS: Origins, he and Gibbs got into an argument as the older Gibbs wanted his son to move back home. His return means that he and Gibbs are back on good terms, but it won’t be long before they argue again.

During their reunion, Jackson encourages Gibbs to organize a funeral for Shannon and Kelly and help him come to terms with their deaths. He even helps Gibbs sell his family home. Their reunion is great, but NCIS canon reveals that the pair won’t speak for several years following the funeral, which means it is only a matter of time before their connection is broken again.

How Lara Macy Is Connected To Lala & Pedro Hernandez’s Case

Macy Investigates The Pedro Hernandez Case

Lara Macy returns to NCIS as a young military police officer investigating the murder of Pedro Hernandez. NCIS: Origins also reveals that she and Lala are friends who help each other out with cases and tips. When Macy appears in NCIS: Origins, she reaches out to Lala first, hoping to get her to help with Macy’s investigation into Gibbs’ involvement.

A centerpiece of the NCIS: Origins finale is the friendship between Macy and Lala. Their relationship is what introduces her investigation into Gibbs, and it is also what ends it. While Macy is introduced in NCIS: Origins for the first time in the finale, her appearance has to do with a phone call she overhears from Gibbs near the start of the season.

Gibbs Is Ready To Sacrifice Himself To Macy (But Lala Saves Him)

Gibbs Turns Over His Rifle

One of the most exciting moments of the episode is when Gibbs decides to give in to Macy’s investigation and turns over his rifle, which doubles as Pedro Hernandez’s murder weapon. Previously, Macy pushes him to reveal the location of his gun, to which Gibbs responds that it was stolen. It seems like Gibbs will continue to insist on his innocence, but he soon gives her his rifle and admits he shot Hernandez.

It seems to be the end for Gibbs, but Lala steps in and goes to Macy’s house to take the gun back. Things get messy when Macy pulls a gun on her friend and tells her to put the weapon down. However, Lala’s emotional appeal that she could be tied to the murder in several ways and that arresting Gibbs would ruin her life too, eventually encourages Macy to drop the investigation, saving him from a life in prison.

Gibbs & Lala Share An Intimate Moment, But It’s Cut Short

The Moment Could Have Expanded But Gibbs Ruins It

The NCIS: Origins finale finally saw the culmination of the tension that Gibbs and Lala had built up during the season. Gibbs finds Lala swimming in her neighbor’s pool and when Lala insists that Gibbs meet her back at her place, he instead jumps in the pool too. As they swim close to one another, they pause for a moment and share an intimate moment where they almost kiss before Gibbs speaks and ruins the moment.

Gibbs tells Lala that he turned over the murder weapon, much to her shock. For most of the episode, Gibbs, Franks, and Lala work together to overcome Macy’s investigation. However, Gibbs’ reveal that he turned over his rifle makes Lala see that Gibbs is just like Franks. He acts for himself and does not realize this is a team effort that affects anyone. She leaves the pool quickly after.

Gibbs Meets Diane Sterling

Diane Sterling Is Gibbs’ Second Wife

The NCIS: Origins finale has one piece of great news, and it is that Gibbs meets his second wife, and eventual long-time friend, Diane Sterling. Diane was a significant character in NCIS, appearing several times over the years as both Gibbs’ and Tobias’ ex-wife. She was also an interesting character who clearly meant a lot to Gibbs, even if they did not always get along.

When Diane appears in NCIS: Origins, she is the real estate agent selling Gibbs’ family home. The location of their meeting is perfect because it signifies the closing of one chapter and the opening of another one. It is also amusing that Diane looks almost exactly like Shannon, which probably makes her the perfect partner for Gibbs since she looks so familiar already.

Lala Gets Into A Car Crash

Lala’s Fate Is Open For Interpretation

The worst part of the NCIS: Origins finale is its final moment, which sees Lala get into a horrible car crash in order to avoid crashing into a little girl who had run into the street. Gibbs’ narration ties the finale back to the first episode which revealed NCIS: Origins was Lala’s story. This adds some dark uncertainty to Lala’s fate.

However, it is still possible that Lala is alive. The announcement that NCIS: Origins season 2 will happen, as well as the ambiguity about whether Lala is dead or just heavily injured, also adds some room for interpretation. In any case, Lala’s story is not done yet because her story is directly tied to the NIS team, which means there is still more to say.

How NCIS: Origins Season 1 Finale Sets Up Season 2

The Finale Opened Up Several Storylines

The NCIS: Origins finale ended with a few unfinished storylines. Throughout the episode, Franks receives several calls with no answer on the other line until a mysterious voice reveals that he is his brother, and he wants to talk about Vietnam. NCIS: Origins episode 11 revealed the brothers’ childhood before they got drafted to the war.

The finale also saw Randy questioning his place on the NIS team and speaking with a superior officer about moving to a desk job, which may have ultimately hurt his career. The conversation is cut short, but it is clear that Randy’s stress is getting to him. Randy’s uncertainty, Lala’s injury, and possible death, and the arrival of Franks’ brother mean that NCIS: Origins season 2 will be significantly different, but here’s hoping this is all for the best.