‘NCIS: Origins’ star hints at potential ‘tragic ending’ for Lala and Gibbs
Gibbs and Lala finally crossed a line in the 'NCIS: Origins' Season 2 finale, but the larger 'NCIS' timeline suggests their romance will eventually come to an end. The CBS prequel ended Season 2 with Leroy Jethro Gibbs kissing Lala Dominguez. The moment confirmed the romantic tension that had been building between them, but it also created a bigger mystery for longtime fans. If Lala was this important to Gibbs, something serious must have happened for him to never mention her in the original 'NCIS' timeline.
That is also the question Molino addressed in an interview with TV Insider. The actor said there are only a few realistic ways she can see Gibbs and Lala's story ending, "There's only a couple outcomes that I see that could be realistic," Molino said. "I think there's a possibility that there was some sort of betrayal on either Gibbs' end or Lala's." She then added another possibility, saying, "I also think there's potential for a very tragic ending, and that could be the reason that Gibbs has never talked about Lala."
'NCIS: Origins' follows Gibbs during his early days at NIS, the agency that later becomes NCIS. Stowell plays the younger Gibbs, while Mark Harmon, who played the character for years on 'NCIS,' narrates the prequel and appears in the present-day Alaska timeline. Lala, however, was never mentioned among Gibbs' ex-wives that viewers learned about in the original series. That absence is why her relationship with Gibbs now feels less like a simple romance and more like the start of an unresolved chapter. The Season 2 finale leaned into that mystery through Gibbs' voiceover. Near the end of the episode, he said, "I was going to walk out the door like the story of her never happened," then went to Lala and kissed her. The line appears to connect back to the phrase "the story of her," which has been one of the central mysteries surrounding the prequel from the beginning. While the finale did not confirm that Lala is the "her" in question, the timing of the line made her role in Gibbs' past even harder to ignore.
Executive producer Gina Lucita Monreal also told TV Insider that the line was added late in the editing process. She said it was not in the script or the episode until the final day of editing, after an assistant editor felt the moment connected back to "the story of her." Monreal also stated that she then realized the phrase needed to be included in the scene. Executive producer David J. North did not confirm whether the phrase refers to Gibbs and Lala's relationship or something else the show plans to reveal. However, Molino's comments suggest that something significant would have to happen between Gibbs and Lala for this story to become such an important part of his past.
She told TV Insider that something "pretty pivotal" would have to happen in both their lives for Lala to become such a defining part of his backstory. In her view, it cannot simply be a case of two people falling out of touch. That leaves betrayal or tragedy as possible explanations for Lala's absence in Gibbs' future. The actor also said she would like to see one very different outcome, even if it may not be the most likely path. Molino said she would love for Lala to appear with Gibbs in Alaska in the present-day timeline. "That would be a very beautiful, romantic ending to the saga of Gibbs," she said. As of now, the show has not confirmed that Lala is alive in the present or that she will appear alongside older Gibbs. Still, the original 'NCIS' timeline limits where this relationship can go.
That does not necessarily mean the prequel has to kill her off, but it does leave an unresolved question about what happened between them. Molino's comments offer fans possible explanations involving betrayal, tragedy, or both. 'NCIS: Origins' Season 3 is set to air in fall 2026 on CBS. The next season will likely continue exploring the mystery surrounding Gibbs and Lala's relationship and the unanswered question behind "the story of her." For now, the relationship has already been placed under a shadow by what fans know from the original series. Gibbs and Lala may have finally gotten together, but the real mystery is what tears them apart.
