NCIS: Origins episode 9 reveals the truth about Gibbs' involvement in Pedro Hernandez's death, and co-showrunner David J. North reveals what Lala's reaction will be when she finds out. The NCIS universe's very first prequel series tackles Gibbs' earliest years in the agency that he ended up serving for three decades. However, a big part of doing that is revisiting the tragedy of his first wife, Shannon, and daughter, Kelly, who a cartel group leader unfortunately murdered. NCIS: Origins episode 9 finally revealed the fallout from that crime, with the confirmation of additional details of Gibbs' revenge.
On the heels of NCIS: Origins episode 9's massive revelation about Gibbs' killing Pedro as an act of vengeance, North talks to TV Line about what this means for Mike Franks' NIS team in the prequel. He particularly discusses Lala's reaction once she inevitably finds out about what her teammate has done. While she won't judge him for seeing justice his way, the producer emphasizes that "there is a breach of trust there that has to be reckoned with." Read his full quote below:
Lala is dealing with something that’s there that Franks clearly isn’t, which is betrayal, feeling betrayed. Lala is interesting in that, technically, Gibbs committed murder — he murdered the man who murdered his family — but I don’t think Lala judges him for that. But to be on the scene with these dudes, the one thing she needs is trust, and she really put her guard down in that hotel room when she said to Gibbs, in her first emotional moment, “I’m going to get this guy for you.” Gibbs didn’t tell her, “Well, I already got him,” so there is a breach of trust there that has to be reckoned with.
What Gibbs' Secret Means For His Potential Romance With Lala
Lala May Be Forgiving
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It's no secret that the prequel is hinting at an eventual romance between the NIS co-workers. After NCIS: Origins revealed that it's about Lala, it became clear that she would be a vital part of Gibbs' story, even though he has never mentioned her once in the original show. While Mark Harmon's narration does explain that he purposefully never talked about it during his days in Navy Yard, NCIS: Origins still needs to come up with a reason for the reason why, and having a romantic history with her is a good reason.
Admittedly, Lala learning about Gibbs' secret will impact the chances of them getting together. That said, North's comment about her not judging him is a good sign that whatever comes their way when she finally finds out about the truth is a good indication that she will eventually forgive him for not telling her about it. Granted that it might take a while longer to build Lala's trust in Gibbs, but it's safe to say that it will eventually be done. In any case, stretching out this tension between them is a good thing for NCIS: Origins when it comes to keeping its viewers engaged.
Our Take On NCIS: Origins' Revelation About Gibbs' Crime
It's NCIS' Worst-Kept Secret
Fans of the original NCIS already knew about Gibbs' revenge against Pedro and were anxiously waiting for it to happen in the prequel. NCIS: Origins made it seem like the crime was still about to happen, which created some confusion regarding the established canon. That being said, NCIS: Origins episode 9 clarifies the timeline, which allows the spinoff to move forward and focus on the fallout from the crime. It will be interesting, however, if CBS' police procedural offshoot will reveal more details on how Gibbs properly planned the crime, and if he ever had any help carrying it out.
Source: TV Line
