Spoiler Alert for NCIS: Origins season 1, episode 9, "Vivo o Muerto"
NCIS: Origins heats up in episode 9, including the romantic spark between Austin Stowell's Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Mariel Molino's Lala Dominguez. If anything happens between them, it needs to justify their romance since NCIS: Origins revolves around what happened to Gibbs' wife and daughter in NCIS, and a romantic connection with the family patriarch could undercut his tragedy. Still, the case in episode 9 brings the agents closer as they search for a missing Navy corpsman named Dana Rogers (Zoe Sansanowicz), with their lead taking Gibbs and Lala to Tijuana, where they plan to work with a liaison officer.
When Lala and Gibbs arrive in Mexico, their liaison officer reveals that he believes Dana's disappearance connects to a human trafficking ring run by the Reynosa cartel. Pedro Hernandez (George Paez) is one of the two people running the operation, the man responsible for Shannon and Kelly's death. The connection brings emotions about Pedro Hernandez to the surface for both parties, revealing more about Molino's character. While Franks (Kyle Schmid), Gibbs, and Lala successfully bust the human trafficking ring, the case's loose end will pose challenges to a potential romance in the NCIS: Origins story.
NCIS: Origins Tying Lala To Gibbs Tragic Case Establishes A Strong Connection Between Them
Should Gibbs & Lala Get Together?
Lala's connection to Shannon and Kelly's murder case establishes a strong bond between the agents, but whether Gibbs and Lala should get together in NCIS: Origins is up for debate. On the one hand, a romance between Lala and Gibbs in NCIS: Origins would strengthen the series with a romantic connection, enthralling its viewers with an early love story. On the other hand, a romance for Gibbs within six months of his wife dying could cheapen the agent's struggle, suggesting he can move on from Shannon's brutal murder by distracting himself with another romantic connection.
NCIS: Origins justifies a romance for Gibbs by giving him the one person who feels the tragedy as profoundly as he does. Lala is the only person who can understand what the agent is going through, especially at this stage in his life. Still, NCIS: Origins should hold off on giving Gibbs and Lala's romance the greenlight, even if it sacrifices a love story for the series. Instead, NCIS: Origins should establish a romance outside the central narrative of Gibbs and his tragedy, allowing viewers to experience the joy of a blossoming romance alongside Gibbs' prequel stories without conflicting feelings.
NCIS: Origins Episode 9 Reveals Lala’s Connection To Gibbs & Pedro Hernandez Explained
Lala Has Been Hunting Pedro Hernandez
Agent Dominguez reveals to Gibbs how deeply she cares about his case in Mexico. Lala tells Gibbs that she is personally hunting down his wife and daughter's killer, traveling to Tijuana every month looking for Pedro Hernandez. Gibbs doesn't get a chance to respond since the Reynosa cartel sends a swarm of bullets through the hotel room wall a moment later. However, it must touch Gibbs to know someone on his team cares so profoundly about the case, strengthening Lala's tie to Gibbs' NCIS: Origins story. Still, the show must sell Gibbs' tragedy, holding off on their romance.
