Often times we come across a new series and all we can do is pine for a romance to kick off between two fan-favorite characters. The first season of NCIS: Origins offered that with a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and his confidante, Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino). While the first season ended on a potentially sad note, with a shocking scene of Lala bleeding out in an overturned car, there are hopes that the romance between the pair might ultimately kick off in Season 2. NCIS: Origins has already been renewed for a second season by CBS and given that the romance between the pair has been teased on several occasions, will we finally see the fuse spark in Season 2?
Molino discussed her hopes for a romance between the two principal leads of the show in an interview with Deadline at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival. Despite all their steamy teases, Lala and Gibbs are yet to kiss, and Molina expressed her desire to see something finally happen between Gibbs and her character, should Lala survive the Season 1 cliffhanger scene, which saw her involved in a car accident. Molino’s comments read:
“If she is [alive], I hope that finally something happens with Lala and Gibbs. You know what I mean, come on, either kiss me or don’t.”
Given how seriously injured Lala was in the Season 1 finale, there is a chance that the character does not survive. The fact that Lala is a name that had not come up in the NCIS franchise until the prequel series also gives room for worry. In a previous interview, Molino had also cast some doubt on her return, where the actress highlighted that we’ve seen “franchises kill major characters” in the past. The actress goes on to add, “Whether they do or not, I think that whatever happens, we know for sure that this event, whether it’s a death or not, has had an incredible impact on Gibbs as a character.”
Austin Stowell Has Stepped Into an Iconic Role in ‘NCIS: Origins’
NCIS: Origins chronicles the life of Leroy Jethro Gibbs as a young agent who begins his career in the Naval Investigative Service that operates out of Camp Pendleton. In the flagship series, the character is portrayed by Mark Harmon and over the course of its exceptionally long run, Harmon’s Gibbs curated several memories for audiences to cherish. In the same conversation with Deadline, Stowell admitted that stepping into the shoes of such an iconic character remains nerve-wracking, but he’s fine with that. His comments read:
“I was scared for so many reasons. There were just so many first times. For me, it was the first time doing a network TV show, first time playing a character that had already been portrayed before me, first time to be number one on a call sheet. I’m someone who likes pressure; I like to be put in that situation. I want the ball in my hands at the bottom of the ninth. I feel like I do thrive in that situation. But I don’t think I’ll ever quite get comfortable because, at the end of the day, Gibbs will always be Mark Harmon’s character, and I’m playing the younger version of that.”
You can watch NCIS: Origins Season 1 now on Paramount+. Tune in to CBS this Fall to see what happens in NCIS: Origins Season 2.
