The Season 1 finale of NCIS: Origins hit us as hard as Lala’s (Mariel Molino) vehicle did when it flipped, crashed and burned in the closing scenes. NCIS’s first-ever prequel spin-off follows the younger version of Agent Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell here, but more popularly recognized through Mark Harmon. By the end of the season, the main ongoing Sandman case has been solved and Gibbs escapes the ramifications of his vengeful past, but there are still questions left unanswered. With Origins Season 2 already being confirmed, these are some of the major questions that’ll play on our minds until the team at NIS grace our screens again.
Does Lala Survive the Car Crash in the ‘NCIS: Origins’ Finale?
The most pressing question we have after Origins’ season finale cliffhanger is whether Lala survives the car accident. In the finale, Lala saves Gibbs from being prosecuted for the murder of Pedro Hernandez, the guy who killed his wife and daughter. She confronts her friend who is investigating the case, and pleads with her to drop it, eventually implicating herself in the crime to force her hand. After this success, the next time we see Lala is in the closing scenes, where a little girl runs out onto the road in the dark and Lala swerves to avoid hitting her, leading to the shocking crash that leaves Lala unconscious, hanging upside down by her seat belt, bloody.
Season 2 of Origins is undoubtedly going to have to address what happened to Lala, whether she even survives, is in a coma, paralyzed, or whatever the writers have cooked up for us. An NIS agent that is fatally injured will naturally affect what the team is going to look like next season, but Lala’s interactions before the accident leave a lot of bad blood to return to. Her tensions with Franks (Kyle Schmid) hit a boiling point when they argued in Mexico, as Franks accused her of betraying Gibbs, while she lashed out at Gibbs after they kissed, and he confessed to making a decision that impacted all of them without their input. So, how would her survival or death impact them, with those potentially being the final conversations they have?
Why Can’t Gibbs Tell the Story of Lala in ‘NCIS: Origins’?
Harmon’s bookend narrations have frequently reminded us that this is a story that Gibbs doesn’t tell, and that the story is actually about Lala, not himself. Yet, this season of the show has only really scratched the surface of what he means about this. The structure of the season, especially with the supporting character-centric episodes, hasn’t quite fleshed out the impact that Lala would have on Gibbs. So far, their stories have been running concurrently, with Gibbs dealing with his PTSD and Lala facing the throes of being a woman in a male-dominated workplace. The finale delivers a more substantial connection between them, as they kiss and Lala prevents Gibbs from being prosecuted, but this doesn’t seem like a heavy enough impact to warrant never telling this story.
As such, the questions we had at the very start of the season are still applicable at the end: why is Lala a story that Gibbs doesn’t tell? Perhaps the accident after she just saved him made him feel even more guilty about his actions. Or, if she survives, more likely there is more to the story. Their relationship dynamics are also about to become even more intriguing as the younger version of Diane (Claire Berger), Gibbs’ future ex-wife, is introduced to the series right after Harmon’s narrated confession about loving Lala. We’ve only reached the tip of the iceberg and are still waiting for some revelation that will shake us to our core, so hopefully Season 2 will make Gibbs’ reservations around this story make sense.
Why Does Franks’ Brother Call in the ‘NCIS: Origins’ Finale?
Meanwhile, Franks is going through his own family-related issues, ones that we certainly did not expect. During his character-centric episode, Origins fleshed out the leader’s past, including his close relationship with his brother and how they were drafted to Vietnam together. However, instead of fighting in the Army, they joined the Marines. We also witness how Franks’ life fell apart once he returned, but his brother has not been seen or mentioned since then. Many viewers could have assumed that he died during the war, but a phone call in the finale confirmed that his brother was alive and well, simply estranged.
For someone that Franks so ardently admired when he was younger, it was strange that Franks never addressed what happened to his brother at all. But the phone call, where his brother says they need to talk about Vietnam, suggests something significant occurred that tore these two apart. Now that Tish (Tonantzin Carmelo) has left Franks, his brother is essentially the only family he has remaining, hinting that he may be a huge part of the next season, particularly in Franks’ storyline.
Will the NIS Team Stay Together in ‘NCIS: Origins’ Season 2?
Unfortunately, there is no doubt that the NIS team going into next season will look very different to the one we have gotten used to. Each member of the team is currently being pulled in different directions: Gibbs meeting Diane, Lala’s accident, Franks’ blast from the past, and Randy (Caleb Foote) wanting a desk job. Their relationships have also been extensively tested throughout the season, particularly during the finale where their investigation in Mexico became a turning point. Randy was confronted by the experience of being held at gunpoint; Franks and Lala were at each other’s throats due to insurmountable differences; and Gibbs was in a hole of tremendous guilt. Even if they recover and are able to stay together, the atmosphere and dynamics are certainly going to be impacted. But the question is, how? With every character on the cusp or in the midst of a life-changing event, we have no idea what the team will look like in the second season.
