Origins struggles to justify Gibbs and Lala's romance

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 undermine his tragedy. Still, episode 9's case brings the agents closer together as they search for a missing Navy paramedic 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 is related 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 the deaths of Shannon and Kelly. The connection brings up emotions about Pedro Hernandez for both parties, revealing more about Molino's character. While Franks (Kyle Schmid), Gibbs and Lala successfully dismantled the human trafficking ringThe loose end of the case will pose challenges for a potential romance in the future. NCIS: Origins history.

NCIS: Origins linking Lala to Gibbs' tragic case establish a strong connection between them

Should Gibbs and Lala be together?

Lala's connection to the Shannon and Kelly murder case establishes a strong bond between the agents, but if Gibbs and Lala should be 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, enchanting its viewers with an ancient love story. On the other hand, a romance for Gibbs six months after his wife's death could cheapen the agent's fightsuggesting he can get over Shannon's brutal murder by distracting himself with another romantic connection.

NCIS: Origins justifies a romance for Gibbs, giving him the only person who feels the tragedy as deeply as he does. Lala is the only person who can understand what the agent is going through, especially at this stage of life. Yet, NCIS: Origins should hold off on greenlighting Gibbs and Lala's romanceeven if it sacrifices a love story for the series. Instead of, NCIS: Origins should establish a romance outside of the central narrative of Gibbs and his tragedy, allowing viewers to experience the joy of a blossoming romance alongside Gibbs' previous stories without conflicting feelings.

NCIS: Origins Episode 9 Reveals Lala's Connection to Gibbs and Pedro Hernandez Explained

Lala is hunting Pedro Hernandez

Agent Dominguez reveals to Gibbs how much she cares about his case in Mexico. Lala tells Gibbs that she is personally hunting down his wife and daughter's killertraveling to Tijuana every month in search of Pedro Hernandez. Gibbs doesn't get a chance to respond because the Reynosa cartel sends a swarm of bullets through the hotel room wall a moment later. However, it must move Gibbs to know that someone on his team cares so deeply about the case, strengthening Lala's bond with Gibbs'. NCIS: Origins history. Still, the show must sell Gibbs' tragedy by delaying their romance.