“Don’t want to lose anybody” – NCIS: Origins cast address Lala’s fate after Season 1 cliffhanger

NCIS: Origins may have closed up on its first season, but it sure did leave fans with a major punch in the gut – along with a bagful of burning questions.

As Lala Dominguez’s car hung upside down in an accident, while she bled, fans were forced to believe and think of the possibility that Lala has exited the show for good.

Mariel Molino, the actor who plays her, says,

“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, who plays Gibbs, says,

“I don’t want to lose anybody.”

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An NCIS: Origins cliffhanger drenched in dread - and legacy

What makes NCIS: Origins different from the larger NCIS franchise and shows, is its choices to always deliver emotional deepness to a character that the fans have known for decades.

And nothing underscores that ambition more than the Season 1 finale/cliffhanger. Lala, a character who wasn’t even talked about in the original show, now comes off as a major character for Gibb’s character development – or a tragic catalyst that perhaps changes him forever.

David J. North and Lucita Monreal, the showrunners, still remain unsure about Lala’s fate after the Season 1 finale of NCIS: Origins.

Monreal says,

“We need you to come back for Season 2 and find out...”

David J. North notes,

“I’ve been waiting for Gina to tell me...”

Both Molino and Stowell also give fans the honesty that they so desperately crave for.

Molino says,

“In the past, the franchise hasn’t been scared for taking risks…all I can say is that you have to tune into season 2 to see what happens.”

Meanwhile, Stowell does not hold off from potentials regarding Lala’s character in Season 2. He says,

“There’s obviously a world where [Lala dying] makes sense…But selfishly, as an actor, I hope and pray that [Mariel] stays right where she is…We are incredibly blessed to have the family that we do here on set…We have become friends, and I don’t want to lose anybody [even though] I know that it makes great drama…”

It's rare to see cast members speak so candidly and openly about the love and friendship they share with each other – about their hopes for the future regarding each other’s characters and a plotline that fans seem to be the most hopeful for.

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The emotional aftermath hinted, but not yet seen

NCIS: Origins took on a huge swing by placing the core of the Season 1 finale not on a sequence filled with action, but rather on a scene filled with emotionality surrounding a fan-favourite character.

Lala wasn’t just going to meet Gibbs – she was on her way to confess her love to him.

Molino says,

“She was going to go and tell him that he is free and that he’ll be okay…and that she loves him and she’ll do anything for him.”

The tragedy is, of course, that Gibbs may never ever get to see her again, let alone hear these words coming out of her mouth.

If at all she does die, it would be one of the most heartbreaking moments for fans who have come to know and love the character. However, NCIS: Origins isn’t just bringing grief onto the table; it’s trying to give a background check for why Gibbs is the emotionally ever-guarded man that he is further on in the show.

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NCIS: Origins has boldly rewritten the DNA of its main character, and Lala’s fate is what actually holds that evolution to his character arc.

Whether she survives or not, the show has already succeeded in making her out to be an unforgettable character. However, her fate is left to be seen in Season 2.

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