Molino’s Debut as Agent Lala: A Game-Changer for Gibbs’ NCIS Story!

According to the initial NCIS: Origins report on Molino’s character, Lala is described as “a former Marine who navigates her 1990s male-dominated field with a steely resolve and a dark sense of humor.” The NCIS franchise has a history of strong and capable female characters, and she will follow in that tradition. However, unlike Caitlin Todd and Ziva David, it has been established from the start that Lala will likely develop a romantic relationship with Gibbs. While the main NCIS series gave Gibbs a few love interests, Lala enters his life at a unique time.

Considering where NCIS: Origins lands in the timeline, it could begin with the death of Shannon and Kelly—Gibbs’ first wife and only daughter. The murder of his family wasn’t revealed until the end of NCIS Season 3, but once it was, it became a crucial part of his character’s development. The challenge for NCIS: Origins is to make Gibbs and Lala’s potential romance compelling enough for viewers to invest in, even though their relationship has no future. However, the show must also be careful not to tarnish Gibbs’ devotion to Shannon.

For what it’s worth, Gibbs did marry three more times after his family’s murder. So seeing him develop feelings for Lala, especially during the most difficult years of his life, doesn’t break NCIS canon. Still, NCIS: Origins should be meticulous in crafting their love story to avoid creating plot inconsistencies that could disrupt the franchise’s established narrative.