NCIS: Origins‘ season 2 fall finale pulled out all the stops with a massive cliffhanger featuring a deadly explosion — and a main character’s surprise wedding.
During the Tuesday, December 9, episode of the hit CBS series, a scene at the end of the episode showed someone Franks (Kyle Schmid) crossed paths with go into a movie theater. The man exited the establishment moments before a bomb went off.
The prequel series also touched on Gibbs (Austin Stowell) questioning his future with Diane (Kathleen Kenny) after she got an offer to work in Los Angeles. He remained unsure about whether they could make things work but ultimately he told Diane he wanted to give it a try.
As the episode came to an end, Gibbs and Diane got drunk, which led to them eloping in Las Vegas. This will likely come as a shock to fans who were rooting for Gibbs and his coworker Lala (Mariel Molino) to make their relationship work.
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Despite the obvious chemistry between the coworkers, fans who are familiar with Mark Harmon’s version of Gibbs from the original NCIS are aware he had a total of four wives — Shannon, Diane, Rebecca and Stephanie — and the prequel planned to stick to canon.
“We always approach these things — as they seem like huge challenges — how we’re going to write that into the tapestry of our story,” creator Gina Lucita Monreal told Us Weekly in April. “But it always ends up being a plus somehow in the end figuring out how to weave these stories together. So we’re really excited to delve into this one as well.”
Molino, 32, meanwhile, recently teased how Gibbs and Lala’s relationship could continue to be explored despite him meeting his next wife.
“Even though we can’t play out this love, we can play out the subtleties of wanting someone and how that affects you in every aspect of your life, through work, in your career [and] in your personal life,” Molino shared with Us in October. “You just want to prove them wrong or make them proud.”
She continued: “The writers are doing the best possible scenario of this and our relationship. … As much as he has incredible feelings for Lala, he’s trying to protect his heart from the thought of losing her again. It’s [him] just not wanting to open up his heart again just to have it ripped out again.”
When season 1 originally premiered in November 2024, Stowell, 40, spoke to Us about the chances of the fan-favorite couple finding their way to each other.
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“At this point, we’re still just months after Gibbs lost his wife and child. Even if those emotions are creeping in, he probably is quieting them and feeling as if he shouldn’t have those feelings,” Stowell explained at the time. “If his wife and daughter were still alive, he would be with them. It is only because of their death — their murder — that he blames himself for that he’s even in the position and interacting with the people he’s with.”
The actor pointed out how “cognizant” Gibbs and Lala are about the obstacles standing in the way of a potential romance.
“The turmoil that probably causes him [is obvious]. [This week’s] episode was a great example of that, where you see Gibbs and Lala physically getting intimate for the first time and having to work together,” he continued. “That’s where their bond is created. When you go through experiences with another person — particularly ones where you have to overcome a certain endeavor and succeed — that can be a real bonding memory for the two of you. That event can be the catalyst for something more.”
NCIS: Origins returns Tuesday, February 24, to CBS at 9 p.m. ET.
