‘NCIS: Origins’: Mariel Molino Breaks Down Lala & Gibbs’ Major Romantic Moment

NCIS: Origins takes its will-they/won’t-they couple and pretty much just drops them in the middle of a rom-com in the final moments of the Season 2 finale. TV Insider spoke with Mariel Molino about that and much more. Warning: Spoilers for the NCIS: Origins Season 2 finale ahead!

From the first episode of the NCIS prequel, it has been clear there’s chemistry and something between Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Lala (Molino). But we also know canon, and Gibbs (Mark Harmon) never mentioned Lala. This is “the story of her,” the one he doesn’t tell, so anything could have happened. On Origins, they nearly kissed in the Season 1 finale, then in Lala’s dream earlier this season. But in the Season 2 finale, it finally happens, after Gibbs chases after Lala as she’s planning to leave NIS (now NCIS) and go join Manny (Miguel Gomez) in a small town. “I wanted you to ask me to stay,” she tells him. He does. With that, as “I Will Always Love You” plays, they kiss.