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The first season of NCIS: Origins ended in a literal fashion. "The First Day," the season finale, threw viewers into a whirlpool of emotions in addition to marking the end of the season. This episode left more questions than answers with its sudden car crash, terrifying confession, and heartbreaking ending.
For fans who've watched young Leroy Jethro Gibbs navigate his early NCIS days, the finale offered a glimpse into the emotional scars that ultimately inform his toughened-up future. But it's no longer all about Gibbs. Special Agent "Lala" Dominguez stole the spotlight in those final scenes—and it wasn't at all predictable.
Lala's Confession in NCIS: Origins: A shocking twist in her narrative
The most dramatic of all these moments is probably when Lala Dominguez, the tough and hard-charging special agent, dramatically tells her boss, Lara Macy, that she helped Gibbs cover up Pedro Hernandez's death.
In a moment of weakness, Lala admits to helping Gibbs kill Hernandez, a pivotal action within the overall NCIS narrative. This revelation is huge because Pedro Hernandez's passing played a central part in establishing the circumstances that went on to shape Gibbs' stoic and tough personality, visible in the later NCIS series.
Lala's confession is not just a question of allegiance–there is depth to it. It suggests a deeper, more intimate connection between her and Gibbs. Lala's been portrayed throughout the majority of the season as this gruff, reliable presence, but with this news, she gets added depth. She's not just this stickler-for-the-rules agent; she's a woman who has made a significant moral concession for a person that she believes in.
This plot development brings her story into direct contact with Gibbs' past, how his decisions—and the people around him—still control him emotionally and morally. Lala's gesture of saving Gibbs also provides depth to her character emotionally, and she becomes a whole lot more than a mere supporting character. She is now included in Gibbs' history, and this turn changes the path of her character.
The unanticipated car crash in NCIS: Origins: A touching cliffhanger
Things are finally moving towards a closure, and tragedy strikes. Lala, clearly traumatized during her confession, chooses to address Gibbs directly. But she never gets the opportunity, as her car slides off the road while attempting not to run over a child. The crash is abrupt, violent, and chilling, keeping viewers in suspense.
The camera goes out of focus to black as Gibbs reaches the wreckage, but we never find out what happens following the collision. The silence that ensues is ear-shattering—is Lala still alive, or was she killed in a tragic accident? The car accident is a dramatic moment and the season cliffhanger. Lala's fate hangs in the balance, and this is what makes it so powerful. It's obvious the accident wasn't merely a random plot twist—it carries symbolic meaning.
If Lala is killed, it will be the first genuine emotional loss of Gibbs on television, a pivotal moment in his character development. He’s already experienced loss in his past, but this would be his first personal loss that we’ve witnessed as an audience. The fact that Lala's fate is unknown causes an enormous amount of emotional tension. Gibbs' reaction to this incident will probably set the tone for much of his emotional arc in seasons to come.
Will he be able to cope with the loss of someone so close to him? Or will it make him even more shut down and emotionally closed off? Only time will tell, but the car accident is a turning point in setting Gibbs' future—and the future of NCIS: Origins.
Gibbs' emotional journey in NCIS: Origins: A turning point in his development
Although the future of Lala remains uncertain, the crash and the events which led to it represent a true turning point for Gibbs' emotional growth. As we've been shown throughout the season, this is a hard-nosed agent who keeps things close to his chest. Yet the crash opens up a side of Gibbs which we've yet to see—a vulnerable side. If Lala meets her death in the accident, this loss will likely be Gibbs' first real emotional heartbreak on television.
As a field agent, Gibbs has had his fair share of rough times, but losing a person close to him will certainly hit him harder than anything else. It's the kind of trauma that can shape his philosophy of life and further validate the emotional armor that he possesses in the NCIS series. Gibbs' tough exterior in subsequent seasons may directly be the result of the scars he has from this original loss.
On the other hand, if Lala survives, it could give Gibbs a different kind of emotional experience. That he cared so much emotionally about what happened to Lala is proof that personal relationships are something that he is still struggling to keep in check. If she does survive, their romance could complicate things, and Gibbs will need to deal with his vulnerability as well as his inability to form strong emotional relationships.
Either way, the emotional tension regarding Lala's fate is guaranteed to impact Gibbs on profound levels. The show has cleverly set the stage for Gibbs' future development, and this episode is a turning point in his journey.
The questions that still loom
Season 1 finale of NCIS: Origins didn't provide fans with all the answers they were hungry for—rather, it left us with a maelstrom of unanswered questions. Will Lala make it out of the crash alive, or is her demise a done deal? How will Gibbs handle his first real emotional loss? And most importantly, how will these experiences shape the man Gibbs turns out to be in the original NCIS series?
As we await Season 2, the cliffhanger and emotional complexity of the finale have given us a thrilling ride for the characters, especially Gibbs and Lala. The season finale did not provide us with closure, but it has set the foundation for some thrilling and tear-jerking plot turns in future episodes.
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Also read: NCIS & NCIS: Origins will not air this week: Possible reason and new premiere dates, revealed
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