‘NCIS: Origins’ Creators, Mariel Molino Break Down Devastating Finale Cliffhanger: Is a Major Character Dead?

Note: This story contains spoilers from “NCIS: Origins” Episode 18.

“NCIS: Origins” reached a key moment in the franchise’s canon, leaving the fate of one fan-favorite character in limbo for the summer.

The CBS prequel series concluded Season 1 with “Cecilia,” an episode that fittingly put a spotlight on Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez (Mariel Molino) as her friend Lara Macy investigated Gibbs’ (Austin Stowell) involvement in the murder of sniper Pedro Hernandez. The tense investigation pushed the NIS team to its breaking point, which included a screaming match between Lala and Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid).

The tension reached a fever pitch when Lala successfully intimidated Lara into letting go of the investigation, just as she came to terms with being in love with Gibbs. But as she was on her way back to him, present-day Gibb’s (Mark Harmon) narration mirrored that of the series premiere, reminding audiences just how important Lala was to his journey as viewers saw an unconscious and bloody Lala after a gruesome car accident. The episode ended before revealing if the character is alive or dead.

“We knew going into this show that we wanted to take big swings … and there’s more to the story,” series co-creator David J. North told TheWrap. “As for whether Lala is dead, everybody will need to tune in to Season 2.”

“I always knew that Lala had to have a very profound impact on Gibbs in potentially a very profound and sad, heartfelt way,” Molino told TheWrap. “What’s most heartbreaking about that scene is that she never gets to tell Gibbs that she loves him. That’s what she’s on her way to tell him.”

North and co-creator Gina Lucita Monreal praised Molino for their performance throughout the finale, which saw the typically composed Lala start to crack at the thought of Gibbs facing consequences for avenging his family’s murder by killing Pedro Hernandez. As the investigation heated up, a quiet moment at Lala’s saw she and Gibbs almost kiss in the pool — only to be interrupted when Gibbs admits to Lala he gave his rifle to Lara for her investigation.

“It was the most intimate scene we’ve gotten to shoot thus far, before Gibbs screwed it up,” Molino said. “I wanted to have that moment where Lala really surrenders herself to Gibbs and into the fantasy that one day they could be together.”

While Gibbs and Lala’s potential final moment had some steam, her last scene with Franks was a full-blown conflict. With Lara hot on Gibbs’ trail, Franks accused Lala of being Lara’s informant — which she does not take well. Lala yells at Franks and tells him that despite his repeated provocations and animosity toward her, she has always proven herself to be blindly loyal to all the members of the team.

North and Monreal teased that the cliffhanger will send shockwaves across the NIS team — regardless of if Lala lives or dies.

“If this is the end of Lala, we remember the last things we said to people, and then we have to live with that,” North said, noting that despite the finale’s dark turn there will be plenty of light-hearted moments as well.

“You can expect us to dig into all of our characters even more in Season 2, along with more cases of the week,” Monreal told TheWrap, adding that the writers’ room for the new season will not convene for a few weeks so it’s not clear yet if the show will pick up right after Lala’s accident or with a time jump.

Molino said that though she was surprised to see Lala’s potential death happen so soon during the run of “NCIS: Origins,” she was proud to portray the agent as a strong woman willing to lose it all to protect the ones she loves.

“I feel really lucky to have gotten to create a new character in a universe that is so appreciated and loved by so many, and to be welcomed so beautifully has been a gift,” Molino said while speaking about “NCIS” fans.

“NCIS: Origins” Season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+. The show has been renewed for Season 2.

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