Is Lala Dominguez Dead On NCIS: Origins? Here's What We Know

The "NCIS" universe boasts plenty of characters with a special connection to Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon, Austin Stowell), but Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) occupies a special place in his heart. "NCIS: Origins" teases some romance between the pair, and Lala goes above and beyond to prove that she cares about his well-being — and freedom. That said, the sparks between the pair might no longer fly moving forward, as there is a good chance that Lala is dead following the "NCIS: Origins" season 1 finale.

"NCIS: Origins" takes place in the aftermath of the death of Gibbs' wife and daughter, and it follows the agent as he sets out to take revenge against their killer, Pablo Hernandez (George Paez). His actions have ramifications, though, as the first season's final episode finds the agent under investigation for shooting the cartel boss. Gibbs is the one responsible for pulling the trigger on his family's assailant, and Lala goes out of her way to protect him, as she believes the killing was justified. Unfortunately, it's also the reason why she might be a goner heading into "NCIS" season 2. With that in mind, let's revisit the season 1 finale and find out whether Lala is still alive.

"NCIS" season 6 reveals that Leroy Jethro Gibbs has an uneasy relationship with Lara Macy (Louise Lombard), a high-ranking agent who helped cover up the aforementioned shooting incident. "NCIS: Origins" delves into the storyline in greater detail, with a younger, ambitious Macy (Claire Berger) out to prove that Gibbs is a killer and ensure justice is served. With Gibbs being a noble man, however, he eventually comes clean, but Lala uses her friendship with Macy to get her to drop the case.

Still, let's not forget that this is an "NCIS" show we are talking about — where high-stakes drama is the order of the day. After her meeting with Macy, Lala heads off to tell Gibbs the good news, only to flip her jeep to avoid hitting a kid who is crossing the road to get her dog. The season, in turn, concludes on an almighty cliffhanger, with all of the signs pointing toward a cruel twist of fate for Gibbs' most loyal ally.

The episode also ends with older Gibbs' narration explaining that he still loves Lala, and he never tells this story because it hurts too much. This explains why Lala isn't mentioned in the main "NCIS" series, and it suggests that she died following the crash.

Lala Dominguez wasn't mentioned in the main "NCIS" series before Mark Harmon's exit in season 19, meaning that the character was probably imagined for the prequel. "NCIS: Origins" does a great job at making her a significant part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' backstory, but is she a sad footnote in the grand scheme? It remains to be seen whether she survives the crash, but Gibbs' self-admitted reluctance to talk about her throughout the years has tragic connotations.

Of course, the show's creators are keeping their cards close to the vest in regard to Lala's fate. While speaking to TVLine, co-showrunner David J. North revealed that "NCIS: Origins" will take big risks and throw unexpected surprises into the works, suggesting that killing off main characters is possible. Be that as it may, his comments about Lala's accident are open to interpretation:

"I won't officially say that Lala is dead, but certainly we went into this saying that we needed to give ourselves the wiggle room to take these big swings and do what we felt was right."

The only way to find out what happened to Lala is to tune into "NCIS: Origins" season 2. However, it's worth noting that Mariel Molino was spotted at a CBS launch party earlier this year, possibly in relation to the procedural's upcoming new episodes. At the same time, it could have been a simple case of an actor, who has a positive relationship with the network, attending a party.