Since the announcement that NCIS: Origins would take place when Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) joined NIS, fans have been excited to see what aspects of Gibbs’ history would be uncovered. Very little was known about Gibbs and his personal life for the first three seasons of NCIS. It wasn’t until the Season 3 two-part finale that we learned that Gibbs had a wife and daughter who were tragically murdered. When Gibbs was on duty as a Marine in Desert Storm, his wife, Shannon (Dani J. Scott) was an eyewitness to a Marine’s murder. She and Kelly (Adele Abinante), their daughter, were put under witness protection by NIS Special Agent Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) but were assassinated by Pedro Hernandez, the drug dealer who killed the Marine Shannon saw.
After seeing Gibbs’ grief, Franks offered Gibbs the opportunity to join NIS as a way to help the lives of other Marines and give their families justice. The first several episodes show Gibbs haunted by the tragic losses in his life, while also presenting signs that he’s moving forward through the pain. While Mark Harmon’s Gibbs is much chipper by the NCIS series premiere, he has a dark secret that he seemingly keeps to himself — a moment he crossed a major line in his pursuit of justice. This significant scene is quickly shown in NCIS, but the end of NCIS: Origins Episode 9, “Vivo o Muerto,” takes the time to recreate and expand upon this life-changing event.
‘NCIS: Origins’ Episode 9 Sees Gibbs Take Revenge on His Family’s Killer
NCIS: Origins Episode 9 follows Gibbs and Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) traveling south of the border to find a missing woman. They soon discover that their case is tied to a human trafficking ring led by the Reynosa cartel, with Hernandez as the head of the operation. NCIS: Origins has shown insightful flashbacks to when Gibbs learns the news of Shannon and Kelly’s deaths, as well as the investigation. Although NIS knew Hernandez was responsible for the murder, they couldn’t arrest him since he fled outside their jurisdiction to Mexico. But with Gibbs being that much closer to his family’s killer in NCIS: Origins, the suspense of the episode is kicked up a notch.
After Franks, Gibbs, and Lala take down part of the human trafficking ring, Lala questions one of Hernandez’s henchmen about their leader’s whereabouts. In a surprising reveal, Lala shares that Hernandez was murdered six months ago by a sniper, but the cartel kept it hidden so they wouldn’t look weak. NCIS: Origins Episode 9 ends with a flashback to six months ago with Gibbs using the information he’s gathered on Hernandez to find out where he’s holed up in Mexico. With NIS unable to apprehend Hernandez, Gibbs takes matters into his own hands and uses his Marine sniper experience to kill Hernandez. The scene is an accurate portrayal of how it was presented in NCIS, right down to the appearance of the building Hernandez comes out of. This reveal coming so soon in this series is an interesting development that is sure to create some tension for the rest of NCIS: Origins’ first season.
How Will Gibbs’ Crime Affect His Relationship With Lala in ‘NCIS: Origins’?
The tension between Gibbs and Lala has been both fiery and sexual in NCIS: Origins. While it’s way too soon for the two to develop a romantic connection, it’s clear that they have a deep bond that is more than just coworkers. This is further developed in “Vivo o Muerto,” as Lala reveals to Gibbs she’s been traveling to Mexico at least once a month to track down Hernandez and legally bring him to justice. Lala feels like she failed Gibbs and his family, so she intensely promises him that she’ll avenge Shannon and Kelly. It’s a sweet moment between Gibbs and Lala that is quickly dismissed when the cartel shoots their hotel room to get them off the trafficking case.
However, at the end of NCIS: Origins Episode 9, when Lala informs Gibbs and Franks that Hernandez was murdered by a sniper, Lala gives a suspicious look at Gibbs, suggesting that she knows he was the perpetrator. Gibbs’ criminal act is hidden for a long time in NCIS, so by showing it this early in NCIS: Origins, audiences will get to see how Gibbs seemingly managed to never get caught for Hernandez’s murder. Lala suspecting Gibbs is an exciting but stressful storyline, as Harmon’s Gibbs noted in the NCIS: Origins premiere that Lala’s story haunts him years later.
In the NCIS: Origins two-part series premiere, NIS Agent Vera Strickland (Diany Rodriguez) asks Lala if she thinks Gibbs will get her killed, which she doesn’t directly answer. Gibbs’ narration in NCIS: Origins Episode 1 mentions he’s telling Lala’s story. Now that NIS has made an enemy of the Reynosa cartel after stopping their trafficking ring, Lala being the lead interrogator doesn’t bode well for her. With present-day Gibbs feeling guilty over Lala, a major rift between Gibbs and Lala over Hernandez’s murder or her own death might explain why she’s not featured in NCIS.
NCIS: Origins airs Monday nights on CBS in the U.S., with new episodes available the next day on Paramount+.