NCIS: Origins’ romance between Gibbs and Lala does not hold a candle to the show’s best couple. Since the premiere of the NCIS spinoff, NCIS: Origins has tried setting up a romantic relationship between Gibbs and the mysterious Lala, who appeared for the first time in the NCIS universe in the prequel. While they are great partners, they have some problems that are hard to overlook, which makes other couples glow in comparison.
While the potential for Gibbs and Lala’s romance was on the rise, the reveal that Gibbs killed Hernandez in Mexico prior to joining NIS shot down any prospects for the couple for the foreseeable future. As Gibbs and Lala share trust issues, it is hard not to compare them to the stability of Franks and Tish’s loving partnership. The NCIS: Origins characters may have their own problems, but they deal with them better than others despite their recent split.
Why Gibbs & Lala’s Slow-Burn Romance Is Difficult To Support
Gibbs And Lala Need To Work On Themselves First
As exciting as a potential Gibbs and Lala romance might be, they have too many problems to justify their relationship. A major deterrence to their relationship has been Gibbs’ emotional state following the loss of his family. He just lost his wife and daughter, and he continues to grieve them. Objectively, he is not ready to commit to another person yet.
Writing in a romance for Gibbs seems to overshadow his pain, which should be center stage in the NCIS prequel. NCIS: Origins should give Gibbs time to grieve before trying to get him to move on with Lala or otherwise.
Lala’s unstable personal life makes it hard to support her and Gibbs’ growing relationship.
A Gibbs and Lala romance also overlooks Lala’s ongoing relationship issues with her boyfriend, Eddie. NCIS: Origins episode 6, “Incognito” revealed that Lala was unfaithful to her boyfriend when she abruptly decided to be intimate with a stranger in a parking lot. Her decision came back to haunt her in episode 12, “Touchstones,” when her fling recognized Lala while she was working on a case. Lala’s unstable personal life makes it hard to support her and Gibbs’ growing relationship. Their dynamic is strange, and they have too many things they need to deal with first.
Mike Franks & Tish Are The Superior NCIS: Origins Couple
The Couple Has Been Through A Lot
While Gibbs and Lala are unstable, Franks and Tish are anything but, making them the superior couple in NCIS: Origins. Franks and Tish’s relationship dynamic is also so much more compelling. NCIS: Origins episode 13, “Monsoon,” revealed the story of how Franks and Tish met, and it was incredibly heartwarming. The couple crossed paths by chance in 1982 and have supported each other since then. Their interactions as a couple point to years of understanding and they truly make a sweet couple.
As heartwarming as “Monsoon” was for Franks and Tish, the episode also revealed that the couple broke up. Tish had requested that Franks drop a case that was close to her, but Franks’ insistence to keep working on it was what made Tish want to leave. The circumstances behind the breakup make everything so much worse because they both still love and respect each other. Their breakup may have been foreshadowed, but it does not mean it is a final decision. Given how much the couple cares for one another, Franks and Tish could find their way back together.
Why NCIS: Origins Needs To Reunite Franks & Tish
Their Story Can’t Be Over
NCIS: Origins has largely followed Gibbs and his team in the years preceding the premiere of NCIS. As NCIS: Origins season 1 is only set somewhere between 1991 and 1992, there is still so much time left before the show reaches the events of NCIS. As a result, there is no reason to end Franks and Tish’s story now. NCIS: Origins’ Mike Franks may be alone at the start of NCIS, but he does not have to be alone in the years leading up to it.
While there is some NCIS canon that must be followed, the prequel has a lot of opportunities to fill in what is missing from the stories, and a prolonged Franks romance should be one of those things. Franks and Tish’s love story is also very good. It has so much more depth than Gibbs and Lala’s story, that it would be heartbreaking to see the couple end things permanently. As NCIS: Origins has examined more than just Gibbs’ life, the prequel could also examine Tish’s life and maybe lead the couple towards a reunion that way.
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