Long known for being stoic, Gibbs is surprisingly overprotective of Lala in NCIS: Origins. The NCIS spinoff has featured a few differences between it and its flagship series, but the differences in Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ character have been the most noticeable. As NCIS: Origins takes place just a few months after Gibbs tragically lost his wife and daughter, some personality changes are expected as Gibbs navigates these new feelings of loss while also experiencing a change in his career.
Fortunately, the changes between NCIS and NCIS: Origins have been made up by the excellent NCIS: Origins characters. Since the premiere of the show, Gibbs has had great relationships with his colleagues, who have all been incredibly understanding of his situation. However, out of all the characters, Lala stands out the most to him. Gibbs not only gets along great with Lala, but he is also particularly overprotective of her in ways that he is not with his male coworkers.
Gibbs Protects Lala Because He Couldn’t Protect Shannon
Gibbs Feels Guilty About Shannon’s Death
In an NCIS: Origins flashback, Gibbs revealed that Shannon and Kelly were killed while he was deployed as part of his service in the Marine Corps. The news was so devastating to him that he struggled with the idea of returning home without them there. His personality and character completely changed as he was overcome with grief and guilt. Gibbs even continues to feel guilty about their passing in NCIS: Origins, which is why he tries to keep Lala safe instead.
Lala told him to stand down, but it was clear that Gibbs was blinded by his recent grief to listen.
Gibbs could not protect his family when they needed him, so he tries to overcompensate by protecting Lala. The first major incident was in episode 5 when Gibbs overreacted to two men when they ignored Lala’s command to leave the premises. Lala told him to stand down, but it was clear that Gibbs was blinded by his recent grief to listen. Then, in NCIS: Origins episode 9, Gibbs struggled with following Franks’ command to stand down when he saw Lala being attacked by a suspect. Gibbs is particularly protective of Lala because he wants to protect her from Shannon’s fate.
The Team’s Insistence That Lala Doesn’t Need Protection Only Encourages Gibbs
Gibbs Won’t Let His Past Mistakes Stop Him
Every time Gibbs saw that Lala was in danger, the NIS team insisted that he stand down because they knew that Lala was capable of protecting herself. Even Lala has expressed her annoyance at Gibbs for interfering. However, the team’s insistence only pushes Gibbs further. He will not let his past mistakes of not being there for Shannon stop him from protecting Lala, no matter what his team says.
Gibbs’ insistence on protecting Lala in NCIS: Origins also comes from a good place. He sees Shannon in Lala. It has been especially hard for him to adapt to his new role at NIS following all the changes in his life, and Lala has remained a good partner through it all. With the hints that there may be a Gibbs and Lala romance soon, Gibbs’ protection also shows that no matter how tough he tries to seem, he will always have a soft spot in his heart.