Lala's Fate on 'NCIS: Origins' Has Been Revealed and Fans Won't Believe It

If you tuned into NCIS: Origins when it premiered in April 2025, you probably thought Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez was a goner. Essentially, that would mean Mariel Molino would be leaving the NCIS franchise. Season 1 ended with Lala’s life hanging in the balance, and her literally hanging upside down in her car, after she swerved to avoid hitting a child, causing the car to flip.

Simply put, things weren’t looking good for Lala in the NCIS: Origins Season 1 finale, and fans were bracing themselves not to see her return for Season 2, which premiered on Oct. 14, 2025. Thankfully, we can all breathe a little easier now because her fate has finally been revealed. Here’s what happened to Lala.

Surprise! Lala survives the car crash that closed out the NCIS: Origins Season 1 finale. If you were like most viewers who assumed she didn’t make it, we’re happy to report that Lala does return for Season 2, because her story is far from over.

Ahead of the Season 2 premiere, TVLine caught up with Austin Stowell, who plays a young Jethro Gibbs in the prequel series, and he basically confirmed Lala’s return, saying, “She will be back in some capacity.” But it was his follow-up comments that really eased our minds. “She went through a terrible accident and, like anybody who would go through something like that, there are going to be adjustments and there are going to be baby steps coming back into the workplace,” Austin told TVLine.

It would seem that was him hinting that Lala would indeed return to work. He added, “It would be a tragedy if we lost Mariel, the human being and the actress. It would be a disservice to the show.”

What really sealed the deal, and gave fans some closure, was when he said, “I don’t think Lala’s and Gibbs’s story is done either. We need to see that through, not just leave it with an accident.” Then, after the Season 2 premiere episode dropped, the official confirmation arrived.

While viewers will definitely see more of Gibbs and Lala’s relationship play out, there may be some hurdles. Origins showrunner Gina Monreal told Deadline after the premiere that “she almost died and so Gibbs backed away,” because could he really handle another love loss? Still, Monreal confirmed that while Gibbs and Lala’s relationship will continue to be explored, it sounds like it may reach a point where her character takes a back seat later in the season or future seasons.

We know that Gibbs and Diane do get married at some point in the prequel series, which could mean Lala’s time on the show may be limited, even though she survives that terrifying car crash. Essentially, viewers can expect to see Gibbs and Lala explore their relationship in some form, but it’s clear they don’t end up together.

Still, we can’t forget about Diane, no matter how much some fans might hope things work out between Gibbs and Lala.

Austin told TVLine, “There’s a reason they got married. There’s a reason he falls in love with her.” He explains that Gibbs falls for Diane because “She’s somebody that enters his life at the right time. Like any romance starts, it’s that they are exposing sides of you that you like.” Austin essentially hints that Gibbs enjoys the side of himself that Diane brings out, but he also acknowledges that their marriage doesn’t last. Where this all leaves Lala remains to be seen.