CBS Finally Breaks NCIS’ Disappointing Gibbs And Lala Romance Trend

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The new show, NCIS: Origins, is adding a romantic storyline for Mary Jo Hayes (played by Tyla Abercrumbie) as it explores the early years of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ career with the Navy. This prequel series, which began in 2024, delves into Mark Harmon’s character’s beginnings at NIS. Even though Harmon left NCIS in Season 19, NCIS: Origins continues to expand on his story.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs experienced a lot of heartbreak in his personal life throughout NCIS, including the loss of his wife and daughter, and several divorces. The new prequel series, NCIS: Origins, introduces Gibbs’ second wife, Diane Sterling (played by Kathleen Kenny). In the show, a romance between the younger Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) is cut short, which led to the need for a recent plot development involving Mary Jo.

NCIS: Origins Has A Disappointing History With Love Stories

The show has featured a lot of romance, but much of it is rooted in sadness. In the first season of NCIS: Origins, we see flashbacks of Gibbs learning about the deaths of his wife, Shannon, and daughter, Kelly – a pivotal moment that leads him to join NIS. Though Gibbs is currently happily married to Diane, viewers know this marriage will eventually end in divorce.

I really got invested in the romance between the NIS team leader, Franks, and Tish in the prequel. It started so promisingly, but things took a dark turn when Tish was assaulted. Franks, despite Tish wanting to move on and let it go, became obsessed with finding the person who hurt her. Ultimately, his actions drove Tish away, and she had to start a new life, leaving their relationship with a really sad, unresolved feeling.

Despite having a strong connection and supporting each other through difficult situations, the potential romance between Gibbs and Lala ultimately fizzled out. While they shared a moment that hinted at something more, Gibbs revealing a secret and Lala’s subsequent accident prevented their relationship from developing further, which was disappointing for many viewers.

Now that Gibbs has married Diane, the chances of any romantic relationships developing for the other agents have passed. The show establishes that Gibbs remains married to Diane even after relocating to Washington, D.C., effectively closing the door on those possibilities. While a romance is explored for Dominguez in the second season of NCIS: Origins, the series suggests that the relationship between Lala and Manny (Miguel Gomez) won’t be a lasting one.

NCIS: Origins Finally Delivers A Heartfelt Romance With Mary Jo & Dalton’s Love Story

The prequel series especially needed Episode 12 to give Mary Jo a genuinely touching love story, given her past disappointments in romance. The episode, titled “The Gambler,” finally explains why NIS agent Dalton Bjornstra (Jeffrey Boehm) repeatedly bothers the office manager at Camp Pendleton – he’s attracted to her and wants to get to know her better.

A secret romance blossoms between the NIS agent, nicknamed “Dalton Basement,” and Mary Jo, adding excitement to their workdays. But when a scandal erupts involving their boss, Regional Director Ronald Barrett (Toby Huss), their relationship is complicated – ultimately bringing them even closer together.

A memo arrives questioning Mary Jo and Dalton’s attempt to keep their relationship private, reminding everyone at NIS that romantic relationships between employees must be reported. Barrett then proposes moving Mary Jo to a regional office and having her report directly to him. However, the rest of the office rallies together and successfully prevents the transfer, saving her current position.

Mary Jo prefers to keep her romantic life to herself, only sharing details with a few close friends: Mike, Gibbs, Lala, and Randy (Caleb Foote). This new relationship feels genuine, especially considering the pain she experienced with her first marriage, which ended because she struggled with infertility. Given how disappointing previous storylines have been, viewers are happy to finally see a believable love story unfold.

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2026-03-29 01:06