NCIS: Origin season 2 episode 1 recap: Did Lala survive the accident in the last season?

NCIS: Origins was created by Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North for CBS, as a prequel to the network’s crime procedural show, NCIS. The series is based on the early career of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, following his beginnings in the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) before the formation of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the events of original series. NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 1 premiered in the United States on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

The new season opens with a highly anticipated reveal about Lala’s fate. In the Season 1 finale, Lala is seen en route to inform “probie” Leroy Jethro Gibbs that she’d convinced MP investigator Lara Macy not to arrest him for the murder of cartel boss Pedro Hernandez. However, her drive takes a tragic turn when she swerves to avoid a young girl, flipping her jeep multiple times and leaving her bleeding and unconscious. 

Many fans assumed the worst for her, but the season 2 premiere confirms Lala is alive and well. Although she sustains critical injuries — including a crushed thigh, a collapsed lung, and a traumatic brain injury, she makes a full recovery as the episode begins several months after the crash.

Who does Gibbs start dating in NCIS: Origin season 2?

In the NCIS: Origins season 2 premiere, Gibbs is seen dating Diane. The episode opens with an intimate moment between the two, as Diane affectionately wraps her arms around a shirtless Gibbs and invites him back to bed. 

While they do not verbally profess their love for each other, Diane’s feelings are made clear when she tells Gibbs that her friends think he’s too focused on work, to which she had replied, “I love that about him. He’s a hero.”

The scene highlights Diane’s deep admiration and affection for Gibbs, foreshadowing their passionate yet complicated relationship that fans know will eventually lead to marriage — and, later, divorce.

The series introduces Diane as a real estate agent who first appears while meeting Gibbs to help him sell his family home. The meeting is fits the previously established canon of NCIS franchise. 

Lala's dynamic with Gibbs after returning to work

In NCIS: Origins Season 2, Lala makes a surprising return to work just months after her devastating accident, appearing remarkably recovered. She quickly joins the team in investigating the death of a missing Marine, but her comeback brings emotional tension — especially with Gibbs.

While Lala congratulates him on his new relationship with Diane, their unresolved past lingers beneath the surface. Gibbs is clearly still affected by her, as flashbacks to their steamy pool moment from Season 1 reveal lingering feelings and unspoken tension between them.

Gibbs’ growing fear of losing Lala leads him to act overprotective throughout the episode. He first insists she stay behind during the team’s compound infiltration, then awkwardly tries to have a rolling chair added to the dark room to “help” her move around—though she clearly doesn’t need it.

Later, he orders her to stop chasing their murder suspect, warning she’s being reckless and could end up caught in a hidden snare like their victim. His concern, while well-intentioned, begins to frustrate Lala and strain their dynamic.

Despite the earlier tension, the pair manages to smooth things over — at least for the moment. The episode closes on a lighthearted note, with the entire NIS team taking time off and jamming to some up-beat music.

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