The NCIS: Origins season 1 finale seemingly killed a main character, introduced a new character from Gibbs’ future and potentially added fuel to an Us fan theory.

During the Monday, April 28, finale of the hit CBS series, Gibbs’ (Austin Stowell) connection to Pedro Hernandez’s death was investigated by Lala’s (Mariel Molino) friend Macy (Claire Berger). Lala, Franks (Kyle Schmid) and, ultimately, Randy (Caleb Foote) get caught up in trying to clear Gibbs’ name — despite knowing that he killed Pedro.

Gibbs owned up to killing the drug cartel member, a decision he made after Hernandez murdered Gibbs’ wife and daughter (before the beginning of the series). Gibbs’ admission came before he nearly kissed Lala.

The finale ended with Lala convincing her friend not to turn Gibbs in — before her own fate was tested when Lala got into a possibly fatal car accident on the way to tell him the good news. Gibbs, meanwhile, was at his old house having a meet cute with his future wife Diane — those who watched the original NCIS, which originally starred Mark Harmon as Gibbs, know that Gibbs has four wives in total.

Then there was Randy, who tried to get moved to a desk job instead of being out in the field. As for Franks? He got a call from his brother, who said he needed to discuss what happened when they were in Vietnam.

Creators Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North exclusively told Us Weekly about their plans for season 2 of the prequel, which was renewed in February 2025, after that ominous finale.

“We always had a general idea where we were headed and we did wonder if we wanted to end the episode on the Gibbs [and] Macy story or if we felt it was better to end on the Sandman mystery because that was our other big engine this season,” Monreal recalled. “Ultimately, we felt like the Macy story line had just so much bigger stakes for our characters and emotional stakes for our characters. So we decided to end the season-long arc with Sandman first and then get into the Macy’s story in the finale.”

North noted it was important that Gibbs and Lala’s romance was at the center, adding, “We wanted to tell a sort of against all odds love story element to this series. We always broke the season as if we were getting a full season for [the] glass half full type of people.”

NCIS: Origins picked up less than a year after Gibbs’ first wife and daughter were killed. During season 1, Gibbs started a new job as a special agent at the NIS Camp Pendleton office while still dealing with the aftermath of losing his family.

“That was really our ultimate goal from the start was to make a show that the fans of the original show loved and felt satisfied by. But [it is] also [a show] that new viewers can come in from the beginning of NCIS: Origins,” Monreal explained. “Viewers can jump in and not be confused and really get on board with our characters and their stories. We’ve always approached it from that point of view. I feel like we’ve succeeded.”

She continued: “We’re really keen on sticking to canon [events]. We’re strict about that. We want to pay respect to the mothership. We both have written on the mothership and do love that show. But we also love branching out into our new characters and digging into their emotional lives.”

While Stowell plays Gibbs on one timeline of NCIS: Origins, Harmon appears as present day Gibbs in the prequel mainly via voiceover. The executive producers praised Harmon for being “super collaborative” both on and off screen.

“He is always really available to us, which has just been such a gift throughout this whole process. He was there by our sides during casting and he comes to table reads,” Monreal shared with Us. “I get a wonderful opportunity to be there with him when he records the voiceover and he has made himself available to all the actors. They adore him. He’s always open for questions and conversations. So we’ve been so lucky that he’s been so present and supportive along the way.”

North opened up about getting Harmon’s stamp of approval on this chapter of Gibbs’ journey, saying, “I’ll be honest, he’s a tough guy to win over. But because he has a high bar of what he wants to accomplish — Gina and I are fortunate enough to have worked hard and done a lot of work for him and we have won him over up until this point and we adore him.”

He added: “I think the feeling is mutual and this has just been the greatest project. I know he says that for him and certainly for me. He’s always a call away and he absolutely gives input that affects what you see on this show. But ultimately he said, ‘You’re the team I wanted and do what you do.’”

Keep scrolling for answers to the biggest questions ahead of season 2:

Is Lala Dead?

The first season ended with Lala’s car flipping over, but Us is holding out hope that she isn’t dead.

“We can’t promise that [Lala is alive] but we can promise that you’ll get an answer if you come back in season 2,” North hinted to Us. “Going into this, we wanted to take big swings. Mariel knew going into this that we were going to take big swings and she was on board for whatever was the best way to make the audience feel something in a truthful way. That’s what we’re doing.”

North guaranteed that season 2 would give an “answer” to whether Lala is alive or if she was killed off in the accident.

Where Is Gibbs’ Romance With Lala Heading?

Despite Lala’s possible death, North and Monreal are aware of the fan interest in Lala and Gibbs’ possible romance.

“I love the fact that we’re not used to seeing Gibbs in this kind of situation and the audience to be rooting for a love story. It feels so real to me how he’s lost his family and Lala had a boyfriend — but you can’t control the electricity,” North shared. “We can’t pick who we have feelings for. From the moment they met, we can just see he was smitten.”

He added: “Seeing Gibbs like that at this point in his life has been a lot of fun for me to write. I know Mark Harmon has really enjoyed it and he’s told Gina and I repeatedly how much he loves this element of the show. So it’s been a lot of fun.”

What Does Gibbs Meeting His Next Wife Mean for Season 2?

Based on the OG seasons of NCIS, viewers know that Gibbs had a total of four wives: Shannon, Diane, Rebecca and Stephanie. The real estate agent that introduced herself to Gibbs at the end of the episode is in fact Gibbs’ next partner.

“We don’t know Lala’s fate yet but in canon — according to where we are in time — this is when Diane would come into the picture,” Monreal teased. “We always approach these things — as they seem like huge challenges — how we’re going to write that into the tapestry of our story. But it always ends up being a plus somehow in the end figuring out how to weave these stories together. So we’re really excited to delve into this one as well. And we’ll see what happens with the fate of Lala.”

Will Season 2 Introduce Franks’ Brother?

“The interesting part about Franks’ brother is that I believe it was only one line of dialogue where Franks made a joke about having a brother [in NCIS]. So we took that and built this brother character,” Monreal shared with Us. “We do have a story to tell there and it’s wide open. That’s exciting for us because usually we’re used to being really fenced in with these characters. So that one is one we’re really excited to explore.”

Is Randy Actually Leaving?

“We can’t get enough Randy. So in season 2, there’s going to be no shortage of Randy,” North confirmed. “But he’s struggling with something. A lot of those agents and police officers do. It’s hard when you have a family and it’s a dangerous job. So he’s struggling with that. But we can promise you there’s going to be no shortage of Randy.

Where Is Season 2 Heading?

According to Monreal, the “formula will be similar” to season 1.

“We’ll have a big overarching story line. We’ll have our case of the week but we also hope to do those really special episodes that we were so thrilled to be able to do this season,” she explained. “We had episode 10, which was the first NCIS of any of the franchise to do an episode without a case. So we’re really hoping to take those big swings and continue to do that in season 2 and explore all of the different types of storytelling that we can within the parameters of the show that people have hopefully come to know and love.”

North praised CBS for allowing NCIS: Origins to take risks.

“It’s fun when you can get in the writers’ room and say, ‘Hey, we don’t really have to abide by the rules we’re used to. Let’s just make something special.’ As long as it’s special, we’ll keep motoring,” he continued, while Monreal added, “We have just such an incredible group of actors that we’re working with. I feel like with each one of them, we got a little view into who they are as people — these characters that they’re portraying. In season 2, we’re just excited to go deeper with all of those characters.”

While Monreal and North were able to explore everything they planned in season 1, there is one idea they want to expand on.

“Special Agent Gary Callahan — or K-9 Special Agent — we could have got more of him in there. So we need more flashbacks,” North quipped. “Maybe that’s the next spinoff. NCIS: Gary Callahan.”

Will the Prequel Ever Stray From Canon?

“As far as canon, there’s no wiggle room for Gina and I — other than some episodes of NCIS where there’s contradictions there. At certain points we have to create a path, but with so many characters that we’ve created that weren’t from the mothership, it’s really fun to see how they’re interwoven into Gibbs’ life,” North detailed. “[We have strayed from canon] in certain cases with Ruth a.k.a the landlady to fill a huge hole in how Gibbs ended up with NCIS. Those are the things that we really enjoy.”

Could the Present Day Scenes Hint at the Ending?

Here at Us, there has been a theory that present day Gibbs is telling the story of Lala before they reconnect later in life to finally explore a relationship. The NCIS: Origins creators didn’t rule out the possibility — among others.

“We never say never. We’re open to all story lines. So we do like to push the boundaries of the canon that we’re writing within,” Monreal said. “But like David said, we are really strict about sticking to what’s there, but we never say never with story line possibilities like that.”

North told Us that the idea is “not too far out there,” adding, “We discussed it going into how we are ending this season and how potentially making a big move would affect that in the future. So we have a lot of balls in the air and we’re just trying to keep juggling here.”