Throughout the summer, there has been one question about NCIS: Origins season 2. Would Lala be a permanent part of it?
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for the NCIS: Origins season 2 premiere.
The NCIS prequel series certainly kept us guessing, but there were always hints of what the eventual decision would be. After all, we knew that Muriel Molino had been filming the second season, but the showrunners remained quiet on whether she was coming back or just there as some sort of ghost or flashback.
Well, we got answers before the opening credits rolled, and we were not surprised by the decision at all. After all, is there really a series without Lala? This story is about “her.”
Lala survived the crash from the NCIS: Origins season 1 finale
At first, Mark Harmon’s voiceover told us that things with the team were different without “her.” There was this sense that she had died, but there wasn’t the emotion to it that would have us committed to the idea that this story would continue without Lala.
So, it wasn’t all that surprising to learn at the end of the introduction to the season to tell us of all the changes that we learned Lala was still alive. She had suffered some serious injuries, which included a traumatic brain injury, but she pushed herself through rehab and she was determined to make it back to the team.
In fact, during the NCIS: Origins season 2 premiere, she joined in on the investigation, although did act recklessly when it came to running through woods at night where snare traps were set up.
Lala’s recovery is likely to be a big part of NCIS: Origins season 2
Right now, the team is back together. Randy is back in the field and Wheeler is back behind a desk, while Lala and Gibbs are back working together with Franks. That’s all great, but there are hints that things aren’t going to just go back to normal.
While Lala is back in the field, we know that she has a lot to prove. She’s already had to prove that she fits in a male dominated area of work, and now, she has to prove that she isn’t fragile due to her injuries. That’s likely to come up a few times, especially if Gibbs is going to remain overprotective of her.
On top of that, we have the traumatic brain injury. That’s not something to overlook, as it can lead to migraines, behavioral changes, and more. NCIS: Origins made such a point of mentioning the TBI that it needs to cover what can happen. This show is set in the ‘90s as well, when TBIs weren’t as understood as they are now, so seeing what is happening and how people react to Lala will be an important arc.
NCIS: Origins airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on CBS.
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