NCIS: Origins fans are yearning for Gibbs and Lala to make the jump from partners to romantic couple — and it might still happen, even with his marriage to Diane.
Austin Stowell, who plays Leroy Jethro Gibbs, exclusively told Us Weekly that despite his character’s fate being somewhat predetermined due to NCIS story lines, nothing is set in stone for Gibbs and Lala Dominguez’s (Mariel Molino) love connection.
“I think anything is possible,” Stowell, 41, said when asked whether NCIS: Origins could “subvert our expectations” and bring Gibbs and Lala together.
As fans of NCIS — which premiered in 2003 and is currently in season 23 — know, special agent Gibbs (originated by Mark Harmon) was married four times before he left his post as the leader of the Washington, D.C., office and moved to Alaska, where he resides in the present day.
Mariel Molino, Austin Stowell. Robert Voets/CBS
NCIS: Origins, which premiered in 2024, is the prequel series, showing the events of a young Gibbs as he begins his career at NIS (as it was called in the ‘90s) in San Diego.
During the season 2 midseason finale in December 2025, Gibbs married his second wife, Diane Sterling (Kathleen Kenny), breaking some hearts as his connection with work partner Lala is so evident.
In Us’ exclusive sneak peek at the Tuesday, March 3, return of NCIS: Origins, Gibbs tells his coworkers that he and Diane snuck off to Las Vegas and got hitched. After thinking it was a joke, Gibbs explains, “A regular guy did the ceremony. Elvis already clocked out.”
Stowell told Us ahead of the show’s return that Gibbs is someone who is “already married, so to speak, once in real life, but he’s also married to the job.”
While fans might not be totally on board with Gibbs’ second marriage to Diane — his first wife was killed alongside their daughter while he was overseas — Stowell said it’s part of his journey.
“A Gibbs’ rule is [to] never look back. So this is a decision he has to follow through with that,” the actor explained. “He’s now taken somebody into his life and his care, and so he takes that very seriously as he does all things.”
Kathleen Kenny, Austin Stowell. Greg Gayne/CBS
Stowell added that Gibbs is “looking to move forward from his first marriage that ended so tragically” and with Diane he is now “trying to put himself back together.”
While Gibbs is temporarily unavailable, remember he will get married two more times, the possibility of a deeper connection with Lala could still transpire.
Molino, 33, previously told Us it’s all about timing for her character, Lala, and Gibbs.
NCIS: Origins’ Lala Dominguez is “marked safe” for now, but actress Mariel Molino isn’t convinced she’ll survive the series. “If this is a story of her, and she’s never mentioned — [Gibbs] never mentioned Lala ever before, I want to think it’s probably because of something really bad that happened,” Molino, 32, exclusively told Us […]
“Even though we can’t play out this love, we can play out the subtleties of wanting someone and how that affects you in every aspect of your life, through work, in your career [and] in your personal life,” Molino said in October 2025. “You just want to prove them wrong or make them proud.”
The actress pointed out that after their near-kiss during season 1 and then Lala almost dying in a car accident, Gibbs is looking for something “a little bit more safe” at the moment.
“As much as he has incredible feelings for Lala, he’s trying to protect his heart from the thought of losing her again,” Molino said of Gibbs’ season 2 mindset. “It’s [him] just not wanting to open up his heart again just to have it ripped out again.”
Austin Stowell, Mariel Molino. Erik Voake/CBS
Molino noted that she’s heard fan theories about modern-day Gibbs secretly living with Lala in Alaska after finding their way back to each other, and she’s on board with the idea.
“I mean, wouldn’t that be nice? In a way it would,” Molino told Us of the fanfiction, adding that on a “purely selfish level” she would “love” to be transformed into an older version of Lala and be “in a wheelchair and just have me roll up next to Mark Harmon.”
As fans wait to see what will happen between Gibbs and Lala on NCIS: Origins, Stowell told Us they can expect to see a stronger bond among all the characters.
“The team has gotten to know each other so well,” he said ahead of the show’s midseason return. “And that’s not just the characters on set. That’s us, the actors as well, that we have, after two years, gained a lot of trust in each other.”
NCIS: Origins returns on CBS Tuesday, March 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Check out Us Weekly’s behind-the-scenes gym session with the men of the cast here.