Mariel Molino's Special Agent Lala Dominguez immediately became one of the standouts in the premiere episode of the new prequel series NCIS: Origins.
Interestingly, the pilot's final scene suggested that she might actually be the center of the series, not just follow the younger years of the franchise's iconic character Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Let's explore the twist below.
NCIS: Origins Twist Reveals Series is About Lala Dominguez
As Mark Harmon's present-day Leroy Jethro Gibbs narrated stories of his past (as part of NCIS: Origins' narrative device) in the pilot episode, he revealed that the story he is telling is actually about "her."
In other words, the prequel's main focus is on Special Agent Lala Dominguez, one of the new characters introduced in the series and serves as the female lead.
This is an interesting twist since there was a wide assumption that the prequel would solely be about Gibbs' early investigative years, an era that was also already explored in the original series.
However, as it turns out, Lala Dominguez is being set up as the main focus of Origins and it won't just solely be an exploration of Gibbs in the past.
Considering that Dominguez was not mentioned and never appeared in the original series, it is interesting to see how it all plays out and whether it will have consequences for the present-day Gibbs.
NCIS: Origins Showrunner Explains Lala Dominguez Twist
In an interview, co-showrunner David J. North explained their decision to have NCIS: Origins focus on Lala Dominguez and what it all means for the young Gibbs moving forward.
"The story [Gibbs is telling] is largely about Lala. It’s about a lot more than just Lala, but she is certainly a centerpiece of this story that we’ve never known, about how Gibbs became Gibbs," he said.
"We’ve written for so many years this character who is a man of few words, so giving a chance to actually hear inside his head has been such an interesting journey for us as writers."
North added, "He’s now been in Alaska for years, in the middle of absolute nowhere. He’s reflecting on his life, and I think this is a moment where he’s feeling like he doesn’t want to be gone and not put pen to paper, not take this story with him."
Fans should tune in to the rest of the season and perhaps get an idea of why they want to focus on Lala Dominguez and how she'll affect the younger years of Gibbs.
What do you think of the prequel's twist Let us know in the comments!
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