For the first time in the history of the NCIS franchise (which can easily be accessed with a Paramount+ subscription), one of its shows is winding the clock back to a time long gone by rather than taking place in the present. NCIS: Origins will follow Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 1991 starting his career at the law enforcement agency’s Camp Pendleton office. It was announced earlier this month that Austin Stowell will play the role once brought to life by Mark Harmon across 19 seasons of NCIS, and now it’s been revealed who will play Origins’ female lead. While it may sound weird, I’m already wondering if this character could appear on the flagship show someday.
Mariel Molino has been cast to Special Agent Lala Dominguez in NCIS: Origins, who will be working with Gibbs in the ragtag team led by Mike Franks, who was played by Muse Watson on NCIS. As described by Deadline, Lala is “a former Marine who navigates her 1990s male-dominated field with a steely resolve and a dark sense of humor.” When she and Gibbs start working together in the prequel, the story that unfolds between the two of them “is filled with sparks and turns that will keep the audience guessing.”
Although Origins is arguably Mariel Molino’s biggest TV gig yet, she’s certainly no stranger to small screen projects. With her early career including a lengthy stay on the telenovela Papis May Padres and guest appearances on other Spanish-language shows, recent years have seen her profile being boosted by the ABC series Promised Land and the Freeform series The Watchful Eye, both of which were cancelled after one season. Shen also appeared in the movie The Shade.
It sounds like Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Lala Dominguez will form a unique relationship over the course of NCIS: Origins, although that then begs the question about what ultimately happens to her. After all, while it obviously makes sense in real life why Lala was never mentioned on NCIS, within the show’s continuity, you’d think that someone who was so important to Gibbs would be brought up at least once over the nearly-20 years viewers watched Mark Harmon pays Gibbs.
While the easy answer could be that Lala could be dead in the present day, I hope that’s not the case, and even having not seen any of NCIS: Origins yet, I certainly don’t want to see her killed off there either. Rather, I’m hoping that an older actress will play her on NCIS someday, regardless of whether or not Harmon is around. After all, back in NCIS Season 11, Roma Maffia played Special Agent Vera Strickland, who was Mike Franks’ former partner, and a younger version of the character is expected to appear in Origins. Why can’t we get a reverse thing going with Lala? It’d be similar to how Young Sheldon introduced the title protagonist’s friend Tam (who will be back in Season 7), and then showed the older character in an episode of The Big Bang Theory Season 12.
Whether or not an older actress is cast to play Lala Dominguez remains to be seen, but as far as what happens with the character on NCIS: Origins, we here at CinemaBlend will keep you apprised on the biggest developments once the show starts airing on CBS as part of the 2024-2025 TV season. Use the 2024 TV schedule to learn what’s currently airing or premiering soon, and remember that the NCIS franchise also has the Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David spinoff heading to Paramount+.
