NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 8 ‘End of the Road’ isn’t that. Instead, it’s the beginning of something. For Gibbs and Diane, who are now a married couple. For Lala, who has now confronted Gibbs with what he had and what he lost. For Herm, who is now back in the field. And even for Franks and his brother, who might not be doing such a good job at understanding each other, but who are indeed talking.
It’s a pretty good episode for Lala, and for our understanding of who she is. Because her relationship with “Twitchy Tony” pretty much underscores the kind of agent and person she is. And in many ways, it also encapsulates why she was always such a good ying to Gibbs’ yang. Except for them, the problem has always been timing. Well, that and Gibbs’ tendency to run.
This hour sees him do just the opposite. He takes Lala’s advice. He runs towards something instead of away. It just so happens that’s not exactly the best idea, all things considered.
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WELL, THE TIMELINE FITS
Part of me is a little mad at myself for how surprised I was at the final few moments of ‘End of the Road’, particularly considering this show started in 1991, and now it’s 1992. As in, the year Gibbs and Diane married. We knew that already. I watched NCIS, and I was aware of the timeline. And yet a part of me kept trying to make anything but what I knew was probably coming fit, because as nice as Diane seems, she just isn’t Lala. And I already know the relationship won’t last! So why invest?
But it seems we’ve still got a while to go before it truly implodes, thanks to Lala, ironically. And it’s not even bad advice that she’s giving. I don’t think she’s as over her “thing” with Gibbs as she pretends she is when she basically tells him not to let Diane go, and I don’t think Gibbs is as over her as he tells himself he is by basically taking the wild jump of marrying Diane. But neither of us can face that.
Gibbs, because if he does, he also has to face the fact that he was the one who screwed up any and every possibility they had together because he was too afraid to lose Lala. And Lala because, well… she’s hurt and she’s scared, and she went through a very, very hard thing after she basically risked her career for Gibbs and for what? So, at this point, she isn’t willing to take another risk.
At some point, something’s gonna have to give. Gibbs is going to end up finding out what Lala did for him. What then? And will he still be married to Diane when he does? I wasn’t on top of it enough to be counting the days until their marriage, but trust me, I’ll be counting the days until the divorce.
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MY FAMILY IS HERE
Lala is mad and being a little self-sacrificial and also trying very hard to be a good friend when she tells Gibbs that he shouldn’t break up with Diane and that using them as an excuse is dumb. But Gibbs’ words mean something. And it’s something important that Lala also doesn’t want to look too closely at.
Because the thing is, Franks, Lala, Randy… the team at NCIS. They saved Gibbs. They gave him a reason to go on, to get up in the morning, to live. And perhaps more importantly, they gave him a reason to smile, and they gave him a purpose. Finding all of those things after you think your life has ended is something rare, and Gibbs found that in the team.
He understands how close to giving up he was. How close to not trying anymore? He knows. Lala might suspect. But he knows. And that’s why he says what he says to Diane. It’s not an excuse, as much as Lala might think it is. It’s not even a debt. It’s just love. And that is something Gibbs will carry with him for the rest of his life, no matter what happens.
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Things I think I think:
- It’s fine, I didn’t get feelings at Lala saying, “Maybe when you check the time you’ll know someone’s in your corner.”
- The LA office?!
- “My family is here.” He doesn’t mean Shannon and Kelly.
- Long distance is, indeed, for idiots.
- I sometimes stop and think about how much Franks truly knows and cares for Lala and how bad he is at showing it.
- “Are you two on something? There’s no way she’s standing down from this.”
- Detective Lady Franks wow.
- “What was it? Your work hours? The fact that you’re a terrible communicator?”
- Everyone went to see Lala after the accident. Except Gibbs.
- Look, I’d be mad.
- Why are you fighting with your brother if you don’t want him to leave, Mason?
- Randy and Gibbs have the nonverbal communication thing down.
- “She thought I meant Shannon and Kelly, but I was talking about you guys.”
- Meanwhile, Herm and Randy are just vibing.
- “You got scared, and you pushed me away.”
- “You ruined everything that could have…”
- Aw, man, Tony is paying it forward.
- Even Tony went to see Lala!
- “Lala tried to teach me a lesson or two about connecting. But that never came easy to me.”
- “You get scared, and you ruin things that could have been good.”
- “I could never connect the way she did.”
- “When you take things that far, hearts are gonna get broken before you get to the end of the road.”
- Ouch.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 8 ‘End of the Road’? Share with us in the comments below! And if you have any thoughts about the show, share them with us in our NCIS: Origins hub!
NCIS: Origins airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on CBS.
