NCIS: Origins’ Austin Stowell thinks Gibbs, Lala-inspired line 12

Did NCIS: Origins‘ Gibbs created rule 12 because of his feelings for Lala? Austin Stowell thinks so.

“There’s a reason why people who work together sometimes end up together. It’s that they understand each other,” Stowell, 39, said exclusively We weekly. “There’s a lot of Lala in Gibbs and conversely they see a bit of a mirror image. But they are both very stubborn.”

Stowell noted that the chemistry between Gibbs and Lala (Mariel Molino) couldn’t have been worse time.

“Right now, we’re just months after Gibbs lost his wife and child. Even when those emotions creep in, he probably calms them down and feels like he shouldn’t have those feelings,” the actor explained. “If his wife and daughter were still alive, he would be with them. It is only because of their deaths – their murder – that he blames himself for being in this position and interacting with the people he interacts with.”

NCIS: Origins follows a young Gibbs – a role created by Mark Harmon – years prior to the events of NCIS. The new series picks up less than a year after Gibbs’ wife and daughter were murdered. During Season 1, Gibbs starts a new job as a special agent at the NIS Camp Pendleton office still dealing with the aftermath of losing his family.

“The anxiety that probably causes him (is obvious). (This week’s episode) was a great example of that, where you see Gibbs and Lala become physically intimate for the first time and have to work together,” Stowell shared. Us. “That’s where their bond starts. When you go through experiences with someone else – especially experiences that require you to overcome some effort and succeed – it can be a real memory for the two of you. That event could be the catalyst for something more.”

Despite the obvious tension of Gibbs and Lala, the potential couple is “very aware” of the fact that they are colleagues.

“It wouldn’t be a good idea. Rule 12, we haven’t seen that rule written yet. It could be in (Gibbs’) box, I’m not sure,” Stowell explained of the list Gibbs made for himself. “But he might not have had a reason to write that line if he was already with (his wife) Shannon. So there may be some changes to the rules.”

NCIS fans already know that line 12 states that Gibbs should “never date a co-worker.” Stowell doesn’t know if that’s where the story is going, but he has no doubt that Gibbs really cares about Lala.

“His attraction to Lala certainly has as much to do with who she is as a person as it does with her aesthetic value,” he continued. “He sees something in her that enlightens him.”

Stowell has a multitude of thoughts about it Where NCIS: Origins could go – but he has no prior knowledge.

“In the beginning, the writers room let us know certain overarching storylines that could play out. But what (makers) Gina (Lucita Monreal) And David (J. North) have said from the very beginning is that they wanted to write for us and get to know us and see what works while we’re shooting. So I think we’re educating them about their own characters as we go from episode to episode,” he noted. “I’m not many episodes further. And we still have crimes to solve and memories to return to. There are certain events coming up in the next few episodes that are incredibly important to the story of NCIS and to Gibbs’ story that I’m excited to share with fans of the show.”

Stowell could not express his love for the chance to shine NCIS: Originsshare: “To de NCIS universe continues to grow and to now be part of this canon is truly amazing. It’s a lot of fun to be part of it. I just didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. And believe me, I love all the characters I play. It has become so important to me because I feel how important it is to other people. I like that people can look at Gibbs and say, ‘That’s a real person.’

He added: “The fact that I’m playing a character who’s dealing with his own mental health issues – something that’s very close to my heart – and how he can overcome those issues or certainly how he deals with them to go. There is reason after reason for me to love this and feel like the luckiest man in the world. I feel like this was meant to be.”

While reflecting on the show, which received a full-season order, Stowell mentioned the entire cast and crew for NCIS: Origins‘continued success.

“That’s what I think makes our show so special and that’s what attracted me to it from the beginning. This all starts with our roadmap – these scripts and this incredible writing – that we got from David and Gina, who were writers on the show on NCIS for twenty years,” he explains. ‘They may be taking the biggest risk of all of us, because we are all test subjects. The entire cast is probies. But (the creators) were the ones who came off the mothership, who had the responsibility to tell a story that the fans would love.

Stowell was extremely proud of the impact that had NCIS: Origins has hadand added: “The fact that David and Gina went above and beyond and created what I think is a network-changing storyline, I can’t thank them enough. Personally, this is a character that makes me jump out of bed in the morning to play. I am very honored to have been chosen to be Gibbs. It means a lot to me and I didn’t expect it to mean so much to me. In the first five months alone I have grown enormously as a person. I’m now Gibbs’ biggest fan. It’s a dream job.”

NCIS: Origins airs on CBS Mondays at 10pm ET and is currently streaming on Paramount+.