NCIS: Origins Finally Answers Its Biggest Question: What Happened To Lala?

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of "NCIS: Origins."

For three seasons now on "NCIS: Origins," we've been puzzling over why we never heard about Lala on "NCIS" — and this week, we learned the devastating truth.

At the end of Tuesday's episode of the CBS prequel, present-day Gibbs was looking through some old photos when Bishop (played by returning "NCIS" star Emily Wickersham) noticed one of Lala. He told Bishop that Lala was "one hell of a special agent," but he knows she's not the other target of the gunmen who shot him... because "she died a long time ago." Lala was killed in a plane crash, he explained, and not in the line of duty.

It was a stunning reveal that explains why Lala — who's become a serious love interest for Gibbs in the 1990s timeline of "Origins" — was never mentioned by Gibbs on "NCIS"... presumably because it was too painful a memory for him to dredge up. But there is also a part of us still thinking (hoping?) that Gibbs was lying, or was misinformed, and Lala is still alive out there somewhere.

"Origins" showrunner David J. North hinted to TVLine earlier this month that Season 3 would reveal more about Lala's fate: "A lot will be answered this season. A whole lot."

What'd you think about the big Lala reveal, "Origins" fans? Let us know in a comment below.