SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 15.

NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 15 is the hour that viewers have been waiting for. Ever since the CBS show revealed that Lala Dominguez was sleeping with Flaco’s driver Manny Santiago, fans knew it wasn’t going to end well. They also knew it would put pressure on Lala’s complicated bond with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. “Johnny B. Goode” serves up everything that was always coming, and then some.

What’s most impressive is that “Johnny B. Goode” is first and foremost Manny’s story. It could easily just focus on Lala, and by extension Lala and Gibbs’ relationship, with Manny merely as the means to an end. After all, Manny isn’t a main character. But he gets his time in the spotlight like any other NCIS: Origins episode. That’s no surprise given that this episode is written by series co-creator Gina Lucita Monreal; the show is going to be missing something massive when she departs at the end of Season 2. Monreal is an incredible writer, particularly when it comes to character development, and that’s on full display here. Audiences get to learn more about who Manny is beyond his relationship with Lala, and they become invested in his individual journey.

That’s not to say that Lala plays second fiddle. Mariel Molino gives another impactful performance as Lala once again overreaches, in an attempt to save someone she’s come to love. There’s no denying that Lala creates a huge problem for not only herself but the whole NIS team, but Molino shows how that comes from a good place. She plays a wide range of emotions, from Lala’s traditional stubbornness to genuine fear and sadness. The last scene between Manny and Lala, sitting in a holding cell together, says so much without any dialogue. Lala Dominguez is a complex character and Molino portrays so many different facts in one 42-minute span.

Of course NCIS: Origins has to explore how Gibbs reacts to Lala and Manny, and “Johnny B. Goode” gives him a smaller but equally memorable arc, as he can’t possibly believe the relationship is genuine and actually makes the situation much worse, but is also able to recognize his mistake and work to correct it. Austin Stowell turns in a solid performance of his own as Gibbs goes from protective tough guy to vulnerable and recalcitrant, and Diany Rodriguez gets a fun ending scene when Vera Strickland visits Flaco in the hospital.

The comic relief aspect of the episode doesn’t work as well. Randy is normally pretty charming when he grossly misinterprets a situation, but in this story, it just gets annoying. Likewise, it makes sense that Origins would give Kyle Schmid a break after his incredibly heavy episode, but Mike Franks comes off a bit like Brian Fantana in Anchorman here. Plus, Franks’ acknowledgement that Tish is the love of his life just makes the whole subplot bittersweet. A passing reference to Tobias Fornell will make NCIS franchise fans smile, though.

Plus, the episode makes good use of a returning Jo Swanson (guest star Hannah Barefoot), who made her debut in NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 9. Instead of just using her to banter with or antagonize Franks, Monreal makes Swanson a key part of the episode’s solution. “Johnny B. Goode” is a character-driven episode for a character who normally wouldn’t get the opportunity on any other show. And even though it’s the end of the line for Manny, NCIS: Origins gives him a heroic sendoff. It’s just further proof that on this show, every character has value.

NCIS: Origins airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CBS.

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