NCIS has been on TV for two decades, so naturally there’s been lots of cast turnover and instances of characters being written out. It’s par for the course for actors to decide that they want to move on, and the revolving door approach to who is and isn’t on the titular team helps to keep the show fresh.
There are two types of character exits: those that were foreshadowed in advance and set up so that the viewers knew it was going to happen, and those who appeared out of thin air and left everyone watching in disbelief. Although the former is noteworthy, our attention is on the latter. Some of these departures are among the most shocking events to have ever occurred on NCIS, according to the short list.
Why did Caitlin ‘Kate’ Todd leave NCIS?
Early on, Caitlin ‘Kate’ Todd (Sasha Alexander) was a crucial component of the NCIS jigsaw. She spent the first two seasons living next door to Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), and she received the kind of character growth and consideration that is given to a character when they are going to be an integral part of a show for years to come.
Then, she vanished. The most tragic fatality on the program up to that point occurred when Todd was shot and died in the “Twilight” season 2 finale. Alexander said to TV Guide that she was the one who advocated for the character’s demise since the demanding NCIS production schedule had tired her out.
Alexander made a few cameos via voiceover in later episodes, but her character’s death proved that fans could not take any NCIS members’ survival for granted. Anything could happen, and in the case of Todd, it actually did.
Why did Jenny Shepard leave NCIS?
Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly) was brought in after Todd’s death, and provided the show was a new dynamic. Her previous romance with Gibbs meant that investigations had an underlying flirtation to them, and her status as NCIS director meant that she was oftentimes privy to information that the rest of the team wasn’t. It created a unique tension.
Shepard was a terrific addition to a show that hit its stride between seasons 3-5, but as with the character she had technically replaced, her tenure was cut short. At the behest of Holly, who wrote a lengthy blog post about her decision to work on other shows, the NCIS writers killed Shepard. She took out two Russian criminals in the season 5 episode “Judgement Night (Part 1)”, but ultimately succumbed to injuries she sustained during the shootout.
Another death in the field, and another emotional scarring loss for Gibbs, who Shepard still had feelings for.
Why did Leroy Jethro Gibbs leave NCIS?
The big one. It was hard to imagine NCIS without Gibbs, since he was the most consistent and recognizable face in the entire franchise. As with the actors who came before him, however, Mark Harmon decided that he’d investigated enough naval based crimes, and decided to leave after the season 19 finale.
Even now, two years later, it’s difficult to watch this episode, which is a testament to how much Gibbs means to the audience and how skillfully the writers crafted a story in which his departure felt justified. The good news is that Harmon is still an executive producer on NCIS and hasn’t ruled out making a comeback in the future. The benefits of keeping your most beloved character alive, without a doubt. In Alaska, he will be waiting till he is required.