After 15 years, Pauley Perrette exited NCIS leaving fans missing Abby Sciuto, the beloved character she played very dearly.
Perrette not only had a significant following on NCIS for 15 seasons, but she also delighted TV viewers with appearances on NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.
Many appreciated the fact that the quirky, goth and ponytail-wearing forensic scientist was not killed off the show. Instead, she will launch a charity for homeless people.
It is a well-known fact that writers and show creators love to make sure that characters exiting series suffer horrific deaths, remember what Shonda Rhimes did to Scandal‘s Harrison Wright (Columbus Short), Grey’s Anatomy‘s Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and George O’Malley (T. R. Knight)
In the fall of 2017, Perrette shocked the world when she announced her departure and chaos followed.
It was reported that she was embroiled in several odd scandals with executive producer Mark Harmon after he brought his pet dog to the set and the animal bit a crew member.
Actor Brian Dietzen, who plays Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Jimmy Palmer, recently did an interview where he said he would miss Perrette and added: “…It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to someone professionally that you’ve been working with for 15 years. She’s been a close friend for a long time. I think I have a lot of the same feelings as when Michael Weatherly had left the show or when Cote de Pablo did when she took her to leave as well.”
While it is hard to replace such a lovable character, NCIS‘ showrunners — Frank Cardea and Steven D. Binder — did come up with a name to more or less fill the iconic shoes of Abby Sciuto.
Kasie Hines, played by Diona Reasonover, a series regular since season 16, will take the fan favorite’s spot.
The showrunners explained: “In contrast to other characters, who are highly experienced and are somewhat hardened federal agents, Kasie still has the eyes of a newcomer, and with that, an unjaded enthusiasm that will prove to be infectious to her co-workers.”
Season 16 of NCIS sans Perrette is set to premiere on September 25 on CBS.
