NCISis one of the longest-running and most successful shows in the history of network television, and throughout 22 seasons,the series has seen a collection of diverse and interesting characters. That’s always the core strength of any long-running network TV show, andNCISis no different. What keeps audiences coming back season after season is the attachment they form to the characters and the chemistry of theNCIScast.
Some of that love for characters is because they have been well-developed and fleshed out, with compelling backstories and arcs, while for others, it was that they brought such interesting story opportunities to the show. However, no series on air for so long is perfect, includingNCIS, having just wrapped season 22, so there are also occasions in which characters were underutilized or fell victim to wasted potential, which forever tarnished their time on the show. Unfortunately, the way to resolve it has often been killing them off, leaving them with unresolved or unfulfilling arcs.
10Agent Michelle Lee
One of the most divisive characters inNCIS, Agent Lee joined the team between seasons 3 and 4 before being outed as the mole inNCISseason 6, killing two agents in the process. However, it was revealed that she was forced to work against the team after her sister Amanda was kidnapped. Ultimately,Michelle allowed Gibbs to shoot her dead to help the gang take down Weatherman, and she died a hero. Michelle was both a hero and a villain, and her complex and flawed character made her an interesting addition to the show, which is why it was a shame when her time ended. She certainly deserved better.
9Ned Dornegat
Ned “Dorney” Dornegat was first introduced in season 9 as a probationary officer before working his way up to NCIS Cyber Operations. He had a fun relationship with DiNozzo, and a complex relationship with his mother, Joanna Teague. Dorney met his end inNCISseason 12, when he helped the MCRT track down a terrorist cell that was recruiting children.He died a hero, saving multiple people during a terror attack in Cairo, and was killed during an explosion. Dorney was a strong addition to the team, but a character who could have been developed better, and his abrupt ending killed that potential.
8Emily Fornell
Emily had one of the most tragic story arcs in the entirety ofNCIS, and many fans are still angry with her character’s treatment. Just a teenager when she first came on the scene in season 4, Emily experienced a number of tragedies over the course of the show. Herstruggles with addiction were well documentedand explored, particularly in the later seasons. Her father, Tobias Fornell, did so much to try to help his daughter, which madeEmily’s season 18NCISdeatheven more tragic. The character deserved a break and some happiness, but unfortunately, it never materialized.
7Mike Franks
A former Supervisory Special Agent,Mike Franks was a mentor to Gibbs, with the two having a strong connection. Brought out of retirement to help Shepard and Gibbs in season 3, Franks helped the MCRT bring down the Reynosa cartel. However, the fan favorite met his end in theNCISseason 8 episode “Swan Song” while going after the Port to Port Killer. Luckily, a younger version of thecharacter appears inNCIS: Origins, exploring his backstory, but inNCIS, he was a character who deserved more.
6Agent Brent Langer
Jonathan LaPaglia’s underrated Agent Brent Langer was once mentored by Gibbs, and joined his new team following newNCISdirector Leon Vance putting Gibbs in charge of a new squad. Unfortunately, Langer was shot and killed in theNCISseason 6 premiere, by mole Michelle Lee, who sought to conceal her role in the leaking of classified information.Langer was underused in the show, and could have been kept around for a couple of seasonsas a great way of exploring Gibbs' character more closely, and developing a strong dynamic between the two.
5Eli David
Eli David was the classic case of a character who was misguided. His single-minded obsession with defending Israel came at the expense of his children - radicalizing son Ari and endangering the life of daughter Ziva. He was eventually killed in a drive-by shooting by anti-peace operatives, but the character should have had a different fate. It would have been nice to see him fulfill his goals and patch things up with his kids, buthis death inNCISseason 10 illustrated the dangerous nature of the world ofNCIS.
4Jackson Gibbs
Gibbs' estranged father had a difficult relationship with his son, and was first introduced in the show in season 6. Eventually, they began to repair their relationship, restoring an old car to fulfill one of Gibbs' teenage dreams. Leroy even began to call his father “Dad” instead of “Jack.” Just as the pair began to forgive and set old wounds to rest,Gibbs was devastated to learn his father had died from a stroke in the season 11 finale. Jackson deserved to be kept around, but the fact that actor Ralph Waite passed away just three months later made this dream impossible.
3Director Jenny Shepard
Despite being a divisive figure during her run on the show, Lauren Holly’s Director Jenny Shepard was a strong and interesting addition to the team.NCIS’s first-ever female boss met her tragic demise when the ghosts of her past caught up with her.Following her involvement in the death of arms dealer La Grenouille, whom she wrongly believed had killed her father,Shepard was eventually murdered in a shootout with a hitmansent by long-time nemesis Svetlana Chernitskaya.Jenny left an enduring legacy, and could have been in the show so much longer.
2Special Agent Paula Cassidy
Though she only had a brief stint on the show, appearing in six episodes across four seasons before her death, Paula’s death remains iconic and emotionally wrenching. Wracked with guilt after leading her team into a trap that claimed the lives of two agents,Paula made the ultimate sacrifice, tackling suicide bomber Jamal Malikin order to prevent another deadly explosion. It was a poignant ending for a popular character, and R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” playing while the team mourns her loss was definitely a tear-jerker. But Paula deserved better, and her relationship with Tony DiNozzo could have been a long-term ‘ship.
Paula appears in theNCISseason 12 episode ‘The Lost Boys,’ as a hallucination.
1Special Agent Caitlin “Kate” Todd
One of the most shocking deaths in the entire franchise,Caitlin was the first core character to be killed off on the show, dying in theNCISseason 2 finale “Twilight.” The Secret Service agent was assassinated mid-sentence by terrorist Ari Haswari, in the final few seconds of the episode, in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the whole show. The character was killed off afteractress Sasha Alexander’s decision to leaveNCISdue to the rigorous schedule of network television.
Kate’s death remains one of the most memorable and iconic of the whole show, and is still mourned by fans to this day. One of the reasons was because of Alexander’s powerful performance, a testament to the actor and her skills. So while it was great that Sasha Alexander got to leave on her own terms, storywise, it was still a crushing blow to audiences and the other characters. Her importance to the show and to audiences alike makes Caitlin Todd the ultimate example ofNCIScharacters who deserved better ends.
NCIS
Cast
NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
