Sasha Alexander left NCIS without any bad blood, especially since she signed off on the decision. Her character, Kate Todd, saw an unfortunate demise.
NCIS possesses a loyal fan base that has been with the crime drama since it debuted on air in the early 2000s, so losing a fan-favorite character can be heartbreaking.
Throughout its run for over 20 years, TV watchers have grown close to the characters on the show, such as Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Hammon) and Kate Todd (Sasha Alexander).
Although the program continues, not all of the beloved characters, like Kate, go on with it. Sasha’s Kate was introduced in NCIS’ pilot episode. It seemed that she’d be around for a long while, but in the show’s Season 2 finale, Kate was assassinated.
Kate’s abrupt death shocked many NCIS fans and many wanted to know the reason behind Sasha’s unexpected exit.
Surprisingly, it was later divulged that Sasha decided to quit the show because of the “grueling schedule,” Fandom Wire reported. Sasha’s choice initially appeared to be a blow to the show given how quickly she became a fan-favorite. Viewers saw her character Kate go from being a Secret Service agent to becoming an integral part of Leroy’s Major Case Response Team.
Sasha portrayed character Kate Todd
Fans were growing so close to Kate, but then she was murdered at the end of Season 2. NCIS creator and ex-showrunner Donald Bellisario later explained that it was Sasha who desired to depart from the series.
“Sasha came in [to my office] with tears in her eyes, she said, ‘I just can’t work this hard,’” he recalled during an interview with the Chicago Tribune. He further stated that NCIS is “a hard show to make. We work very long hours, and Sasha just didn’t feel she was physically up to that kind of time and commitment.”
Sasha has also opened up about leaving NCIS. “People don’t realize that on a network show, you make 24 episodes a year — that’s 10 and a half months a year, 17 hours a day. It’s hardcore,” she shared during an interview with TV Guide.
Even though Sasha’s character came to an unfortunate end, producers made sure Kate’s presence remained on the show via mentions, photographs, and flashback appearances.
NCIS is still going strong despite Kate leaving. It is also further expanding. In 2025 NCIS stars Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo will be starring in the show’s spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva.