NCIS season 2’s finale featured Kate Todd’s death scene, which apparently included a mistake by Michael Weatherly. As part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ original NCIS team, the arrival of Sasha Alexander’s Kate kicked off the events of the long-running CBS procedural. Her character was an immediate standout, so losing her after just two seasons was a massive shock, especially considering the way she was written out. Instead of simply leaving the Major Case Response Team (MCRT), Kate was murdered in the NCIS season 2 finale.
Almost two decades since she left the CBS police procedural, Alexander returned to the franchise by joining Weatherly and Cote de Pablo’s Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch podcast, where they reminisce about her days on the show. One of the most interesting tidbits from the episode came from Weatherly, who revealed a mistake he made when filming Kate’s harrowing assassination scene. Read his full story below:
If you watch the scene in slow motion, this is a little Easter egg for the people at home. If you watch just before the dot appears that they digitally put there, but there’s a blood pack on the back of your head that Larry Fuentes or whoever. It went out. And blood goes all over my face, but Larry was in front of me, so I flinch right before the blood hit, right before the dot. So I’m flinching before you get killed.
Why Kate’s NCIS Assassination Scene Was So Well-Executed (Except For Weatherly’s Mistake)
Kate’s Murder Scene Was A Traditional Cliffhanger Ending
As Alexander also clarified in her podcast appearance, her departure from NCIS was her decision. She couldn’t take the grueling filming hours that the procedural required, especially as one of the show’s protagonists. Based on her sustained relationship with Weatherly and even de Pablo, there’s clearly no animosity between her and her former workplace. In any case, NCIS did a great job writing Kate off, despite her character’s brutal end. The show is no stranger to rotating cast members, but Kate’s death was the first time it had to say goodbye to a main character.
Several episodes later, a cold-blooded Ari killed Kate with a single bullet to the forehead just as she, Gibbs, and DiNozzo were catching their breath while chasing another bad guy.
Kate’s arrival at the agency was recently revisited in NCIS’ 1000th episode, and it was a reminder of how heartbreaking it was seeing her get murdered by Ari Haswari, Ziva David’s half-brother. The pair previously met when he held her and Ducky Mallard hostage. Several episodes later, a cold-blooded Ari killed Kate with a single bullet to the forehead just as she, Gibbs, and DiNozzo were catching their breath while chasing another bad guy. It was a traditional cliffhanger, which left the public waiting anxiously for answers the whole summer break.
Considering Alexander’s post-mortem return as Kate in season 3, her recent reunion with Weatherly and de Pablo is raising questions about the possibility of her making an appearance in NCIS season 22. Season 21 featured a photograph and some references to her, perhaps setting up a proper return, albeit through either flashbacks or visions. However it were to happen, the writers would be hard-pressed to find any longtime follower of the show who wouldn’t be thrilled to see Alexander in the role again.
NCIS season 22 will premiere as part of CBS’ 2024-2025 fall TV schedule.