“NCIS” remains one of the longest-running live-action TV series currently on the air. While there’s a seemingly limitless well of stories to pull from for the titular team to follow, that doesn’t necessarily mean the team will remain the same over the years. Fans learned that all too well with Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), who left the show after 19 seasons to enjoy a quiet life away from the hustle and bustle of solving crimes day in and day out.
Saying goodbye to characters is nothing new for “NCIS” fans, as in the previous season, they had to say goodbye to Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham). She joined the outfit starting in Season 11 and proved to be an invaluable member of the team, even if fans didn’t always see her that way. On specific subreddits and online forums, it became common practice to denigrate Bishop, and even after her departure, fans still discuss why she got an unreasonable amount of hate.
Fans debate why so many others didn’t like Bishop
Bishop becomes an integral part of the team through her introduction, and while “NCIS” fans tend to stick with the show through thick and thin, some of them couldn’t get over her inclusion. Redditor u/ohlordwhyisthishere ponders on this, “I figured this was as good a time as any to really think about why people didn’t like Ellie when she first joined the show.” The user hypothesizes that Bishop effectively functioned as a replacement for Ziva (Cote de Pablo), whom fans generally liked. As such, they could never really accept Bishop as part of the team, but it’s clear not everyone felt that way.
One user, u/MizzGee, came to Bishop’s defense, writing, “I actually loved Bishop. She was quirky and crazy smart. Remember when she used to sit on the floor surrounded by files and make insane connections?” Then there are those firmly in the “Hate Bishop” camp like u/Leading_Goose50 chiming in with, “When [Ziva] left and we got Ellie….I almost stopped watching. She just did nothing for me.”
The divide appears to occur depending on when exactly a viewer got hooked on “NCIS.” Those who have been with the show since the beginning didn’t really care for Bishop, while those who joined later liked her more. It’s a matter of personal taste, but Bishop certainly made her mark on the series.