### NCIS: The Untold Stories Behind Kate’s Shocking Exit and On-Set Goofs
When NCIS debuted in September 2003, four of the five series regulars had already been introduced in the JAG episodes “Ice Queen” and “Meltdown” earlier that year. The exception was Sasha Alexander’s Caitlin “Kate” Todd, who made her first appearance in the pilot episode “Yankee White.” Initially a Secret Service agent, Kate resigns and is quickly recruited by Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ team. Tragically, Kate was murdered by terrorist Ari Haswari in the Season 2 finale, a moment that stands as one of NCIS’ saddest. Michael Weatherly, who plays Anthony DiNozzo, revealed an accidental goof that made it into Kate’s death scene.
Weatherly and Ziva David actress Cote de Pablo recently launched the podcast *Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch* ahead of their reunion for *NCIS: Tony & Ziva*, a spinoff series exclusive to Paramount+. The first podcast episode covered their origins on the show, including de Pablo’s initial impression that Weatherly was trying to “sabotage” her audition. In the second episode, they were joined by Sasha Alexander. During the conversation, Weatherly recounted an amusing detail from filming Kate’s death scene:
“When you got that shot to the head, I was standing behind you. If you watch the scene in slow motion, just before the dot appears that they digitally put there, there’s a blood pack on the back of your head that [special effects coordinator] Larry Fuentes exploded. Blood goes all over my face. Larry was in front of me, so I flinch right before the blood comes. So I’m flinching before you get killed.”
Actors are expected to stay in character while filming, and if they mess up, the director usually calls “Cut!” and the scene is reshot. In this case, Weatherly’s instinctive flinch was subtle enough to remain in the final cut. It’s a small detail that fans might not notice unless pointed out, but it doesn’t detract from the shock of Kate’s death.
Sasha Alexander returned briefly in the two-part Season 3 premiere, “Kill Ari,” portraying both Kate’s corpse and her ghost, as her team struggled with her death. She also made an uncredited vocal appearance in the Season 8 episode “A Man Walks Into a Bar.” “Kill Ari” introduced Ziva David, Ari’s half-sister, who ultimately kills him and takes Kate’s place on the team. Cote de Pablo remained with NCIS through Season 11’s second episode and returned as a special guest star in Seasons 16 and 17. Michael Weatherly played Tony DiNozzo until the end of Season 13, with a cameo in Season 21’s tribute to David McCallum’s Ducky Mallard.
Now, Weatherly and de Pablo’s characters will reunite in *NCIS: Tony & Ziva*, following the duo on the run across Europe after Tony’s security company is attacked. Filming begins this summer, with no premiere date announced yet. Meanwhile, NCIS returns for Season 22 this fall, and 2024 will also bring *NCIS: Origins*, a prequel following Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 1991.
