A CBS executive responds to questions about Pauley Perrette’s possible return to NCIS as Abby Sciuto. With the NCIS universe evolving thanks to spinoffs featuring classic characters from the parent show, conversations about who else can return are dominating speculations. Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are spearheading NCIS: Europe, while Mark Harmon is working on NCIS: Origins. With both Brian Dietzen and Sean Murray still active on the main show, questions about Perrette’s comeback status are particularly interesting.
In a new interview with Deadline about the evolving NCIS universe, CBS Studios President David Stapf is asked about the idea of Perrette’s return as Abby. It’s no secret that Perrette’s NCIS exit was mired with controversy, which makes this trickier to navigate than other former cast members coming back. Nonetheless, the executive is optimistic about the idea. Read his full quote below:
Not a bad idea. We haven’t talked about it or thought about it. We love Pauley, and she’s always welcome in any of the NCIS franchise, but it hasn’t come to us from the writers and/or from her. I kind of was kidding when I said, it’s not a bad idea but it’s genuinely not a bad idea, she was a beloved character.
How Pauley Perrette’s Abby Sciuto Can Return To NCIS
NCIS referenced Abby during Ducky’s tribute episode. The outing doesn’t directly mention her name, but the show alluded to her existence by featuring a flower arrangement sent for the late Dr. Mallard. Throughout her time in the agency, she worked closely with David McCallum’s character, so while ideally, she would have been there, the easter egg was better than not having any involvement from her. While Sciuto’s exit from NCIS was complicated, the show found a way to explain Abby’s resignation, making it easier for her to return.
Abby’s decision to leave NCIS stemmed from the death of MI6 Agent Clayton Reeves, who was protecting her from a hitman. She accompanied his body back to England and started a charity on his behalf. Assuming that he is still based in the area, Tony and Ziva can recruit Abby to help with their current predicament in NCIS: Europe. Per the spinoff’s premise, the couple, and their daughter, Tali, will be on the run across the continent. Otherwise, Abby can also return to NCIS with a special cameo.
It’s worth noting, however, that Perrette did publicly say that she would never work on NCIS again after her conflict with former co-star, Mark Harmon. It has been six years since her departure from the show, and it’s curious if her stance has changed. In any case, Harmon is no longer a cast member in the main series, although he remains involved with his spinoff. At the very least, if Perrette decides to return as Abby, she won’t have to interact with him.
Abby Is The Only Original NCIS Character Whose Return Hasn’t Been Set
Season 21 marks the first time that there aren’t any more original NCIS characters in the show. The death of David McCallum, which was reflected in Ducky’s fate, ended the streak. It’s worth noting that despite being long-time cast members, both Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee and Brian Dietzen’s Jimmy Palmer are not part of the initial roster of players for the long-running show. Both of them debuted in NCIS season 1, but already several episodes in. Even then, they were mostly recurring roles.
So far, only Dr. Mallard and Sasha Alexander’s Caitlin Todd, who died in the season 2 finale at the hands of Ziva David’s half-brother, are unable to return to the police procedural. Everyone else can return at anytime. Harmon making his inevitable comeback leaves Abby as the only remaining original cast member who hasn’t returned since leaving their post. Even if Gibbs doesn’t return to the primary NCIS show, the character will live on via NCIS: Origins, which will tackle his early days as part of Mike Franks’ ragtag team of investigators at Camp Pendleton.
As previously mentioned, it shouldn’t be tricky to re-incorporate Abby into NCIS’s storytelling. Considering her expertise, any team in the universe would be grateful for any help she can give them. That being said, it would be great to see Abby working in her old lab at the agency’s headquarters in Washington DC. At this point, it will also boil down to CBS and Perrette’s stance on whether the show needs to see Abby again.
Why Abby Needs To Return To NCIS
Throughout her stint on NCIS, Abby was the heart of the team. Despite her goth preferences, she was bubbly, caring, and mostly carefree. She always had a child-like wonder — something that the rest of the team rallied to protect, considering how difficult it was to keep that perspective in their line of work. Her relationship with Gibbs was special, and it’s a shame that Perrette and Harmon had a falling out in real life. Stapf was noticeably careful not to mention this, but it’s likely the reason why Abby’s return to NCIS may never come to fruition.
Despite the complication, CBS must still try to sort out the situation to see Abby on NCIS again. If the franchise is staging a reunion among Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and even McGee and Palmer, it would be odd not to have her with them, considering how much she loved working with arguably NCIS’s best team iteration. Otherwise, a solo cameo could also suffice.
