Why Did Abby Leave NCIS?
Originally, Pauley Perrette decided to take a leave of absence from the show because of her growing feud with Mark Harmon. It all started when Harmon’s dog bit a crew member on set. Since then, the actress campaigned against him bringing the dog on set in the first place, but that didn’t lead to a resolution.
Harmon and Perrette never made amends, and Abby was written out of NCIS. In the show’s universe, her decision to leave the unit had to do with the trauma of being the victim of a hit man. She was saved by Agent Clayton Reeves, who instead lost his life. After leaving the team, Abby went to the United Kingdom to set up a charity in his honor.
Since Tony & Ziva’s spinoff was originally titled NCIS: Europe, it brings the characters closer than ever. Though Tiva’s adventure is set to begin in Paris, there are plenty of opportunities to drag the couple to London or take Abby to France to cross paths with them.
Even as a cameo, the return of Pauley Perrette’s Abby Sciuto would have been very appreciated by long-time NCIS fans, who were used to seeing what is considered to be the original team, all together.
Also, the filming set of NCIS: Tony & Ziva should be completely safe for the actress to return. From what we know, the spinoff will be produced by Weatherly, De Pablo, and showrunner John McNamara for Mark Harmon will have nothing to do with it, so Perrette could avoid any unwanted interactions.
If you are interested in seeing whether any of NCIS’ veterans will make an appearance in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, make sure to keep an eye out for all the news and behind-the-scenes updates to not miss the premiere date announcement.
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