Caitlin Todd’s Shocking NCIS Season 2 Death Explained

Though NCIS has had plenty of shocking moments throughout its 22 seasons and counting, NCIS Special Agent Caitlin “Kate” Todd’s death in season 2 still stands out as one of its biggest. While Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ was already the Major Case Response Team’s (MCRT) leader in the JAG backdoor pilot, the events of NCIS didn’t start until Todd was introduced. Initially working as part of the Secret Service, Sasha Alexander’s character first encountered Gibbs as they attempted to figure out an assassination plot against the president, which was revisited in the celebrated NCIS‘ 1000th episode, “A Thousand Yards.”

After being let go from her original government position for fraternizing with a co-worker, Gibbs offered Todd a spot on his team over at NCIS. It didn’t take long for her to get used to being part of Gibbs’ original team, joining Michael Weatherly’s Anthony DiNozzo, Pauley Perrette’s Abby Sciuto, and David McCallum’s Ducky Mallard. Todd’s particular skills included psychological profiling. She was also noteworthy for being a strong personality — not backing down from sharing her opinions. Todd was such a good fit with the rest of the NCIS cast. So it was a big deal when she was killed.

Todd Was Murdered At The Very Final Scene Of The NCIS Season 2 Finale

Todd’s death happened in the NCIS season 2 finale, “Twilight,” where she was shot in the head by Ari Haswari. By then, Gibbs and his team had been hunting down Ari since he successfully infiltrated Ducky’s lab, where he held the beloved medical examiner hostage. Eventually, Todd joined them, resulting in her developing a rapport with the terrorist. Despite that, Ari’s anger didn’t stop him from brutally killing Kate with a fatal snipe. The moment it happened, Gibbs knew right away that it was him who murdered his agent. But fans were left to wait for the story’s resolution.

Ari happened to be the half-brother of Todd’s MCRT replacement, NCIS Special Agent Ziva David. This added a layer of drama to the character’s death, which, understandably, continued to haunt Gibbs and the rest of the team after. Since “Twilight” aired in 2005 — long before streaming was born and the binge-model dominated the entertainment space, viewers were left with a massive cliffhanger that wasn’t resolved until NCIS season 3 premiered several months later. This also helped build up the hype for the police procedural, as it was still gradually growing its base at that time.

Why Sasha Alexander Left NCIS

Alexander Cited NCIS’ Grueling Filming Schedule As The Reason For Her Exit

While Todd’s NCIS death was quite a sudden shock, Alexander’s departure wasn’t to the creatives behind the series, as she expressed her desire to leave beforehand, hence why CBS was able to come up with narrative that would write her out. As other members of the show’s cast have shared, filming NCIS is a much more demanding task than it might appear to audiences. Shooting 24 episodes per year can mean months of work on end without a break, with workdays that can be 17 to 21 hours long, as may have been the case with NCIS‘ very first episodes.

Even Harmon almost quit NCIS in season 4 because the shooting schedule had gotten so brutal. Luckily, he decided to stay and continue playing the role a decade and a half after that. Alexander, however, maintained her initial stance. As NCIS season 2 was wrapping up, Alexander asked NCIS creator and then-showrunner Don Bellisario to write her out of the show so she could catch a break. He obliged, agreeing that the actor couldn’t handle NCIS‘s workload.

This pivot was so sudden for some of the cast members, however, as even Weatherly didn’t know that Todd’s death was coming until he saw a blood pack being attached to his co-star’s head on the day they shot the scene for the NCIS season 2 finale. It helped capture DiNozzo’s genuine shock when she was murdered. Since Alexander’s NCIS exit in 2005, she has been replaced with Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David, Emily Wickersham’s Eleanor Bishop, and most recently, Katrina Law’s Jessica Knight.

The Most Shocking NCIS Deaths

NCIS Doesn’t Have A Shortage Of Heartbreaking Losses

Even when beloved characters are killed off on CBS’s hit crime drama, NCIS continues to move forward with fresh faces. The project has survived multiple departures over the years, including Harmon’s, as Gibbs decided to retire in Naktok Bay, Alaska, where he still is, per the latest update about the character. That said, not everyone is given the chance to walk away from NCIS and have a life outside of it. Some of them, including Todd, met their end on the job.

Over the course of 21 seasons, NCIS has featured plenty of gut-wrenching character deaths. One of the foremost among these was Qasim Nassir’s death in NCIS season 14, episode 11. Ripped through the chest suddenly by machine-gun fire while at the library, Qasim’s death was not only surprising but tragic as well, as he had only recently struck up a sweet romance with Bishop. The sadness of his death also lingered for a while, as the couple’s relationship continues to be elaborated via flashbacks even after Qasim’s life support cord is unplugged.

Other notably shocking deaths in NCIS include Special Agent Ned Doreneget in NCIS season 12, episode 23. A sweet and lovable member of the Cyber Operations Division, Dorneget goes down protecting civilians from an explosion, and his death is particularly difficult because it’s hinted at first that he might still survive his injuries. Lastly, IRS Special Agent Diane Sterling (Gibb’s ex-wife) being fatally shot in NCIS season 12, episode 11 was another one of the show’s most surprising deaths. In earlier episodes, two former NCIS directors have also died in the show — Jenny Shepard and Tom Morrow.

Why Todd Returned In NCIS Seasons 3 & 9

Alexander Subsequently Still Appeared In NCIS After Todd’s Death

Despite being murdered in the NCIS season 2 finale, the CBS show was still able to bring Alexander back for season 3. As the team grappled with her death, each of them saw her as a vision. This became an effective storytelling tool that highlighted how big of an impact she had on the team. Her imaginary conversations with Gibbs were particularly cathartic, considering that Ari’s vendetta was against him. She just so happened to be collateral damage.

Since then, Alexander’s Todd was regularly referenced. Her time in NCIS was also always remembered through flashback sequences. Her most interesting comeback, however, happened in season 9, episode 14, “Life Before His Eyes.” In the outing, Gibbs ruminated on how his life would have turned out if certain tragedies hadn’t happened, and that list included Kate’s death. Alexander’s appearance showed an alternate reality where her character lived.