It’s the perfect time for Abby Sciuto’s NCIS return, so I’m so disappointed about Pauly Perrette’s new announcement

Considering everything that’s going on in the franchise right now, Abby has the perfect opportunity to come back to NCISSo I am so disappointed to learn about Pauly Perrette’s latest announcement. It has been six years since Lero Jethro Gibbs’ original team member of JAG Exit the procedure. By then, there are already several character departures in the series, so it shouldn’t be that hard to deal with her loss. Still, I think that Abby has the most devastating exit in NCISNot because of what happened on screen, but because of what went down behind the scenes.

All members of Gibbs’ MCRT team brought something different to the table, which made them effective. That said, it would have been difficult for them to do their job without Abby. Although I wish they dug deeper into her importance, the show properly established how much Gibbs and the rest needed him. Meanwhile, Alden Parker’s NCIS Season 22 roster has Kasie Hines. She’s great, but I continue to dream of Abby eventually reconnecting with her old co-workers. I was hoping that she would finally return in the next couple of years – until I learned about Perrette’s career update.

Pauly Perrette’s complicated NCIS exit explained

Perrette left NCIS after having issues with Harmon

Suffice it to say, the history of parrots exit from NCIS is a complex. Despite co-starring on the procedural for over a decade and even sharing countless scenes together as Gibbs and Abby, things between the actors turned sour in the last couple of years when Perrette was on the show. As someone who loved their character’s father and daughter dynamic, this was such a massive shock, considering the pair’s on-screen chemistry. Perrett claimed it Harmon scared her after a bad encounter with his dog.

The conflict continued for a while, with The production of NCIS To be more creative when filming scenes involving both Abby and Gibbs. Apparently, the problem has already been solved. But that didn’t stop Perette from leaving. In her last comment on the matter in 2019, Perrette maintained her stance on her exit. She added that she would never come back to NCIS Because she never wanted to work with Harmon.

In 2024, CBS executives were asked again about the possibility of bringing the actor back, and they said they were open to bringing her back. Between this and Perrette’s last sighting with his former co-star Brian DietzenI thought it was only a matter of time until Abby would come back in. NCIS. Further fueling my hopes was how the franchise was evolving and the direction of its story moving forward.

Why it’s the perfect time for Abby to return to the NCIS franchise

The path for Abby’s NCIS return is clearer than ever

Ultimately, there is no shortage of reasons to bring Abby back to NCIS. I argue that if Perrette agrees to return, the producers can easily find a reason for her character to get back to the Navy Yard. There are so many viable storylines that could draw her back to Washington DC or even just reuniting with her former co-workers. Director Leon Vance can recruit you for an important mission or Abby can reach out for help with a personal dilemma. All of these can now be done because Harmon has already passed NCIS In season 19.

Beyond that, Perrette also has the option of returning to the franchise through Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo’s NCIS: Tony & Ziva. It will be separated from what is happening in the US, as it will be set across Europe. Since Abby is supposedly still based in the UK, Tony and Ziva can seek her help. Personally, I think this is the easiest way for Perrette’s comeback. Also, like many who loved the procedural during the previous years, I would also be thrilled to see Abby not only learn about Ziva’s status but also her current romance with Tony.

Pauly Perrette’s acting retirement means that none of these stories can happen

Unfortunately, the timing of Perrette’s retirement is bad for NCIS

All the options for Abby’s return to NCIS They are great, and I would like none of them to happen. That said, Perrette’s recent announcement that she is officially retiring from acting effectively kills any chance of those stories. Given that the actor hasn’t appeared in any shows since CBS canceled her post-NCIS series, broke, but the door for her to return to the industry remained open. Now that she has definitively said that she is no longer acting, all my hopes of seeing Abby again on the small screen have been dashed.

What makes this worse is the timing of things. I don’t know if there are any talks or plans about bringing back Perrette NCIS. However, I wonder if there was a chance for Abby to return if anyone from CBS or the aforementioned shows in the procedural franchise reached out to the actor before she made her retirement announcement. As previously mentioned, reincorporating her into the NCIS franchise is quite simple. It could be a recurring gig or a one-time cameo. Regardless, it would mean that NCISResident Gat Ken reunited with her former work family.

How NCIS could still use Abby despite Perrette’s retirement

Ducky’s Tribute shows how NCIS could still use Abby without Perrette

Ideally, I’d like Perrette to actually reprise her role as Abby and physically appear in any of the aforementioned. NCIS Projects. However, since that is impossible now, considering her retirement, I would like the people behind the franchise to think of some creative ways to refer to MCRT’s original forensic scientist. Ducky’s tribute episode was able to get Abby involved without the actor, by featuring flowers she supposedly sent for the funeral. With this plan in mind, the NCIS Universe can think of more ways to make you relevant again.

This can be much easier to do in NCIS: Tony & Ziva as in NCIS’ Flagship series, however. While Parker’s MCRT still has members who worked with her for years, getting Abi being involved in Tony and Ziva’s story, especially since they’re on the run, will have the biggest emotional impact on fans like me. Perhaps Tally can be sent to the UK with Abby as her parents deal with the dangerous situation they find themselves in. Otherwise, it is also possible to rely on your computer skills to gather information about the couple’s enemy.