Abby’s NCIS Comeback Path Is Now Clear After Pauley Perrette & Mark Harmon’s Feud

NCIS now has a clear path to bringing back Abby Sciuto six years after Pauley Perrette’s feud with Mark Harmon. Being on the air for more than two decades, NCIS has seen many characters come and go. Since Kate Todd’s unexpected death, it established that a rotating ensemble would be its norm. Admittedly, it’s difficult to say goodbye to some players, especially fan-favorite ones, but the police procedural always moved forward, with the Major Case Response Team’s (MCRT) work continuing regardless. Considering how many cast changes the show has seen, NCIS has needed to be creative with its departures.

Behind the scenes, the reasons for the cast’s decision to leave the series vary. The majority of them stemmed from the actors’ choice to move on from NCIS, whether that’s because they wanted to explore other avenues with their career, or they simply wanted to retire from it, which was the case with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Jessica Knight’s impending NCIS departure still doesn’t have an official reason — assuming that it will move forward. Among everyone who walked away from the show, however, Paule Perrette has the most complicated exit, which, in turn, makes Abby’s possible return also tricky.

NCIS is known for its procedural format, but arguably the best thing about it is the chemistry of the ensemble. Over the years, the roster of the MCRT has changed multiple times, but arguably one of its best relationships was between Gibbs and Abby. Unfortunately, things behind the scenes were reportedly not the case leading up to Perrette’s departure. Long story short, she said that Harmon terrified her after an issue she had an encounter with his dog. In 2024, CBS executives revealed that the issue had long been resolved, and are even open to bringing her back.

Despite this, Perrette’s last comment about the matter revealed that she maintained her stance about her exit, saying that she would never be coming back to NCIS because she never wanted to work with Harmon. She made this statement in 2019, around the time when she was busy with her short-lived show, Broke. Despite this, there’s still hope that she will eventually return, especially after the Ducky tribute episode in NCIS season 21 referenced Abby.