When does Kate die in NCIS? Details from the CBS drama, explored

Kate’s death remains one of the most shocking moments in NCIS. The show was still in early stages when Special Agent Caitlin “Kate” Todd was surprisingly killed off, establishing that no one was really safe in the police procedural drama.

Played by Sasha Alexander, the character was introduced in the very first episode of the show as a secret service agent. However, she soon left the service and joined the Naval Criminal Investigative Service under Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

It has been almost two decades since Kate’s death, but the incident continued to have repercussions on the story for multiple seasons. Kate died in NCIS Season 2 Episode 23, Twilight, which also served as the season finale.

When did Kate die in NCIS?

Caitlin “Kate” Todd passed away in NCIS Season 2 Episode 23, Twilight, which aired on CBS on May 24, 2005. Kate made her debut in the show in the first episode, where she was seen working as a Secret Service agent on Air Force One. After helping Gibbs and DiNozzo solve a case, Gibbs offered her a job at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Kate soon joined his team and became a key member. She was known for her strong profiling skills, her playful arguments with Tony, and her close bond with Gibbs and Abby. During her time on the show, Kate worked on several cases, but her biggest challenge was Ari Haswari, a terrorist and double agent. Ari had a strange interest in her and often tried to get close to her.

In the Season 2 finale, the NCIS team was attacked by Ari. Kate protected Gibbs from a gunshot, and while the bullet hit her chest, her vest saved her. Just when it seemed she was safe, Ari fired again and shot her in the head. Gibbs and DiNozzo were left in shock as they realized they had just lost their fellow agent.

Her death left a lasting impact on the whole team. While each member coped with the loss, it pushed Gibbs to hunt down Ari, which he did in the next season. Kate’s loss changed the show not only for the characters but also for the audience, as the stakes got much higher.

Why was Kate killed off in NCIS?

While actress Sasha Alexander had signed to play Kate for six seasons, she felt the burnout of excessive working hours. Considering that the NCIS cast members needed to shoot 24 episodes every year, they got little to no free time. Alexander talked about her concerns with the show’s creatives and told them that she would like to get her workload reduced.

However, series co-creator Donald P. Bellisario felt that killing off Kate would be a better choice, as it would make for a massive moment in the show that no one would be seeing coming. Bellisario and executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson talked about the whole scenario in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2023. Johnson revealed at the time:

“In year two, Sasha went to Don and said, “I love this show, but I just can’t work this hard.” We were doing long hours. I don’t think she wanted to leave the show — she just wanted a lighter workload. Bellisario was always a writer who went for the cataclysmic. He went, ‘Well, what if we kill her off?’”

Reflecting on the decision, Bellisario said:

“I wanted to do a shocker, so that’s what I did, and people didn’t expect that at all. It came out of nowhere.”

Following her death, Kate was replaced in the team by Ziva David. Ever since, the position has been taken over by the likes of Eleanor Bishop and Jessica Knight. NCIS has so far aired 22 seasons and has already been renewed for a 23rd season.

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