‘NCIS’ season 12: Who could potentially die before finale ends?
An important character is going to die on “NCIS” at some point over the next two episodes, and you can argue that there have been many clues as to who this person could be. However, we would argue back that these could all be red herrings. We’re not entirely sure that we are any closer to finding out the identity of this person now than we were a week ago.
Still, we thought it would be useful today to start to go through some possibilities here, at least for the eight characters who are pictured here. It’s not guaranteed that the departed will be one of them, but if this is truly something meant to leave a huge mark on the rest of the series, it would make the most sense for one of them to go. As for why someone is getting killed off, you can argue everything from creative reasons to finances to someone wanting to move on. It’s all mere speculation.
Now that we’ve set this up, let’s dive right into it.
Gibbs – It’s at least possible. Mark Harmon is getting more into executive-producing, he has carried a ton of weight on the show for the past decade-plus, and his departure would save the show a lot of money. Still, we have a hard time imagining the show without him.
Tony – There have been rumors around Michael Weatherly’s character, but we cannot see it. He is for one appearing on “NCIS: Los Angeles” next season, and if he was leaving, couldn’t you just write him out by saying he was off on some other mission? Given that Ziva is still alive, it would make little sense to kill Tony.
McGee – He’s not dying. He has already been seen in the promo for this episode.
Abby – Killing the longest-tenured female character would be a really hard sell, especially since she is one of the primary sources of the show’s levity. It would certainly, though, be the sort of shock no one saw coming.
Ducky – While it’s hard to imagine many situations where he would be in danger of dying, David McCallum is 81 years old, and this is the sort of show that requires long hours. He’s had such a wonderful career that there’s really no financial motivation for him to work anymore.
Jimmy – Some of argued that there have been hints about it being him, and we could see it happening. He’s been a longtime familiar face, but only a series regular for a handful of seasons. Given Jimmy’s personal life at the moment, though, this would be particularly depressing.
Vance – The same goes for Vance, given that he is a parent and already had one major health scare this season. Even still, changes of leadership do happen, and Vance is the sort of person who would be a target of anyone trying to send a message.
Bishop – Why introduce her last season only to kill her off now? There’s little motivation, and since she has only been around the series a couple of years, she is also cheaper to retain for subsequent years.
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Karen Padecky
May 5, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
I think it’s going to be Fornell because he would be a important character and I also read there is going to be a big Gibbs moment that Mark Harmon is enthusiastic about. .which I think means he’s going to raise Fornell and Diane’s daughter.
Beverly
May 4, 2015 @ 6:53 pm
I can’t decide. Dorneget is too obvious and I don’t know about other fans but I would be disappointed if it is him. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Could be Delilah. She works for the NSA so she could wind up overseas. Jake is another possibility. if I could choose it would be Bishop. You never know. lol She has been making the rounds talking about the “significant” loss of someone the team is fond of but Bishop appears in the last shot of the season so not likely her. So my final guess is that it will be someone the team is familiar with and none of the core characters will die but may disappear or leave the team after some intense action. The team searching for a lost member could provide some good shows. This is the first episode in a long time that I have wanted to see. If they do good tomorrow then I will gear up for the finale. Let me know who your final pick is before tomorrow.
Patton
May 4, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
Delilah does not work for NSA. She works for DoD.
Beverly
May 4, 2015 @ 7:34 pm
Whoops! Your right. I remember Tony calling her DOD Delilah. Thanks. I forgot Bishop came from NSA.
Beverly
May 4, 2015 @ 7:34 pm
Whoops! Your right. I remember Tony calling her DOD Delilah. Thanks. I forgot Bishop came from NSA.
Mike Atamian
May 4, 2015 @ 6:38 pm
I think it will be McGee’s girlfriend.
Pat
May 4, 2015 @ 11:38 pm
I hope not. I’ve had more than enough McGee angst to last me a good long while. It’s just not entertaining.
marysue
May 3, 2015 @ 9:02 pm
I’ve rethought this. Could it be McGee and Dorney is being introduced as the new cyber/tekkie that will replace him? I saw somewhere else that McGee goes to Egypt- if this is true then he could be the potential loss and the familiar face Ziva? Thoughts anyone? Am I completely off base here?
sadtonyfan
May 3, 2015 @ 10:48 pm
Spoiler marysue. I thought it might be McGee too because he’s had so much attention and drama this season until I saw the preview. It shows an American flag draped coffin on a plane and someone next to it from the back who looks like McGee. Also, on another forum there was a picture of Bishop, Abby, Leon, and McGee that said they had just shot the last scene of the finale so McGee is around for the last episode. My money’s on Dorneget with a big Gibbs cliffie finale. Gary Glasburg wrote the finale episode so it will be all about Gibbs.
Dana Jo jGraslie
May 2, 2015 @ 9:55 pm
I’m pretty convinced that it’s Dorneget because that’s exactly how they are making it look. If they want to go for predictable then I do think it’s Dorney. However, how does this make it shocking?? I like how Matt listed all the characters because from what we’ve learned from the PD Grey’s incident is that any contract can be broken and by that making no one on NCIS safe. Ziva is been off the show for two years but they still make her character very alive and present and it would be a huge mistake if they did off her because like many have said, it would push the fans away from the show even more and the demo ratings are already the lowest they’ve ever been. Plus, CdP did say on more than one occasion that she wants to make guest appearances. Some say MW is a possibility because of his random tweet about PD dying on Grey’s and that was just odd and out of the blue, some say Ducky because he is in his 80’s and he’s got to be looking to retire eventually, some say Jimmy because of Gibbs unusual behavior toward him last week, I guess they all could be a very possibility but if they want us speculating about this episode…they definitely got us speculating. ;)
Karen Janczy
May 2, 2015 @ 12:29 pm
It will be Dorneget and I think the show runners will be disappointed that the majority of the fans will not be shocked and dismayed. He’s a likeable character, but hardly worthy of such a build up.
Erin
May 2, 2015 @ 12:50 pm
The new formula for their highly promoted arcs is to kill a recurring character and build it up as the most shocking thing ever. It’s most likely Dorneget. This sets up the obligatory poor widdle woobie SIC McGee angst as well as the obligatory s—storm of Gibbs righteous indignation, angst, and super GIbbs action scenes that will dominate the next two episodes. Tony will no doubt man the clicker while doing nothing of significance as usual.
Robin Nanni
May 2, 2015 @ 5:11 am
I think you forgot to mention Fornell. Even though he is off and on the show, he brings a lot of personality to the show.
JaKe421
May 2, 2015 @ 2:33 am
This is completely off topic but does anyone else die laughing every time they see that horribly photoshopped picture of the team? It reminds me of when I was a kid and I mixed my Barbies with off brand dolls that didn’t quite match up proportionally. They were probably trying to create dimensions and distance but Pauley looks gargantuan next to Rocky and David. Poor Rocky looks like his whole head would fit in Pauley’s hand. And this does nothing for the whole Bishop as a little girl image. Emily looks a Strawberry Shortcake doll playing in the land of Barbies. At least poor Michael got to have legs in this one unlike some of the others the show published.
liz laughlin
May 5, 2015 @ 5:00 pm
Actually the picture shows Abby about the same size as Gibbs and everyone else including Tony looks smaller. I think that this represents how TPTB see things now. Because of results of q scores, Pauley Perrette/Abby is now seen as the most popular character on television but even if that’s true, she can’t upstage Gibbs.
Dido Twite
May 1, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
I think it’s clearly Dorneget.
Sandi Brooks
May 1, 2015 @ 5:37 pm
Thanks for not falling into the ridiculous ” Is it Ziva?” speculation, as some other sites have done. We all know Cote would agree to return to do some episodes, but for a better TIVA resolution, not to have her character killed off and see marginalized Ziva fans further alienated.
Sally Ann Price
May 1, 2015 @ 7:40 pm
I understand what you are saying. A lot of her fans would really be disappointed.
Abby
May 1, 2015 @ 4:36 pm
It’s going to be Ned Dorneget. Why bring him back after 2 years and have him heavily involved in this case. It’s so obvious it’s actually sad that they think it’s going to be a surprise to the fans. Epic fail Glasberg. Epic fail.
Beverly
May 1, 2015 @ 4:17 pm
MattCarter – Are you going to do a poll to see who your commenters pick before the big day? I am still undecided. I have a bad feeling about Tony and Gibbs. Michael Weatherly’s twitter posts cause me to think it will be him. Gibbs making all of these sudden changes with Jake and thanking Palmer I hope is a red herring.I also wonder if Ducky is a red herring with those odd moments that he had in the lab with Jimmy. If David McCullum wants to leave the show, I vote sending him to England to hook up with the lady he has a crush on. It’s sad that killing off people is now the go to shocker. The problem is that it happens so much that that it loses it’s shock value. Would be too sad if it is Jimmy. I’ll pick someone before next Tuesday, I thiink. lol
Abby
May 1, 2015 @ 4:52 pm
David McCallum said recently something along the lines of “as long as there is life in David there is life in Ducky”. He is not going anywhere.
This is not going to be a main Character. They have only twice killed off a main cast member. Kate and Jenny. They aren’t in the habit of doing that. They are however in the habit of killing off well liked supporting characters like Mike Franks (and regret it) and sadly villians that have the potential to become amazing overarching villians (like Ari, Parsa, Bodner, this last dude that killed Diane) that could create amazing plot lines before they ever get the chance.
Johanna
May 1, 2015 @ 4:08 pm
It will be Gibbs and he comes back as a ghost. Like Mike did. This wil make space for Tony to be a team leader and it will give CBS the opportunity to create a “new” CBS leader character – Michael W.
Abby
May 1, 2015 @ 4:40 pm
Mark Harmon will be on the show until. There is no show without Gibbs and Mark Harmon is too creatively and financial, not to mention probably emotionally involved in the NCIS series franchise
Abby
May 1, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
That should have said until the end. Sorry.
sadtonyfan
May 1, 2015 @ 11:19 pm
I’m just afraid they’d make McGee the team leader instead of Tony if Gibbs left or have some kind of BS joint leadership for comedic schtick. I wish Weatherly would leave the series and get hired to lead in a well written show that actually appreciates his talent, versatility, and charisma. The McGibbs show this season has been a total fail for the Tony character. He’s either been insignificant, the butt of the joke, or involved in some lame relationship C plot. It’s a total waste of his potential, while it’s week after week of super Gibbs and SIC McGee. It’s been done so much that it’s about as exciting as watching paint dry at this point. The finale arc sounds to be more of the same. I don’t honestly care what kind of dilemma they’ll be leaving super Gibbs in at the last minute. I miss very special agent DiNozzo being portrayed as very special.
LSilvaxx
May 2, 2015 @ 1:22 pm
Hard to believe you’ve ever been a fan of Tony at all. He’s been the idiot for Ziva all those years. Now where McGee finally gets attention you’re crying all the time. And as for Harmon, he’s main character and actor of the show. It’s like that since day 1. If you cannot get it after 12 years, then you either enjoy being a crying baby or you just don’t have any other Hobbies. If all of this annoys you oh so much then stop watching and paying attention. You’re write the very same thing on almost every article posted anywhere.
sadtonyfan
May 2, 2015 @ 4:31 pm
FYI I used to complain about purse Tony for many years, even before it became an issue for others as well, and rude commenters would let me know that I was all wrong about that too. I don’t mind McGee getting attention. I mind McGee getting all the good writing that Gibbs doesn’t get at Tony’s expense. It’s dull and a waste of a really good character to only use him for filler scenes and lame, overly contrived C plots, while giving a more mediocre actor and character the good stuff all the time instead. Gibbs has NOT always been the only hero in the bunch but he sure is now and IMO it’s gotten extremely stale. At least I don’t come on line to berate other posters. Maybe that’s your hobby.
LSilvaxx
May 5, 2015 @ 11:23 pm
McGee and Gibbs don’t get all the good writing at Tony’s expense! But you’re one of those people that are like “what I think is right and everyone else’s wrong”. That’s how you seem to me. Can’t tell if that’s true or not but that’s how you seem to be because whenever someone tried to have a conversation with you about, you blocked it by repeating the same things over and over again. And in all honesty, if you see them portraying Gibbs as some sort of hero then there’s nothing I can say anymore. He’s so far away from being a hero. Hell, that man is broken and just does his job. If that makes him a hero then I guess we’re all heroes.
Beverly
May 2, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
Hope you continue to share your opinions in spite of rude comments. The good news is that Tony will be on a crossover episode with NCIS LA. I think that will be a treat as I enjoy both spinoffs more than the original these days. They will be announcing the show and contract renewals in a couple of weeks so we will see if that changes the dynamic in any way. Tony is an excellent team leader and it is time for him to take a step up. Do you think he might possibly join the NCIS LA team? I rather enjoy Super Gibbs (Truth or Consequences) but there needs to be more balance and focus on the team. He fits in a lot better when it is not every show that he saves the day. Once in a while is enough and it maintains his “super” status. lol Let me now what you think about Tony joining LA.
sadtonyfan
May 2, 2015 @ 4:26 pm
Well apparently at least McGee and Palmer were at the NCIS LA sit read, so it’s not just Tony. We never see Tony as an excellent team lead because as you say either McGee takes over when GIbbs is away and super Gibbs saves the day every single time. I don’t think Tony will join LA. As a matter of fact, and this is of course only a guess – the finale will leave Gibbs (of course) life hanging in the balance somehow as he goes off lone wolf to save the day. Tony, Shiny Tim and at least Palmer will somehow join forces with LA to save Gibbs. Of course Gibbs will ultimately save himself. Just a guess.
CJ
May 5, 2015 @ 7:15 pm
I have to agree with Liz that I think it’s at least a possibility that Tony/MW could join the LA cast. I also have to agree that there is an across the board decline in the quality of the show over the past few seasons. In addition to Gibbs being the focus of every single major story arc now, the pattern of the arcs are more predictable and boring than ever. The dynamic between the team members has changed, and the dialogue is dumbed down and slower paced than in earlier seasons. It wouldn’t shock me if someone decided the show needed a shake-up, if MW just isn’t as happy at the mother ship over the past few seasons (who could blame him), or if there are things we don’t know about happening offscreen. MW’s contract is through 2016 – but wouldn’t the contract be with CBS? Would he be able to fulfill the rest of the contract as a cast member of a different CBS show? I have to admit that I would probably jump ship and follow Tony to LA. I’ve been greatly dissatisfied with NCIS of late, and I actually think in some ways that the LA version is benefitting from better writing and at the very least a higher degree of creativity.
sadtonyfan
May 3, 2015 @ 12:01 am
One correction Beverly – I misinterpreted a photo with M. Weatherly, S. Murray, and B. Dietzen with the cast of LA and thought that they were all going to make a guest appearance on LA, but it was an old photo and I guess it’s just M. Weatherly who is going to guest star. Didn’t M. Harmon make a big deal about never wanting to guest star on that show at some point? I get this feeling (given the treatment of his character this season) that M. Weatherly doesn’t worry as much as he used to about saying or doing something that might tick off the current PTB on NCIS. Further, given the crappy and unexciting writing DiNozzo has received, as well as his demotion in favor of Shiny Tim, that it’s too late to care.
liz laughlin
May 5, 2015 @ 5:04 pm
Hmm…..I never heard that Harmon stated that he never wanted to appear as a guest on NCIS-LA. Maybe it wasn’t just DPB with whom he had problems. Maybe it was also Shane Brennan.
Also, it’s not just that Weatherly gets “crappy writing,” the show in general has writing problems. I’m convinced that NCIS has a diehard fan base, who will watch no matter what. Even if all of the characters just stood there and recited nursery rhymes, they would still watch. How big that fan base is, I don’t know. Last season I thought that it was bout 17 million but this year it looks like about 16 million. Episode 22 of this season hit a low of 14.9 million. You can’t find a lower episode unless you go back to season 5. Season 13 will tell.
Will they drop another million viewers per episode?
liz laughlin
May 4, 2015 @ 6:01 pm
I don’t think that Tony would join the LA team. I don’t think that he would fit in well with that team. The LA team is pretty balanced and has a very good dynamic. I would like to see how he interacts with LA because I could be wrong about that.
The only way I could see it happen is if TPTB want to get rid of Weatherly thinking, as they did with David James Elliot on JAG, that he is now too old to be the romantic lead. In that case, Brennan may want to pick him up. Bellisario was very high on Weatherly and I suspect that Brennan would be also. Brennan was showrunner for NCIS from season 5 through season 8. It was during the Brennan years that NCIS went from about 16 million viewers per episode to almost 20 million per episode. Brennan was the one who took NCIS to the top.
Glasberg hung on to the viewership numbers during seasons 9 and 10 but when he had to create the replacement for Ziva, things started going south. Critical mistakes in the creativity gave us Bishop, hardly any Tony and an over emphasis on Gibbs. The team as family, the romance, and the witty dialogue are almost gone. It’s hard to believe that a show like NCIS could devolve this fast–season 12 episode 22 demo 2.0 viewership 14.852 million. Lowest single episode since season 5. Yes, it’s still number one but barely. Anyone with a really well written show could knock them out of that spot.