NCIS season 20 episode 4 offers up sly Abby, Caf-Pow reference

Earlier on this fall we’d heard suggestions that Abby could be referenced more in NCIS season 20, something we very much welcome. In general, this show has developed a bad habit of acting as though characters never existed after they were gone. Abby in particular was someone who wasn’t killed off and, so far as we know, still lives in the area. She just moved on to other things and found a different calling doing good for others.

Yet, the character’s whereabouts and friendships with the team have been largely MIA from the show … but there was a tiny, fun reference to the character during tonight’s “Leave No Trace.”

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As many of you who are longtime fans of this show know, one of Abby’s favorite things in life is the Caf-Pow beverage, which she would often drink in overly huge cups. It is something that became directly associated with her character over the years, much like Parker and his love of elaborate foreign pastries.

To see Caf-Pow referenced during tonight’s story, even as a brief aside amidst the case of the week, brought a smile to our face. Does it mean anything more than just a throwaway line? Possibly not, but we feel like it was intentionally brought up to give fans a hit of nostalgia. It’s a reminder that the Abby character is still out there, and we think that at this point in the show’s run the writers are a little more okay to have these callbacks if they make sense.

As for whether or not Abby could actually return down the road, that’s up to Pauley Perrette. We know that she’s said in the past that she has no intention of ever coming back, so we’ll let her make that determination.

Related – Be sure to get some more news on NCIS right now, including other teases on the future

Do you think there’s any chance we see Abby again moving into NCIS season 20?

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This article was written by Jessica BunBun. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.