‘NCIS’ season 12, episode 23 reaction: Who died during ‘The Lost Boys’?
Tonight, “NCIS” season 12 aired an episode entitled “The Lost Boys” that had promised for quite a while to remove an important character from the equation. In just presenting the facts of the equation, we are somewhat surprised by what happened.
The CBS series ultimately wrote Ned Dorneget out of the series tonight, and did so in a pretty dramatic fashion. The death of the character (played by Matt Jones) will help to further propel Gibbs and company to finish off this three-episode arc, and it does give them a greater sense of resolve. However, at the same time, you do have to wonder whether or not the promotional strategy for this creative move was correct. While Dorny is a great recurring character, we hadn’t seen in a really long time before last week’s episode “Troll.” This is the sort of character whose death may have been more effective if it was unexpected, and not hyped to the level that CBS hyped this.
Based on the commercials, we were quick to assume that the character was someone who was a part of the series for a long time, possibly someone in the attached picture. Then again, part of the reason for that was the current TV landscape. Remember here that this is a landscape that also recently killed off Derek on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and has written off many other longtime characters in dramatic ways.
So, for now, the majority of the regulars on the show are going to live to see another day.
What did you think about this episode, and the death that happened during it? Share with a comment, and head over here to preview further what is coming up on the season finale! Also, you can sign up to acquire some other TV updates on all we cover, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: CBS.)
Karen Janczy
May 6, 2015 @ 10:38 pm
It’s like the red-shirted guest stars on the old Star Trek. You knew they would be eaten by some alien before the first commercial. Predictable and boring. The majority of the commenters on this board had already pegged Dorneget as the victim. Watching it happen did absolutely nothing for me emotion wise, and I am a fairly emotional person. And the tease about “seeing familiar faces”? A ploy to get Ziva fans to think she might show up. Instead, there is Mike Franks (again) and the others who have died. Apparently Cote is wrong and you do have to have died on the show to get seen again in an episode. And now another series finale with Gibbs and his conscious. Been there, done that.
LSilvaxx
May 6, 2015 @ 6:57 am
Thank you very much Matt for keeping fans like me updated about NCIS. Being on social medias is not a good idea if one wants to stay away from a certain group of people. Sadly, it seems there’s too much whining and hatred here as well. It really ruins my interest in checking sites to be honest. Some people act like this show is real life or worse, the only thing in their life and it’s shocking and sad.
liz laughlin
May 6, 2015 @ 5:56 am
Okay, I got played by Gary Glasberg. They brought Dornie back just so they could kill him. Wow, as if that hasn’t been done before. Then the ghosts standing on the tarmac. Are those the familiar faces we’ve been waiting to appear? How long were they on the screen, three seconds? This show is one gimmick after another. Maybe they should just fire all of the writers and start with a new crew. I don’t think that they could do any worse. Gimmicks don’t replace writing!!!!!
John McGrath
May 6, 2015 @ 2:30 pm
but the show has always been gimmicky starting with the original Ari arc. they’ve even recycled the team breaking up bit twice… and the fake death scenes with Gibbs, Ducky, Fornell
other good ones:
-the building where they all work and are all in at the time blows up dramatically but no one in the main cast gets killed…
-norfolk, the main Navy base, is only ten minutes away from DC (real life more like 200 miles) and seemingly doesn’t have its own NCIS team (although it did in season 1 and McGee was on it)
-the Gibbs team is the most important one in a large organization and no one can get promoted out of it no matter how well they perform–like Star Trek)
-Abby and Ducky seem to work personally for the Gibbs team although there are other teams requiring such support (the other teams are only referred to as plot devices when they usually all get killed because only the Gibbs team can succeed and remain intact)
and the gimmick from this week:
-supporting characters are only there to eventually be killed off during sweeps months leading ot the Gibbs vindetta trope
CJ
May 6, 2015 @ 6:14 pm
The formulaic storytelling has gotten much worse under Glasberg though. There are other things the show could dig into without falling back on the death of a recurring character and Gibbs in vengeance/superhero mode yet again. Heck, that’s already been done this season. In fact, that’s already been done in 2015 (Diane’s death) and we just started May. It’s completely unrealistic to think, for example, that Gibbs is going to be a field agent forever. Maybe instead they could’ve addressed the fact that he has to be getting awfully darn close to the mandatory retirement age for field agents. How long can they ignore that? How about instead of killing off a character we probably won’t miss all that much for very long, one of the main characters we care about gets seriously injured and has to deal with recovery/therapy/being on desk duty for a while? Or maybe for once when Gibbs goes off the rule book and acts in “vigilante” style the way he often does, one of the team has a serious disagreement with him and it causes a major conflict? Gosh, I’d rather see any of those things than the theme that has been done to death already on this show over the past few seasons.
liz laughlin
May 6, 2015 @ 7:17 pm
I’s not that you can’t revisit something that worked well for you in the past. Case in point, falling asleep on the couch with Diane was done twice. The first time was Diane and Gibbs. The second, which actually was funnier, In my opinion, was the one wit McGee and Diane. Those events happened in different seasons.
But this time they killed a recurring character twice in the same season. Earlier in the season they killed Diane and this ep they killed Dornie. They also hyped this one. This was a blatant attempt to pull in more viewers and it didn’t work. Without the hype, Dornie’s death would have had more emotional impact. We wouldn’t have seen it coming and it would have been shocking. The hype turned it into another ho hum. (Compare that to the death of Sweets on Bones. That came out of left field and left many fans in tears.)
My point is that the writing has taken a nose dive and the viewership has fallen with it. Gimmicks are being used to try and boost the number. If they improve the writing and stop trying to rely on gimmicks, the show will recover. We used to get glimpses into the lives of the characters. There were many poignant moments between Gibbs and every one of his team members. The closest thing we’ve seen like that lately is when Gibbs chewed out Bishop a while back. He used to have wonderful one on one coversations with Abby or Ziva. This created depth in the “functional mute.” There were some good touches in this episode. The carving left on the kitchen cupboard door and the conversation with the “lost boy.”
However, TPTB still have Tony standing around like the attendant in the men’s room. He is getting paid but he doesn’t have much to do. The team used to be family. We saw them get together outside of work. We used to have a strong interesting woman on the team. Gibbs and Tony both had romantic interests from time to time. We actually saw them interact with these ladies. We used to have stories for each of the team members to be in the spotlight. Now it’s the Gibbs show.–nothing but Gibbs and Gibbs all the time.The older episodes had cohesion that seems to be lacking now. All I can say, is watch the old episodes, season 10 and earlier and compare them to now. Watch season 8, that is when they were at the top of their numbers.
LSilvaxx
May 6, 2015 @ 7:31 pm
To say it with your words, I love the ‘Gibbs’ show a lot more than the stupid and even more unrealistic Ziva/Tiva show.
Zack B
May 9, 2015 @ 4:25 pm
The problem is not with the writers but with EP Glasberg. He was an okay writer when Shane Brennan was running the show, but he is way out of his league now. The show’s ratings have steadily declined under his reign.
Beverly
May 9, 2015 @ 5:42 pm
Totally agree. He has destroyed the show and there seems to be no one that is willing to stop him.
sadtonyfan
May 9, 2015 @ 11:56 pm
I think at least up ’til now, Glasburg has kept the right people happy. The stories and editing are no longer tight generally speaking and the ideas and stories seem to be recycled. Certain characters get almost all the serious consideration while other formerly equally interesting characters are limited and pigeon holed. I fear that the writing for Michael Weatherly’s Tony is so abysmal that tptb are eroding his fan base, as many of us have all but given up on the show and the idea of ever seeing our favorite truly featured, flattered, or focused on in a big story as these stories seem to feature mostly Gibbs or McGee now. Hopefully the rather shocking live viewer numbers for this highly promoted final arc will cause CBS to step in and make tptb shake up the status quo and use ALL of the interesting characters in compelling stories instead of just two.
liz laughlin
May 9, 2015 @ 10:58 pm
I agree. Shane Brennan ran the show from season 5 to season 8. He had an increase in viewership every year that he was showrunner. Season 5 averaged about 16 million viewers. Season 8 averaged 19.7 million viewers per episode. .Glasberg took over in season 9.and managed to average about 19.25 for seasons 9 and 10. But when they needed a replacement for Ziva David, that is when things went south. Season 11 averaged 18.5 million viewers. season 12 with one episode to go has total average viewership of 17.36 million.
One thing that certainly didn’t help Gasberg was that Jesse Stern, one of the best writers that NCIS had, left at the end of season 8 right before Glasberg took the reins. Sterns was the writer of “Truth or Consequences,” one of the most popular episodes according to many fans.
Replacing the character, Ziva David, was going to be a big challenge for Glasberg. They chose to write a character very different from Ziva, in fact very different from Bellisario’s other leading ladies. Sarah MacKenzie of JAG, Caitlin Todd and Ziva David from NCIS were tough, no nonsense women. They chose
to go for another type of woman, a cute little blonde who didn’t know which end of the gun to hang on to. She was a techie not a field agent. The others were. in order, a Marine Corps major, a former Secret Service agent attached to the Presidential detail and a former Mossad Kidon officer. I believe that the course change was a major factor in the erosion of viewership.
If you look at NCIS-LA, Shane Brennan is awash in strong ladies. however, he has been consigned to a slot that doesn’t work for his fan base. LA is written to attract younger viewers. That slot, 10:00 pm, is not conducive for viewing by the 18-49 demo, students and working people. I know that a lot of people disagree with my assessment but it’s my opinion.and I stand by it.
CJ
May 11, 2015 @ 8:31 pm
It’s clear that Glasberg either doesn’t have any original ideas of his own, or maybe he simply isn’t trying very hard to think of any. Maybe he knows something we don’t and is just trying to coast along til the end. But he just recycles exactly the same stuff over and over and over. I don’t enjoy his writing at all, yet he seems to “have” to write every single season premiere and finale episode, so naturally they are predictable, unimaginative, and follow the same basic pattern. I think even the last two EP’s sometimes let someone else write the “important” episodes. Even with Glasberg running the show, those episodes have to potential to be at least slightly better than they have been if he’d just let one of his good writers write it – Binder, Silber, even Waild. It seems to me that those writers haven’t even been involved in this arc at all. The idea of giving your most important story arcs to your weakest writers – and often less tenured ones as well – is head scratching to me.
Luci Allison
May 6, 2015 @ 2:04 am
I loved Ned, and while we hadn’t seen him in over two years, I’m gonna miss him. However, I’m starting to hate this pattern that NCIS has participated in before, which is bring back a recurring character and kill them off. Diane, Eli, Mike Franks. I mean, come on, if NCIS thinks that to attract viewers and attention that it should kill off beloved (or notorious) characters, then I think they’re going to become old quick. I love the show, but if that (or explosions) is all they do every finale or so, then I’m not going to be a devoted viewer much longer. At least it wasn’t Gibbs. NCIS wouldn’t be NCIS – no, there wouldn’t even be a NCIS without Mark Harmon. And yeah, the thing with angsty, angry Gibbs on a revenge rage…
sadtonyfan
May 6, 2015 @ 2:50 am
Yes – killing off recurring characters seems to be a favorite “shocking” and overly promoted formula for the arcs these days. Next week features another favorite NCIS formula – guilt ridden angry Gibbs throws himself lone wolf into the eye of the storm. Yawn. Another angsty Gibbs showcase for a change (rolls eyes) How surprising. Not.
LSilvaxx
May 6, 2015 @ 6:39 am
Harmon simply delivers… something one can’t say about other actors. You know what makes me roll my eyes? You and your hatred against the main character of the show you watch only to hate on it.
liz laughlin
May 7, 2015 @ 3:13 am
Did you know that you don’t need a preposition between a transitive verb and it’s object? I know that almost everyone is using this odd corruption of grammar, but I’m curious from whence it comes. Do you know where you acquired it?
Is it like how everyone now uses “busted” in place of “broke.” I notice that even television newscasters have forsaken “The robbers broke into the store” for “The robbers busted into the store.” Every time I hear it, I think of May West or some other well endowed female celebrity. Just wondering.
LSilvaxx
May 7, 2015 @ 5:44 am
I’m sorry that I’m from Europe and that English is only my 4th language. I’m not fluent with this, I recently started taking courses. Obviously, I still have to learn a lot.
liz laughlin
May 7, 2015 @ 5:07 pm
But I’ve read your other posts and you don’t seem to have a difficulty with the American English language. You seem quite comfortable with American slang and most of your sentences are constructed correctly. Never in a million years would I have pegged you for a European with language difficulties. I just wondered where you picked up “hated on.” Maybe it was off the message boards, huh? Some people use it a lot. Until I started visiting the forums, I had never heard or seen that turn of speech. I also noticed from twitter comments that you really don’t like Cote de Pablo but to each his/her own.
LSilvaxx
May 10, 2015 @ 10:16 am
I have exactly 2 tweets and those were to support a campaign to help my daughter. Nothing to do with de Pablo. I liked her when she was on NCIS but after she left I started to dislike her because of the way she acted since then.
liz laughlin
May 10, 2015 @ 11:38 pm
Oh, I thought that you were the LSilvaxx on Twitter. Maybe your name is more common in Europe than I thought. Your quote, “To say it with your words, I love the ‘Gibbs’ show a lot more than the stupid and even more unrealistic Ziva/Tiva show.” So you used to like CdP but because she chose to leave the show over a contract dispute, In retrospect, the Ziva/Tiva was stupid and unrealistic. I’ve got it, used to like and now you hate. If she accepted the offer from CBS and was still on the show would you still intensely dislike her?
LSilvaxx
May 11, 2015 @ 2:35 am
I’m not disliking her for chosing to leave at all. But I dislike her for the long silence, approving of hatred from her fanbase against the people she claimed to love and then to promote her mini series with bashing the show/network. Her fans have been calling Harmon and Co. racists, sexists and what not. Emily has gotten so much hate. Weatherly, Perrette, Murray, Dietzen… they all have gotten lots of hate from de Pablo’s fanbase and she was fully aware of everything -> we know that from Perrette and Diane Neal. First, I was only disappointed in her but now yes, I do dislike her for being the opposite of what she claimed to be. But still, disliking someone is not the same as hating someone.
Beverly
May 6, 2015 @ 1:36 am
Also disappointed in the “significant loss” game. I liked Dorneget and thought killing him was senseless but it was not the big reveal I expected, Can anyone name all of the ghosts at the end? I missed some of them. The team did perform well tonight. I will gear up for the finale.
Sarah
May 6, 2015 @ 2:41 am
There was Jenny Shepherd, Caitlin Todd, Mike Franks and Dorneget. The ones at both ends i believe is Special agent Pacci who died in the first season and Paula Cassidy who died in the fourth.
sadtonyfan
May 6, 2015 @ 2:52 am
The ghosts looked to be Pacci, Jenny, Kate, Franks, Paula, and Dorneget, if I’m not mistaken. My only question is – where was Shannon and Kelly?
Karen Janczy
May 6, 2015 @ 10:56 pm
Because they were Agents who died in the line of duty, although Mike is stretching it a bit.
Sherry Sapp
May 6, 2015 @ 1:22 am
So stupid! Why all the hype over a minor character? It’s like one of juvenile “made ya look!” type of pranks. Kind of makes you mad you even watched! Dumb!
John McGrath
May 6, 2015 @ 2:14 pm
yes they did it to us again!
like the time it looked like Ducky died on a beach and Gibb’s Pa was about to be executed…
halfway through the episode it looked like Tony might go when he was going into the secret room a setting often ripe for boobytraps (but only when it is a minor character checking it out, apparently!)
the ads and the comments about the loss of a “well-liked character” were very misleading
I barely remembered the well-liked character when he reappeared last week.
LSilvaxx
May 6, 2015 @ 1:01 am
I love this show so much! I’m sad about Ned tho. Always liked him.