From the moment "NCIS" hit television screens in 2003, the "JAG" spin-off has proved immensely popular with viewers. Throughout its 20-year run, the show has largely followed Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and his team of Special Agents at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as they solve major cases and track down a variety of criminals. Carefully blending police procedural elements with military drama, the show has established itself in popular culture due to its longevity and continuing high quality.
But the fact that it has been on the air for so long also means that its cast has changed significantly over the years — even Mark Harmon has now departed the show. This means that the writers have had to come up with ways to bring character arcs to an end to explain why they are no longer part of the show.
Thankfully, that is not a particularly difficult task considering that the entire premise of the show sees the NCIS team in a number of dangerous situations — battling against terrorists, serial killers, and other violent criminals who are willing to kill to escape justice. Even the Special Agents themselves are willing to do some pretty questionable things that often land them in tricky situations, and many have met untimely and grisly ends.
Fans of the early seasons of "NCIS" will no doubt be aware of Caitlin Todd. Portrayed by Sasha Alexander — who is probably best known for her work in the film "Yes Man" and the comedy-drama series "Shameless" — the character was a former member of the Secret Service who joined the NCIS team following a controversy involving her personal life. She was ever-present from episode 1 and continued in her role as a regular up until the Season 2 episode "Twilight.
Todd was killed during that episode, assassinated by Ari Haswari (Rudolf Martin), who was working as a Mossad double agent. He shot and killed the NCIS Special Agent using a sniper rifle as she and her team searched for terrorists in a warehouse. She later appeared briefly in Season 3 when her funeral was held and she was granted the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
Alexander has since spoken out about her desire to leave the show, telling Zap2It that she didn't regret leaving the series "for a million reasons that I've never spoken out about ... for a million reasons that I can't."
