NCIS is a well-known crime series that has been running since 2003 and is still active. For many fans, the series remains relevant to this day, especially because of its famous characters. Most of the original cast members are no longer part of the show, and now the last “veteran” of NCIS has also been written out.
What is NCIS? Navy CIS is a crime series that started in 2003. And it has been quite successful, as the series is still running today and has received several spin-offs, including NCIS: LA, NCIS: New Orleans, and NCIS: Origins. The series deals with cases within the US military.
For many, the main reason for the success has been the likable characters that have become entrenched in the hearts of viewers. Some of the big fan favorites include characters like Gibbs, who even worked with his real-life son, Ziva, or Tony. However, many of the series veterans have since disappeared, and now it seems the last one has also been affected: Tobias Fornell.
You can find a trailer for season 17 here:
Another one now fulfills his role
Who is it about? In season 1, episode 1, you not only get to know the main characters Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon), Tony (played by Michael Weatherly), Abby (played by Pauley Perrette), and Dr. Mallard (played by David McCallum) but also Tobias Fornell, played by Joe Spano.
He is a good friend of Gibbs and was initially with the FBI. Whenever there were overlaps with the FBI, Tobias Fornell was brought in. He and Gibbs always had a certain rivalry and also a personal connection through Gibbs’s second ex-wife. He appeared in 56 episodes and, except for season 17, had a role in every season.
However, in 2019, Mark Harmon left the series and the new head of NCIS became Alden Parker, played by Gary Cole. In episode 4 of season 22, he gets into a typical series conflict with the FBI. The head of the FBI is Wayne Sweeney, played by Erik Passoja. Just like in the very first episode, both argue about who will take the case, and NCIS then operates against the FBI.
This strongly reminds one of the rivalry between Gibbs and Fornell. At the same time, the episode also hints at a friendly level between Sweeney and Parker, just like with Gibbs and Fornell.
Without Gibbs and with the renewed FBI dynamics, there are few reasons for the character Fornell to reappear in the story, apart from small cameos. And without Gibbs, there is also no personal connection for Fornell anymore. His role within the series has thus been written out and handed over to a new character. So far, he has not appeared in season 22 either.
He was one of the last series veterans
With this, Fornell would be one of the last series veterans written out of the show. Some long-standing characters have left the show, including of course the head of NCIS:
- Mark Harmon (Gibbs) left the show in season 19
- Pauley Perrette (Abby) left the show in season 15
- Michael Weatherly (Tony) left the show in season 13
- Cote de Pablo (Ziva) left the show in season 11
- David McCallum (Ducky) passed away in 2023 at the age of 90
In a podcast by Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly (via Spotify), the actor playing Fornell even revealed why he was never made a regular cast member of the series. He did not want to become too tied to the series and especially to the character:
I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to have to do what you all had to do. […] It’s actually unspeakable because you get transformed into something and you have to be that to a certain degree, promote the show, respond to people who see you in a certain way.
With such a long series, you not only have to commit as an actor for the filming but also outside of it. You are seen as the character and have to carry that to a certain extent. Joe Spano did not want that responsibility.
Nonetheless, the series continues faithfully even after nearly 22 years. New characters are introduced to fill the gaps for fans – including the well-known rivalry. Do you still watch NCIS or do you miss the beloved characters? Let us know in the comments. More recommendations similar to NCIS can be found here: 7 series like NCIS
