‘NCIS’ Farewell to Abby Sciuto Moves Social Media to Cheers and Tears

NCIS fans are in mourning after Tuesday night’s episode marks the last time they’ll see Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) on the series.

The eccentric forensic scientist had an emotional exit from the series starting with last week’s episode, “One Step Forward,” and ending this week on “Two Steps Back.” Abby was involved in an apparent mugging along with Clayton Reeves (Duane Henry,) with the screen cutting to black just as a gun fired on them both.

However, in a dramatic twist, Reeves was killed while Abby recovered from her gunshot wound in the hospital. She even found the strength to get up and play a vital role in catching Reeves’ killer. In the end of the episode, she bids farewell to the department, opting to take Reeves’ body home to London and help arrange his funeral.

For fans, it was still a painful ordeal. Abby Sciuto has been a part of the main cast since NCIS began 15 years ago. In fact, she was one of the characters to introduce the series in a backdoor pilot that aired on JAG before the spin-off was introduced. Fans said sad goodbyes to abby in heartfelt posts on Twitter.

“Tonight is the last time I’ll see Abby on #NCIS and I don’t know how I am going to cope,” one fan wrote.

“I don’t think I’ve ever cried more in an episode! #NCIS #GoodbyeAbby” added another.

“As soon as I saw Gibbs and Abby and the window, I knew what was coming,” tweeted one person. “And the instant I saw the [sign language], I lost it. Thank you, thank you, thank you @PauleyP for a beautiful ending to 16 years on @NCIS_CBS.”

“Thank you @PauleyP You will be sorely missed,” another person added. “If you had to leave, I couldn’t think of a more fitting ending.

Abby has a heart of gold and that held true from day 1 of 15 years, up until the very last minute. We love you. #GoodbyeAbby”
Perrette announced her departure from the show in October of 2017 through a post on Twitter.

“So, it is true that I am leaving NCIS after this season. There has been all kinds of false stories as to why (NO I DON’T HAVE A SKIN CARE LINE AND NO MY NETWORK AND SHOW ARE NOT MAD AT ME!),” she wrote frankly. “It was a decision made last year. I hope everyone will love and enjoy EVERYTHING ABBY not only for the rest of this season but for everything she has given all of us for 16 years. All the love, all the laughter, all the inspiration… I love her as much as you do.”

Perrette did not offer much more detail as to why she was making this massive transition in her life, though she did tell TV Guide that it was a soul-searching decision.

“I believe in God and the universe so firmly, and it just suddenly became blindingly apparent that now was the time,” she said. “After a lot of thought, I decided to announce it myself on Twitter because I didn’t want it to be turned into anything ‘shocking.’ Abby leaving is more than a cheap TV ploy.”