NCIS: Who killed Kate on CBS' police procedural? Character's fate explored

There have been several deaths in NCIS. But some remain memorable, much like the death of Special Agent Caitlin Kate Todd. Her death in NCIS Season 2 finale which aired on May 24, 2005, remains a turning point in the series to date.

Created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, the CBS police procedural show follows a team of NCIS or Naval Criminal Investigative Services in their role as law enforcers and investigators of high-risk crimes. There have been several deaths in the show thus far, including characters such as Donald Ducky Mallard, Reeves, Jackson Gibbs, Kate Todd, and many more.

However the death of NCIS Special Agent Kate Todd in the Season 2 finale episode titled 'Twilight' was shocking to many. She was shot and killed by Ari Haswari, a Mossad double agent. Played by Sasha Alexander, Kate Todd was a standout character for the CBS show NCIS.

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How was Kate Todd killed in NCIS Season 2?

Kate Todd was introduced in the NCIS Season 1 Episode 1 titled Yankee White. She served as a Secret Service Agent who was a part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs's President Protection Force of the Air Force One team. She joined the NCIS and became an integral part of the team in a few days. Her banter with fellow agents Tim McGee and Tony DiNozzo was a highlight as was her intelligent and witty character.

Kate was shot in her head by Ari Haswari, a Mossad agent turned terrorist. Ari Haswari played by Rudiger Vogler was introduced as a villain in Season 1. His ties to Al-Qaeda made him a prime target of the NCIS team as he could compromise the security of the nation. Ari made several attempts to kill Gibbs and his team members.

In the Season 2 finale, after a successful mission to track down a terrorist cell, Kate spotted the terrorist aiming for Gibbs. Kate jumped in and yelled at the shooter to distract him and collapsed on the ground. Gibbs and Tony in a fierce battle of bullets took down the terrorist. When Gibbs and Tony went to examine her they ripped off her jacket to see the bullet marks. As Gibbs and Tony were comforting her suddenly a bullet hit Kate's forehead and in no time she was killed.

It was none other than snipper Ari Haswari who aimed to shoot Kate from a nearby rooftop, killing her immediately.

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What happened after Kate Todd was killed in NCIS?

Kate's death had a lasting effect on the NCIS team who were unable to cope with the loss of their member. In the Season 3 premiere episode titled 'Kill Ari', NCIS was grieving for her death and also plotting revenge on Ari.

In the NCIS episode Kill Ari Part II when Ari cornered Special Agent Gibbs in his basement, Ziva listened to Ari and Gibbs's conversation. Ari was finally killed by Ziva David, a Mossad agent and Ari's half-sister. Even though Ziva initially did not believe that it was her half-brother who killed Kate, Ari's confession to Gibbs, made it clear to her. In an emotional scene, as Ziva kills Ari, the NCIS team avenges Kate's death while Ziva stabilizes her position within the NCIS team.

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Why did Sasha Alexander leave NCIS?

Interestingly, Kate Todd was not supposed to be killed as per the original NCIS plot. Sasha Alexander who played the role of Kate Todd wanted to leave the show because of the exhausting shooting schedule. She left after 49 episodes and two seasons.

In a podcast called Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, Sasha Alexander opened up about the long working hours and no breaks that made her quit the show. Hosted by Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, she compared the shooting schedules with her other projects Rizolli and Isles, where she could carve out time. She said,

"I mean I think before NCIS, the shows that I did somehow had more of balance..."

In an interview with TV Guide, she revealed,

'People don't realize that on a network show, you make 24 episodes a year- that's 10 1/2 months a year, 17 hours a day. It's hardcore."

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