They actually shot several endings. Mark Harmon said in an interview that aired locally that the cast had no idea which one would be leaving. He said no one wanted to leave. So, they were keeping it a secret until they watched the show tonight.

Talk about a horrible way to find out you've lost your job!

Chickensiht way to fire someone.

I was shocked. I thought for sure they were going to "kill" somebody by having their heart stop and then resuscitating them. I just kind of sat there with my mouth wide open for a good 30 seconds.

I can't believe they would fire someone like that. I don't know if I will like the show as much now that they've killed someone off...

There's a little something in USA today about the "recently departed" from shows of this season, and they talk about Kate and "possible" reason...

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...tv-obits_x.htm (found on TV Tome originally)

I thought it was gong to be "probie" because he was all by himself while they were on the roof. I was totally surprised. As long as they don't kill off Abby or Duckie I'm ok.

Wow! I've got this TiVo'd to watch tonight, and I would have guessed they'd off Probie too. I was a little late to the party and didn't start watching NCIS until the middle of this season, but now I'm hooked.

I just wish that Tony didn't make so many references to his fraternity... hazing, beer funnels, hell week. Then there was the expisode that he was questioning an inmate, discovered he was a brother, and they bonded. Sheesh!

Hmmm. Makes you wonder who was telling the truth, Bellisario or Harmon? Harmon definitely said no one wanted to leave.

Maybe the cast didn't know that Sasha had talked to Bellisario? :confused:

I think I've read that was part of the "alternate" season finale reasoning - maybe Bellisario had planned to kill another one off, and when (if?) she came to him asking to leave, he rewrote the finale to kill off her character. :o

Even though I knew who was killed prior to watching the show, I still enjoyed the episode - I kept forgetting someone was supposed to die until the commercial came on :cool:

OK, here's the deal.

Mac resigns her commission, but the marriage doesn't work out, so, as a former JAG and rough, tough Marine, she joins NCIS so she can kick and shoot more people than she could on JAG.

Hey, Catherine Bell was born in London, so that fits the foreign born piece.

And she is looking for work.

Maybe Bellisario likes her better.

Could you see her taking any crap from Gibbs, a former "Gunny?"

The irrestible force meets the immovable object.

Oh well, I'll miss Kate.

I'd love to see Catherine Bell on NCIS, but I want the marriage between Mac and Harm to work out. We'll need a different story line...:D

Yeah, I was just kidding -- but dumber things have happened on TV.