NCIS: Tony & Ziva Kills Off Major Character in Shocking Twist

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Be warned: This article reveals key plot details from the September 18th episode of *NCIS: Tony & Ziva*, titled “To Be Determined.”

NCIS fans are still reeling from one character‘s shocking death.

On the September 18th episode of *NCIS: Tony & Ziva*, Henry, played by James D’Arcy, was surprisingly attacked – stabbed and shot in the head – after assisting Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) in evading their pursuers.

Henry’s helpful action showed he was actually on Interpol’s side, not working against them. The real mole was Jonah (Julian Ovenden), who had been secretly collaborating with the villain, Martine (Nassima Benchicou).

Once Tony and Ziva were free, they immediately went to save their daughter, unintentionally leaving Henry with Jonah. While they were gone, Jonah viciously killed a member of their team, and Henry could only watch in horror.

Although fans were surprised by the character’s death, D’Arcy had known it was coming all along.

D’Arcy recently told TV Line that the show’s creator, John McNamara-a close friend-was honest about what would happen with Henry’s character from the very beginning.

Let me tell you, I almost derailed my career with a project almost 20 years ago – it just didn’t get off the ground! And then, believe it or not, someone wanted to try it *again*! It’s funny looking back, but it was definitely a stressful moment.

D’Arcy hinted that Henry’s death in episode five will significantly impact the rest of the first season.

Killing off a central character now significantly increases the tension because it makes it hard to figure out who the villain is. Viewers will constantly be wondering who might be next, even questioning the motives of characters like Jonah – is he the enemy, or is he being manipulated? This creates a sense that anyone could die at any moment, keeping the audience on edge.

McNamara also weighed in on the decision to write off a beloved character so early in the season.

Making the decision was difficult,” McNamara explained to TV Line on September 18th. “I care about Henry a lot, and I’m especially close to James D’Arcy-we’ve been friends for 18 years-but a suspenseful story like this one requires genuine risk, and sometimes that means even good characters have to face awful consequences.

And Henry’s death will take a hefty emotional toll on both Tony and Ziva.

He continued, explaining that how people respond to terrible events like this will shape who they are and how they grow.

New episodes of NCIS: Tony & Ziva stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

In the meantime, keep reading to see other stars’ shocking TV show departures.

Fans were surprised in 2025 to learn that Mehcad Brooks was leaving the NBC crime show before its 25th season.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

I was really surprised to hear that Jax Taylor won’t be back for season three of *The Valley*. A lot of us fans were getting concerned about how he was acting last season, so while it’s sad to see him go, I understand his decision and hope it’s a good one for him.

Okay, so Jax just *shared* this, and honestly, it’s… a lot. He said in July 2025 that right now, he *needs* to focus on getting sober, taking care of his mental health, and being a good dad to Cruz. He basically said he’s taking time for himself to become a better person, *especially* for his little boy, Cruz, with Brittany. It’s all happening with everything going on with the divorce from Brittany, of course, but he’s trying to make it about growth, I guess. I’m just… really invested in seeing him get through this, okay?

Several cast members from *Saturday Night Live* recently announced they won’t be back for the show’s 51st season, with the news coming within a short period of time for each of them.

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

Following the departures of Longfellow, Walker, and Wakim from *Saturday Night Live*, two more popular cast members, Gardner and Nwodim, announced they wouldn’t be back for the show’s 51st season. Gardner had been with the show for eight seasons, while Nwodim had been there for seven.

Sofia Mattsson finished her role on the soap opera after seven years of playing Sasha Gilmore in the summer of 2025. Her character moved to Paris as part of the storyline.

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred in the popular HBO Max series *The Pitt*, decided not to return after its successful first season.

The actress shared on Instagram on July 10th how honored she was to play Dr. Heather Collins in what she called a truly special season of the show. She also thanked viewers for watching, supporting season one, and sharing their personal experiences with her.

Even though fans likely expected Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, to die – his fate in April 2025 closely mirrored the events of *The Last of Us Part II*, the video game the second season of *The Last of Us* is based on – the shocking way his character was killed still came as a surprise.

Pascal, known for dying in roles on shows like *Game of Thrones* and *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, wasn’t surprised by his character’s fate. He jokingly told *Entertainment Weekly* that he’s used to it – he actually enjoys playing characters who die!

Following what he called a “wild adventure,” Peter Krause finished his run as Captain Bobby Nash on the drama series *9-1-1* with an episode airing in April 2025.

According to a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the character Bobby Nash was intentionally created to be a heroic sacrifice. Creator Ryan Krause explained that first responders put themselves in danger every day to save others, and Bobby Nash’s storyline is meant to pay tribute to their bravery.

The decision to kill off a popular, yet troubled, firefighter was definitely controversial, according to showrunner Tim Minear in an interview with Variety. He explained that after eight seasons, the show needed to raise the stakes, and that meant someone had to die if they wanted future storylines to feel meaningful.

Summer just got a little less fun.

In June 2025, Paige DeSorbo revealed she was leaving the Bravo series after being on the show for seven seasons.

The host of the Giggly Squad podcast announced to her fans on Instagram that she’s moving on after seven amazing summers. She expressed gratitude for the experiences, the supportive community, and all the opportunities she’s had, but feels it’s time to start a new chapter, even if the end of this one is a little bittersweet.

The popular Netflix show will not feature the French actress in its fifth season, which is set to release in April 2025.

I’ve made the tough decision to leave *Emily in Paris* after an amazing run! I shared the news on Instagram recently, along with some photos of my wonderful castmates and our time on set. It’s been such a fantastic experience for me – a real period of growth, creativity, and I’ve made memories I’ll cherish forever.

Before the third season of *The Sex Lives of College Girls* begins, Reneé Rapp has announced she will no longer be part of the show.

She shared on social media in July 2023 that the show *College Girls* brought her to Los Angeles and connected her with many of her closest friends. She added that, after two and a half years, it’s also given her a wonderful community of fans like you.

Mindy Kaling, one of the show’s creators, also confirmed that Reneé Rapp is leaving. She shared on Instagram that they’re sad to see Leighton Murray go, but excited to support Rapp’s upcoming music tour and career. Kaling expressed a lot of love for Rapp in her post.

After over a year of speculation, Kevin Costner confirmed in June 2024 that he won’t be returning for the fifth and final season of the popular Paramount drama. Rumors had circulated that he unexpectedly left the show after four and a half seasons.

In February 2023, Ellen Pompeo finished her run as Meredith Grey on the ABC drama after playing the role for 19 years.

Oh my gosh, you guys, I was watching Drew Barrymore and she totally explained everything! She said she *had* to shake things up, because she’s 53 and her brain feels…well, she said like scrambled eggs! She needed a new challenge, something different. She admitted she can’t just do the *New York Times* crossword puzzle every single day, even though she’s already been back to guest star and she’s *still* narrating the show! It’s just so relatable, you know? She needs to keep her mind active, and I totally get that!

Henry Cavill, known for playing Superman and Batman, has announced he’s leaving the Netflix series *The Witcher* after its third season. Liam Hemsworth will take over the role of Geralt starting with season four and likely in future seasons as well.

In an October 2022 Instagram post, Henry Cavill announced that his time playing Geralt of Rivia was coming to an end. He shared that he would not be returning for Season 4, saying he was putting down his character’s medallion and swords.

Jesse Lee Soffer, an original cast member, left the show in 2022 after playing Detective Jay Halstead for 10 seasons.

As someone who’s spent years observing the dedication behind successful shows, I can tell you creating an hour-long drama week after week is truly a passion project for everyone involved. After my final episode on October 5th, I reflected on my time playing Detective Jay Halstead, and I’m incredibly proud of the work we all did. It was a labor of love, and I’ll always cherish the experience.

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

In August 2021, Emily VanCamp left the TV show *The Resident* on Fox, meaning she would no longer be playing her role as a doctor.

Madeleine Mantock, who played Macy on the CW’s *Charmed* reboot, decided to leave the show after three seasons. She announced her departure in 2021 before season four began, calling the role a great opportunity and expressing her appreciation for the show’s producers, writers, and cast and crew.

Elizabeth Keen will never learn the truth about Raymond Reddington. Megan Boone, the actress who played her on NBC’s *The Blacklist*, decided to leave the show after eight seasons, and her character was killed off before she could read a crucial letter revealing everything. Boone described her time on the show as “a dream” in a 2021 Instagram post, marking the end of Liz’s story.

The second season of *Bridgerton* didn’t include Rege-Jean Page, who became a fan favorite in the first season of the popular Netflix drama. Fans were disappointed when it was announced in 2021 that he wouldn’t be returning.

He told *Vanity Fair* he simply did what he signed up for – the initial job, and then a few more. ‘That’s all there is to it,’ he said, adding that he wished the story were more exciting.

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in a 2018 Arrowverse event and then led the CW’s *Batwoman* series for one season. This was a historic moment, as she became the first openly lesbian superhero to star in her own show. However, she announced her departure from the series just two days after the first season concluded in 2020. In season two, Javicia Leslie took over the role, playing a new character named Ryan Wilder who became the new Batwoman.

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

America Ferrera left the show *Superstore* after its fifth season in 2020, which meant Cloud 9 lost its manager and the show lost a central character. Although she appeared in the first couple of episodes of season six due to pandemic-related delays, when season six became the show’s final season, she came back for the last episode to give her character, Amy, and Ben Feldman’s character, Jonah, a satisfying conclusion to their story.

In the 2019 finale of the Syfy series *The Magicians*, Jason Ralph’s character, Quentin, successfully rescued Eliot (played by Hale Appleman), but died in the process. Although the show regularly features character deaths, Ralph did not reprise his role in the show’s fifth and final season.

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Felicity and I are very close, but after completing grades one through seven, we’ll be leaving.

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

Lauren Cohan initially left *The Walking Dead* in 2018 after difficult contract talks. While she appeared in a few episodes of season nine, her character, Maggie Greene, was absent following a time jump. Producers wanted her to come back, and when her TV show *Whiskey Cavalier* on ABC was canceled, she did. Cohan returned to *The Walking Dead* in October 2020, appearing in the 16th episode of the season.

Following Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the show, Danai Gurira also left. She joined the AMC series as the skilled swordswoman Michonne in season three and appeared for the last time in an episode from March 2020, during season ten.

Nicollette Sheridan played the memorable Alexis Carrington, appearing in several episodes of the first season and becoming a main cast member in the second. In 2019, she decided to leave the CW’s reboot of the show to care for her mother, who was unwell.

George Eads left the CBS show in 2019, during its third season. He stated he wanted to focus on spending more time with his family.

The TV show *Lethal Weapon* has seen its share of cast changes. Clayne Crawford was let go after season two, and Damon Wayans announced he would leave after the show’s third season, which consisted of 13 episodes. Wayans shared in October 2018 that he’d be quitting in December, explaining that as a 58-year-old with diabetes, the long, 16-hour workdays were too much. He jokingly referenced his character, Murtaugh, saying, “too old for this.”

Fortunately, the producers didn’t have to worry about finding a replacement because the show ended after just three seasons.

Ian Gallagher, played by Cameron Monaghan, ended up in jail on the show *Shameless*. While Monaghan initially left the series during season nine, mirroring his character’s fate, he ultimately decided to return for seasons ten and eleven. Despite wanting to pursue other opportunities after nine years, he was back for the show’s final season in December 2020.

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2025-09-19 22:26