“NCIS” fans seem to have some mixed feelings about Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette). Some viewers found her downright annoying, especially after the showrunners retooled her character from a darker, more serious goth persona to more of a manic pixie dream girl with a very strong goth flavor after Season 1. Other fans come to her defense, emphasizing how she’s an acquired taste, and that you have to really pay attention to understand her character and what she’s all about. Perhaps then you’ll find yourself gradually falling in love with her.
Abby has a lot of memorable moments on the show, so it’s hard to pick just one. Is it in Season 6, Episode 21, “Toxic” where she gets tricked into making a biological weapon? Or her heartbreaking goodbye episode where she parted ways with the series? Well, if we’re talking about pause-worthy moments, it should be a moment that really resonates with audiences. A moment that makes people want to hit that pause button and sit with those feelings a little while longer. And there’s a tender moment in Season 8 that fits that bill.
Abby’s group hug with her fellow agents is still fondly remembered
CBS/YouTube
One Reddit thread, posted by u/awal0n, is dedicated to reminding other NCIS fans of the most memorable Abby scene. In Season 8, Episode 23, “Swan Song,” the team has to investigate yet another Port to Port serial killer murder. This one is different, though, because of how close to home it hits. The victim is a fellow NCIS agent working out of Norfolk, Virginia. Not only does everyone pull together in order to make sure justice is served on behalf of one of their own, but an air of “it could have been any of us” haunts the episode, especially towards the end.
Ziva (Cote de Pablo) and Tony (Michael Weatherly) start off despairing about the P2P killer in an elevator, with the former lamenting how she doesn’t think she can take the stress of the job anymore. As Tony comforts her, the doors open and the audience sees that Abby and Tim (Sean Murray) are already locked up in an emotional hug of their own on the other side. Once all four of them open their eyes and look up at each other, the palpable emotions on their faces say more than words could ever express. The only thing worth saying is when Tony raises a hand, beckons them into the elevator with a “bring it in,” and all four commiserate together. Abby especially stands out with her bright pink shirt among her colleague’s drab-colored business casual dress as the four embraces in a big, emotional group hug.
The scene is a wonderful reminder of what Abby brings to the NCIS team dynamic, and that whether you love her or hate her, there is no denying how much heart and dedication she brings to this difficult job.
