Here’s How Else NCIS Can Return Its Controversial Character, but I Still Think It’s a Very Weird Idea

Throughout its impressive TV run of more than two decades, NCIS surely saw lots of its characters come and go, sometimes even in very weird ways.

Some of those who eventually left the show for good would be welcomed back with a raving reaction from numerous fans, though the same can’t be said about several characters whose departure was pretty much awaited by the audience.

Ironically, all that NCIS fans are talking about right now is the return of one of the show’s biggest villains, though it’s pretty clear to me and everyone else that his potential comeback would be a difficult thing to handle and, more importantly, a somewhat undesired appearance.

NCIS may have featured quite many villains that every so often tried to thwart NCIS Special Agents’ plans, but Ari Haswari is probably one of the most hated. The character was introduced to the show back in season 1 whereas season 2 sees him shooting Caitlin Todd in the head while she was carrying out a mission alongside Tony DiNozzo and Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Caitlin’s death came as a whole new reason for her fans to hate Ari Haswari even more, but revenge didn’t take long as his half-sister and then Caitlin’s replacement in the MCRT, Ziva David, came along and tracked Haswari down killing him in season 3 episode 2 titled Kill Ari Part 2.

It’s been years since Ziva David carried out a revenge mission in Caitlin Todd’s memory, but it seems she’d like to have the beloved character’s shooter back to the screen. The NCIS podcast Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, hosted by Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David actors Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, recently had Ari Haswari’s actor Rudolf Martin as its guest star.

During their talk about the show’s most shocking moment, Caitlin’s sudden death, de Pablo suggested that Ari Haswari could potentially return in the original show or rather in the franchise’s upcoming spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva, stating that the already dead character could have popped up as a ghost.

The actress’ idea might sound exciting for those who have been missing original characters in NCIS’ latest seasons, but definitely not for those who have always been fond of Kate Todd’s character.

I wouldn’t be lying if I said that many fans might even consider Ari Haswari’s return (even in ghost form) as some kind of insult to the deceased character he’d shot dead.

Yet there’s another option for Rudolf Martin to come back to the show which is him adopting a completely new cameo role, though I still reckon that his brief appearance sometime in the next NCIS seasons might be more of a trigger rather than an exciting and fresh return.