NCIS fans demand return of ‘goof-ball’ character who ‘got a raw deal’
NCIS fans were left furious after one beloved character got a “raw deal” and was written off the show, with many demanding the series bring him back
NCIS fans haven’t gotten over the early departure of a fan-fave character (Image: CBS)
NCIS enthusiasts are clamoring for the return of a cherished character from the show’s early days.
In a NCIS thread on Reddit, one fan made a passionate plea to the CBS police procedural: “Bring back Gerald Jackson.”
The same fan elaborated on their point by saying: “He got a raw deal and write off. Would be great if they had a case that had old notes of Ducky’s they needed to reference that predated everyone and Jimmy and McGee had to call Gerald.” Gerald, played by Pancho Demmings, was an early assistant to the now-deceased Medical Examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum) and featured prominently from season one through three.
Commenters echoed the sentiment, lamenting the brief tenure of the fan-favorite and speculating on why the series “replaced” him with James “Jimmy” Palmer (Brian Dietzen).
One fan remarked about the February 2024 tribute episode for Ducky: “It would have been nice to have included him in the Ducky episode,” reports the Mirror US.
NCIS fans want Gerald Jackson to make a triumphant return to the series (Image: CBS)
Another fan concurred, noting it would have been “nice.”
One fan remarked: “I liked Gerald but I see why ‘they’ replaced him with Jimmy. Gerald listened to music while Ducky was talking, and was generally not respectful. He was a goof-ball, at a time when there already was a goof-ball, Tony. The Jimmy dynamic of him being nervous and in awe of Ducky gave us more interesting tension. Still would have liked to have Gerald continue, though. Perhaps his character could have developed to have more respect for ducky.”
Another chimed in with an opposing view: “Why? What would the point be? He was only in 15 episodes throughout seasons 1-3. No one would even know who is.”
Yet another disagreed, saying: “Well, Gerald worked with Ducky for two years.”
Gerald’s final appearance was in “Kill Ari Part 2” during the third season, which revolved around the search for the abducted Ducky by rogue Mossad operative Ari Haswari (portrayed by Rudolf Martin), Ziva David’s (played by Cote de Pablo) half brother. After being held hostage by Ari in “Kill Ari Part 1,” Gerald vanished from the series post the two-part saga.
The actor behind Gerald, Pancho Demmings, addressed the “burning question” of what became of his character in a 2020 interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Demmings shed light on how his exit from the show was influenced by decisions made by the series’ writers.
“Initially, I think they were looking at extending my storyline,” Pancho revealed to the media. “Even in the episode where I come back, Gerald says ‘I’m going to be back to autopsy next week,’ but at that time, I guess they ended up choosing to go in another direction.”
“It wasn’t anything that I chose myself, as is part of the business. Sometimes that’s just what happens as a result of different storylines developing on whatever show you’re part of,” he continued.
Pancho shared his openness to return to the role if the opportunity arises and his desire for fans to receive the closure they deserve.
“I would love, for the sake of the fans, for the producers to maybe revisit Gerald’s story and give them closure or some extension of what that storyline is, but that is something that’s up to the powers that be,” he expressed.
“I would be more than happy to reprise that role, but that is something that if the fans are curious about it, they might be able to reach out to the show and ask what’s happening with Gerald,” he suggested.
