The Professional Series #2 - Abigail Sciuto (Abby): NCIS

Character Overview

‘Ready to have your world rocked again?’

The quirky Abby Scuito (Pauley Perrette) has been employed with NCIS as a Forensic Specialist for the past five years. Based at headquarters in Washington DC, charming goth-girl Abby is a master in the laboratory, capable of anything from materials testing, ballistics and computer science, to blood and tissue analysis. Seriously addicted to Caff-Pow (a super caffeinated soda), she is fiercely independent and works best alone with just her loud music for company. Known for her distinctive sense of style, she can often be seen in platform boots and short skirts, with her penchant for tattoos clearly displayed. Looking on the bright side of every situation and comfortable expressing affection (most typically in the form of hugs), Abby makes being a goth seem like a positively cheery experience.

Educational Background

‘I am a scientist, McGee. Luck has nothing to do with it.’

Raised in New Orleans, Abby graduated with full honours from Louisiana State University with a triple major in Sociology, Criminology and Psychology. She was awarded a Master’s Degree from Georgia State University in Criminology and Forensic Science. Being the daughter of deaf parents, Abby is also proficient in Sign Language.

Given her inherent talent within the forensic field and passion for problem solving, it is only on the very rarest of occasions that Abby is puzzled by case evidence.

Characterisation

‘Aaaah! Gibbs! Didn’t your momma teach you not to sneak up on people?’

With her black hair, green eyes, variety of piercings and tattoos, and goth inspired wardrobe, on the surface it may seem easy to dismiss Abby as someone more interested in image than solving crime mysteries. However like the case evidence she is employed to analyse, there is much more to Abby than what meets the eye. Aside from being an astute professional with control-freak tendencies in the lab, Abby displays a sweet and thoughtful disposition. It is clear that she cares both about her forensic work and the people that she works with.

Character Development

‘You can’t rush science, Gibbs! You can yell at it and scream at it, but you can’t rush it.’

While traditional crime television shows focus only on the progress of police or legal investigations at the expense of character development, NCIS works towards creating more of a balance between the two elements. Of course NCIS is still fundamentally driven by the quest to solve cases, however viewers are also given more than a glimpse of the life that our characters lead outside the working day. Helped by witty interplay between herself and the rest of Gibbs’ team, it is in this subtle way that we learn more about Abby.

For instance we know about her toy collar-wearing hippo Bert (who suffers from flatulence), her interest in alternative therapies (including aromatherapy), her top three worst ways to die (falling into a wood chipper, drowning in lava and worst of all, being eaten by a shark), and that she may have an unnatural attraction to coffins (apparently they are good for more than just sleeping).

While the lab is where we see most of Abby, she is not a stagnant one-sided character. We are constantly learning new things about her either directly through related storylines or through comments made by her NCIS colleagues.

Relationships

‘A girl likes to be thought of first.’

Like the woman herself, Abby’s romantic relationships follow no fixed path or pattern. She has become involved with everyone from a gemmologist to a NASA engineer, and seems to stay on good terms with most of her ex-boyfriends. While currently single, she did have a relationship with Special Agent Timothy McGee, which ended after McGee pressured Abby on the status of their relationship. She is much more of an ‘enjoy the moment and see what happens’ kind of girl. Abby and McGee remain firm friends.

Abby seems to be well liked and highly respected by her work colleagues and remarkably unlike pretty much everyone else, she shows no fear of Gibbs. While they clearly hold each other in high professional regard, the relationship between Abby and Gibbs seems to be more like one between father and daughter. Abby is always keen to show him her latest triumph like an excited child and Gibbs often responds by showing her open affection.

One of Abby’s closest friends was NCIS Agent Caitlin Todd (Kate), with the two clearly enjoying each other’s company outside the work environment. Following Todd’s tragic death, Abby grieved heavily along with the rest of the team.

Current status

‘You know Abby, sometimes the dead make more sense to me than the living.’

After surviving assassination attempts, psycho stalkers and maliciously minded lab assistants, things are pretty much business as usual for Abby. She is still solving cases using her range of scientific skills, she is still addicted to super-sized Caff-Pow, and she still enjoys working alone.

Believability

Pauley Perrette herself studied Sociology, Psychology and Criminal Science to an undergraduate level. Following her life-long crime obsession she also commenced study towards a Masters in Criminal Science before moving into the entertainment industry. Perhaps it is her real life interest and experience that imbue the character of Abby with such life and give her such genuine appeal. Perrette looks entirely comfortable with technical science speak, carrying out a full range of lab experiments and dealing with a diverse range of analytical instrumentation. Abby and Perrette seem like a perfect match of reality and fiction.

Stereotype rating

Low. Sure she’s quirky, eccentric and a whole lot different to the mainstream, but Abby differs from traditional perceptions of women in science. While there is a tendency towards cheesiness and a ‘don’t forget that I’m kooky’ attitude from time to time, this comes more from the heavy-handed nature of all NCIS characterisations than from the character of Abby. It is incredibly difficult to resist Abby’s scientific brilliance or incredibly likeable personality.

Heart or Hate?

Heart.

Agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts.

Tracey is the author of Quiet Paws