Abby's Lab: All things Ms. Sciuto

[MyAimIsTrue]

By request, your Abby topic!

[betsyboo]

By request, your Abby topic!

Thank you!

 

First off - am not an Abby fan. She didn't bother me in the first season, but she began to grate as she got more raspy and more 12-year old bubblegum girl. Where's that competent unique Goth girl!?!? 

 

Anyway - Re-watched Season 11 Better Angels last night. (B-story, Papa Walton & Gibbs go to visit German pilot who saved Papa in WWII. #gutpunch) COW saw Delilah coming over to help out with the victim's laptop. Someone, please explain - what was Abby's damage with Delilah??? Is it as simple as she was jealous because of McGee (or that McGee might think another woman was actually competent at her job?)?? Get over it! It had been 10 years at this point! Admittedly, I watched the first 10 seasons scattershot over two years of USA reruns, so I am fuzzy on timing, but can not think of a reason she would be so bitter and (even more) annoying about D. Could someone please elaborate, or at least confirm it was simple envy? Thanks much.

[Julia]

I don't think Abby has damage with Delilah. I think she's just very territorial about her turf. She's since bonded with Delilah and Bishop about how they're a three-woman Bechdel squad.

[JessDVD]

I don't remember that specific episode, but the writers do continue to trot out the tired, nay sleeping plotline of someone is visiting NCIS, and they connect with either McGee or Abby, whichever is the opposite gender, and then the other of McGee and Abby gets unnecessarily and obnoxiously jealous. It's tapered a bit since McGee and Delilah have lasted, but there was awhile when it was like, come on writers, it's been over ten years since they dated, it's time for this one to go to bed.

[betsyboo]

I don't think Abby has damage with Delilah. I think she's just very territorial about her turf. She's since bonded with Delilah and Bishop about how they're a three-woman Bechdel squad.

i absolutely agree on her turf - I get that she's protective of her lab. This just seemed so much more than that. To me, it read that she was jealous McGee had a girlfriend. Because at that point, Delilah hadn't even gone to the lab - she was just in the bullpen.

 

I don't know why Gibbs puts up with her.

[ForeverAlone]

I saw the same jealousy in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Delilah was nowhere near the lab. It is rather bizarre that the writers showed both Tim and Abby jealous of anyone the other dated until Delilah stuck around.

[Julia]

And (sorry, this is my ongoing issue with this show) nobody said boo when Abby was doing it, but when Tim got weird about park ranger guy, pretty much every other character lined up to tell him he was out of line. It's like somehow it's OK if it's the girl, because they're not completely rational (isn't it cute).

 

Did I mention ongoing issue?

[JessDVD]

I always found jealous Abby WAY more obnoxious, because hello, SHE broke up with him, not the other way around. It's like she doesn't want him, but nobody else is allowed to have him either. No thanks.

 

Abby's schtick wore thin for me somewhere around season 3 and here we are 10 seasons later. Fortunately it's not every episode, but I could make a long, long list of Abby moments that drove me nuts where the show clearly wants us to side with Abby. Top on the list is the above obnoxiousness whenever Tim had the slightest bit of interest in a female, immediately followed by the entire episode of Dog Tags (which I refuse to rewatch) and that one where she was being stalked by the weirdo and was staying at Tim's and he went to get her toothbrush and told her not to open the door and she got abducted by the weirdo and somehow all this was Tim's fault.

Edited January 6, 2016 by JessDVD

[Chaos Theory]

And Abby is my favorite character. Then again I am by far more tolerant of female characters then male ones. I honestly found McGee's jealousy over Abby annoying at times so when he got together with Della I was happy to have that stupid story done with. The will they/won't they with Dinozo and Ziva ruined those two characters for me. Ziva is the one female character on the show I cannot stand.

Abby is at least entertaining and I like her quirkiness. Plus I do like her relationship with Gibbs. I find it sweet.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[enoughcats]

Stomping on bubblewrap to overcome anger?  No, Abby, that's not what a competent scientist does.  That the showrunner had her doing it twice? 

Bad showrunner, bad showrunner.  

Please let me like an intelligent older Abby. 

[ihatedimes]

I've only recently discovered the wonder that is NCIS (I don't know what took so long) and am on Season 4.  I can definitively say that I cannot stand Abby.  I get she's quirky, I get she's good at her job, but please.  This woman is supposed to be an adult?  I'm sure most federal workplaces have dress codes - nothing wrong with the boots and the black but those short, short skirts.  Yeesh. 

And only one person is an expert at ALL forensic techniques? 

I realize we are supposed to suspend our disbelief but I work in a surgical pathology lab and we always wear our labcoats buttoned and NO ONE is allowed to keep a lunch in the lab refigerators

[kassygreene]

Did you see the original two-part backdoor pilot that was part of the JAG series?  It is available in season one as an episode titled (I think) "JAG".  Anyway, that Abby was smart, sophisticated, worldly, and in no way a spatz, just a very skilled forensics spec who happened to be Goth.

For fourteen years Abby has been devolving.  She must be in her forties, but still is supposed to seem like some teenage prodigy.  

[MissLucas]

Yeah, original flavor Abby was fun to watch and in her own way quite revolutionary: a female scientist, a female geek, a happy goth and a geek not lacking emotional intelligence (and probably the team member with the best social skills except Ducky). All things rarely seen on tv. But as mentioned above  the character was never allowed to change/grow over the past 14 (!) years. Pauley Perette will be 48 next April and she still has to act like a child prodigy on a sugar-high.

Edited January 5, 2017 by MissLucas

[enoughcats]

Ok, not that any showrunners care, but I'll give the ether my positive evolution of Abby.

She is given a problem that requires Major Mass Speck (hate that name with the hate of a thousand minds) to change.  So she sits and starts sketching a different loading method and involved making a difference in voltages where the machine responds to what it's results are.

She gets so involved that she forgets the 'cute' clothing and switches to white tshirts and jeans and low sensible shoes because she gets so involved in the machine that she is changing.  She realizes that the lab may be contaminated and requires a massive cleaning of all parts.  She puts aside the fluff and really starts looking at small bits of evidence and makes a minor breakthrough that leads to a new way to look at evidence (sort of a take on the way genetic testing is done on plant relationships).  Continuing to do her job, she becomes less wasteful (Only one Gibbs) and a small Kaffpow.  

She gets into Patent Law as she decides to patent her work (with the approval of SecNav).  She evolves into someone who hits a serious high, and then finds the time to appreciate life, not to create her own version, but to really appreciate others' versions as well.

Then she turns to changing wheelchairs.... 

Edited January 5, 2017 by enoughcats
I thought it was Sat Nav

[ihatedimes]

The relationship with Gibbs really squicks me out.  I think he's supposed to portray a fatherly figure towards her, but it comes off way more icky than that.  She makes subtle and not-so-subtle sexual innuendos and he kisses her cheek.  I don't know, maybe the problem is that Mark Harmon would have chemistry with a coat rack.

[rainsmom]

On 1/5/2017 at 5:43 AM, MissLucas said:

Yeah, original flavor Abby was fun to watch and in her own way quite revolutionary: a female scientist, a female geek, a happy goth and a geek not lacking emotional intelligence (and probably the team member with the best social skills except Ducky). All things rarely seen on tv. But as mentioned above  the character was never allowed to change/grow over the past 14 (!) years. Pauley Perette will be 48 next April and she still has to act like a child prodigy on a sugar-high.

I've read that the choice to have Abby remain static was Pauley's choice. I think it was a poor one.

[immortalfrieza]

On 1/5/2017 at 7:43 AM, MissLucas said:

Yeah, original flavor Abby was fun to watch and in her own way quite revolutionary: a female scientist, a female geek, a happy goth and a geek not lacking emotional intelligence (and probably the team member with the best social skills except Ducky). All things rarely seen on tv. But as mentioned above  the character was never allowed to change/grow over the past 14 (!) years. Pauley Perette will be 48 next April and she still has to act like a child prodigy on a sugar-high.

I have to ask, why is it everybody is acting like Abby acting like Abby, by being what fans have always liked her for is a problem? There are plenty of people who are old and have silly childish personalities, it's entirely realistic. Abby has already done all the development she's ever going to need to do by now and even if not, being a silly science goth girl is the core to her entire character and it would take many many massive drastic and extremely traumatic things to make any change from that seem plausible.

Edited January 7, 2017 by immortalfrieza

[secnarf]

50 minutes ago, immortalfrieza said:

I have to ask, why is it everybody is acting like Abby acting like Abby, by being what fans have always liked her for is a problem? There are plenty of people who are old and have silly childish personalities, it's entirely realistic. Abby has already done all the development she's ever going to need to do by now and even if not, being a silly science goth girl is the core to her entire character and it would take many many massive drastic and extremely traumatic things to make any change from that seem plausible.

It's not even that she's static, it's that she has devolved. If she had stayed similar to how she was in the beginning, I don't think there would be as much of an issue. But, Abby now is a caricature of Abby in the early seasons.

[immortalfrieza]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

It's not even that she's static, it's that she has devolved. If she had stayed similar to how she was in the beginning, I don't think there would be as much of an issue. But, Abby now is a caricature of Abby in the early seasons.

Devolved? Abby has been as she is now throughout the entire run of the show, and the show's writers have managed to keep her from becoming stale at the same time. Abby now isn't a caricature of the Abby in the early seasons, she's just the same way she was then. Doing something like stomping on bubble wrap to calm herself down is something that has always been perfectly in character for her. Abby Schiuto has always done silly crap, Abby Schiuto will always do silly crap, that's her character. Even if that wasn't true, it only enhances her character rather than diminishes it.

Edited January 7, 2017 by immortalfrieza

[MissLucas]

Yeah, we're getting to a YMMV situation here. I agree that some of her less endearing character traits have been pushed to the edge of caricature and I find that annoying because she used to be an interesting character. I like to see characters moving on and mature over time. Even Gibbs has changed over the years and observing his arc has been more entertaining than getting 'Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!!!' every episode.

[secnarf]

10 hours ago, immortalfrieza said:

Devolved? Abby has been as she is now throughout the entire run of the show, and the show's writers have managed to keep her from becoming stale at the same time. Abby now isn't a caricature of the Abby in the early seasons, she's just the same way she was then. Doing something like stomping on bubble wrap to calm herself down is something that has always been perfectly in character for her. Abby Schiuto has always done silly crap, Abby Schiuto will always do silly crap, that's her character. Even if that wasn't true, it only enhances her character rather than diminishes it.

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this. I was just trying to answer your question anyways, and it was a rather opinion-based question. 

I used to love Abby Sciuto's character. Now, I cringe nearly every time she is onscreen. 

[immortalfrieza]

7 hours ago, secnarf said:

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this. I was just trying to answer your question anyways, and it was a rather opinion-based question. 

I used to love Abby Sciuto's character. Now, I cringe nearly every time she is onscreen. 

Actually, it wasn't an opinion based question, I was asking why people are suddenly shifting to hating Abby for BEING Abby. Someone who has never like her character that's one thing, but even people claiming to have liked her are hating her now for being who she has always been and thus exactly what attracted any of them to her character in the first place. It's like loving a horror movie for being scary and then turning around later and hating that same movie for being scary, it doesn't make any sense.

Edited January 7, 2017 by immortalfrieza

[secnarf]

18 minutes ago, immortalfrieza said:

Actually, it wasn't an opinion based question, I was asking why people are suddenly shifting to hating Abby for BEING Abby. Someone who has never like her character that's one thing, but even people claiming to have liked her are hating her now for being who she has always been and thus exactly what attracted any of them to her character in the first place. It's like loving a horror movie for being scary and then turning around later and hating that same movie for being scary, it doesn't make any sense.

Then I suppose I cannot answer your question if I disagree with its very premise, that Abby hasn't changed. I did like her in the earlier seasons, but not anymore. I have explained why, so again, we will have to agree to disagree.

[immortalfrieza]

1 hour ago, secnarf said:

Then I suppose I cannot answer your question if I disagree with its very premise, that Abby hasn't changed. I did like her in the earlier seasons, but not anymore. I have explained why, so again, we will have to agree to disagree.

That's the problem, you like the rest who have said they now hate Abby proceed to list off traits that have been the core of Abby's character from day 1 that have suddenly become a problem, or in your case calling her a "caricature" now as though she hasn't always been that way. Take away Abby's Goth look and lifestyle, her silliness, her hyperactivity, her over the top ridiculous actions, her unprofessionalism, her chattiness, her "Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!", any of it and she is no longer Abby Sciuto, just a woman who looks like her. In fact, I see this a lot with the comments about the characters on this show, treating not just minor, not just major, but defining traits of the characters that have existed almost since their creation as now wrong for them to have.

Edited January 7, 2017 by immortalfrieza

[WendyCR72]

I can't answer for others, but a theory is, maybe those traits were fine with a younger Abby. But she is clearly older, as are the rest, and the Goth schtick and her hyperactivity, etc. may be seen as stuck in a time warp. What's cute in your 20s and maybe into your 30s is one thing, but to stay that way as you approach 40 and beyond can have those same traits become cloying.

Anyway, that's me. And I will return to lurking. Everyone has opinions about it and everyone's will be different, I'm sure.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Can we please get back to discussing the character and not dissecting what other posters think about her?

[enoughcats]

One thing I've appreciated about her character is the love of her New Orleans roots.  There are times when it has added so much to the ensemble.  I'd expect the introduction of more family (not just her brothers, adopted and blood) as a spin off, should NCIS become gone with the wind.

[marina to]

On 1/6/2017 at 7:03 AM, ihatedimes said:

The relationship with Gibbs really squicks me out.  I think he's supposed to portray a fatherly figure towards her, but it comes off way more icky than that.  She makes subtle and not-so-subtle sexual innuendos and he kisses her cheek.  I don't know, maybe the problem is that Mark Harmon would have chemistry with a coat rack.

I've never bought him as a father figure. They were so flirty the first season. My own personal head canon (I even wrote a fanfic about it) is that everything changed when Kate died. They had a one-night stand then decided the best thing to do was to pretend it never happened. Gibbs shut down and restricted his affection. But he can't help himself sometimes. (Witness that time he was patting her thighs looking for something.) Abby when she's feeling fearful doesn't hide her need for him.

Edited January 13, 2017 by marina to

[enoughcats]

If Abby were to come in with a head of billowing red hair,  the squick feel would increase exponentially.