The Tiny Detail About Abby That You Probably Missed On NCIS

Although it's been running for way over a decade, NCIS remains a consistent draw for its biggest fans. One of the reasons the show is so popular is that its characters come across as well-rounded and generally likable people. NCIS doesn't delve into every character's personal life every week, but when it does, what viewers learn is typically consistent with the facts that have already been established about a character. As a result, the characters feel thoroughly well-crafted, as if the show's writing staff has actually thought through who these people are with a major level of detail.

NCIS is also a show where small facts can fly under the radar. It's not necessarily the type of show designed to be picked apart by fans looking for every single Easter egg. Still, some observant viewers have managed to find details that were certainly placed with some intention, including ones that are never addressed in the dialogue or plot of the show. One detail, in particular, is related to forensic scientist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), with whom fans have a love-hate relationship.

During her time on the show, Abby was consistently one of the quirkier members of the NCIS team. Although she tends to dress like a goth, she's a generally upbeat person who cares deeply about the other members of her team. It makes perfect sense, then, that Abby's middle name is Beethoven. According to fans on Reddit, audiences learn this information thanks to a piece of paper containing a summary analysis that has her full name at the top in the season 12 episode "The Lost Boys." 

Although this particular detail of Abby's character is never explicitly acknowledged in the show's dialogue, it's a perfect small piece of characterization that fits with who Abby is. Like Beethoven, she's passionate about her work and seems to be highly gifted. What's more, we also know that Abby has a fondness for dogs, having forced McGee to adopt a dog that was framed for murder in the season 5 episode "Dog Tags."

That fondness for dogs may not seem to have any connection to her middle name, but the Beethoven movies are one of the best-known franchises about a dog. Whether the middle name is an explicit reference to the dog or the composer is unclear, but it's a fun Easter egg for fans of NCIS.