The Pedro Hernandez Detail That Has NCIS Fans Scratching Their Heads

With 18 seasons under its belt, and a 19th on the way, CBS's hit investigative series "NCIS" has given fans a lot to take in over the years (IMDb). Between workplace banter and crime-solving, the team, led by the indefatigable Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) has also found time to develop relationships and experience lots of personal growth.

However, there have also been a few plot holes and other instances that have left fans either confused or remorseful about the sloppy attention to detail. One of these seemingly small details that fans have pointed out involves Mexican drug lord Pedro Hernandez (Thomas Rosales Jr.). For those who need a refresher, Hernandez is revealed to be the man who caused the death of Gibbs' first wife and their young daughter while Gibbs was away on a mission. And there's one particular Pedro Hernandez detail that has "NCIS" fans scratching their heads to this day.

The moment in question comes when Gibbs sets out to avenge the death of his family. He ends up finding Hernandez in Mexico and exacting his own form of justice before returning to Washington D.C., where he joined the NCIS team (per Fandom). However, it's the way Hernandez meets his end at the hands of Gibbs that has viewers flummoxed.

In Season 3, we see the tragic events surrounding Gibbs' first wife and daughter's death — and how he reacted — through flashbacks Gibbs experiences while in an intensive care unit. In those scenes, we see Hernandez driving through the Mexican desert, before blood suddenly appears all over the windshield, implying he had been shot from behind. It's immediately shown that Gibbs has shot him with a long-distance rifle.

However, as Screen Rant notes, Hernandez's death on "NCIS" looks quite different between two seasons. The killing of Hernandez was portrayed a little differently later in Season 7, when flashbacks show the bullet coming through the driver's side to hit the left side of Hernandez's head.

Another reason "NCIS" fans are confused about what happened to Pedro Hernandez is how Gibbs was able to break one of his own cardinal rules of being an investigator: Don't seek revenge.

As Express UK notes, Gibbs often invokes one of his many rules to help crack tough-to-solve cases and give his team members advice about problems in their personal and professional lives, and he's usually good about following his own rules. However, fans were quick to notice that how Gibbs avenged his family went against everything the team leader tries to teach his investigative squad.

Ultimately, though, it's the fatal bullet changing directions over different seasons that left fans scratching their heads the most about Pedro Hernandez. While the inconsistency doesn't really alter the basic facts of what happened, it's missed details like this that drive hardcore fans crazy.