NCIS is the kind of show that has a very high character rotation. Every so often, the long-running crime procedural series gets a character shakeup. We’ve seen actors in the cast like David McCallum, Rocky Carroll, Mark Harmon, and Wilmer Valderrama. Still, only one character managed to remain in the story despite their infrequent appearances on screen. And if you’re a fan of NCIS —like me— you know who I’m talking about. It’s Delilah Fielding, played by Margo Harshman.
Margo’s character made a notable first appearance in the eleventh season of NCIS as the romantic partner of NCIS agent Tim McGee, played by Sean Murray. Additionally, Margo’s character offered a fresh and positive dynamic to the show and helped to develop a captivating love story arc.
One that had the audience rooting for them from the very beginning! The McGee-Fielding love story arc eventually resulted in Tim and Margo getting married in Season 14. Since then, we’ve missed her appearances. They’ve become more and more sporadic, so what happened to Tim’s wife in NCIS? Was she written off the show or something?
What Happened To Agent Fielding On NCIS?
As I wrote initially, Margo Harshman’s character debuted back in Season 11 and got married to Tim McGee in Season 13. After the wedding, we began to see less of her. Though Delilah Fielding isn’t a central character in the NCIS crime-solving thing, she did make some appearances after. Bear in mind this is a supporting role and doesn’t necessarily have to be on every episode, as it only nurtures the story arc of Special NCIS Agent McGee.
We’ve seen Delilah with her mom, Judy —played by Patricia Richardson— in later episodes. Across the seasons, we saw them with their ups and downs: McGee was jealous of her ex at one point but solved his insecurities, then we saw them moving in together, celebrating Valentine’s Day, and we even saw McGee buying the ring as he was about to propose.
How Did Delilah Fielding End Up In A Wheelchair?
However, being absent from the show for such a long time might have made the viewers forget why she ended up sitting in a wheelchair! It turns out that by season 11, Delilah was honored at a party celebrating her counter-terrorism work trajectory, but a terrorist attack crashed the party.
Where was McGee when the explosion occurred? Well, he had to pick up a phone call from his colleague Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly. Tragically, just moments after Timothy’s exit from the party, the bomb exploded, resulting in severe injuries to Delilah, who got banged up pretty badly and wound up being paralyzed from the waist down.
Delilah Moved On Despite Her Difficulties
Despite this significant obstacle, Agent Fielding has shown remarkable strength and resilience, adapting heroically to live as a paraplegic. What’s more, she and Agent McGee have managed to maintain their loving relationship throughout, as evidenced by the happy news we learn in Season 23: Delilah is pregnant with twins named John and Morgan, a detail that also allowed the screenwriters to show us how these characters deal with paternity and deeper bonding.
Also Read: NCIS New Orleans Filming Locations: The Ultimate Travel Bucket List for Fans
Delilah’s Story Arc Takes Inspiration From A True Story
What happened to Delilah Fielding in the series was tragic, and according to NCIS’s executive producer Gary Glasberg, that riveting story takes inspiration from the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing survivors that horribly killed innocent bystanders and injured, mutilated, and traumatized many others who eventually had to move on with their lives.
The intention of the producers with Delilah’s story arc was that everyday people face these adverse situations and rise through adversity like a phoenix from the ashes. The theme of resilience and hope resonates through Delilah’s story, but it also provides inspiration for many other people who are going through similar problems that may be facing some tough times.
Also Read: What happened to Ducky on NCIS? Explained
