As a longtime fan of NCIS, I can’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia whenever I think about Matt Jones’ character Ned Dorneget. Jones played him with such charm and charisma that it’s hard not to miss his presence on the show. His decision to request his character’s death so he could star in Mom was, as he himself admitted, rather stupid – but hilarious when you think about it!
If you’re a dedicated fan of the series NCIS or have been binge-watching it on Paramount+, you might recall Matt Jones as the character Ned Dorneget. He joined the team in Season 9’s “Sins of the Father” as a probationary agent and was promoted to full agent by Season 12’s “Troll.” Tragically, Ned met his end only one episode later – a move that Jones himself had requested, enabling him to take on roles in the sitcom Mom alongside Anna Faris and Allison Janney. However, in hindsight, Jones admits he wishes he hadn’t made that request, which is quite amusing.
In an engaging chat on their podcast “Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch” with co-stars Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, Matt Jones shared that while he sporadically appeared as Ned Dorneget, he was also testing the waters in TV pilots for different networks that unfortunately didn’t get aired. These guest roles served as his primary source of income during that time, with one notable example being his 12-episode run on “Breaking Bad” as Badger. Eventually, Jones landed the biggest small screen role of his career with “Mom,” which is available for streaming via Hulu. Discussing this milestone with Weatherly and de Pablo, he mentioned:
At a CBS gathering, I encountered Gary Glasberg, then-executive producer of NCIS. It just so happened that Emily Wickersham and Brian Dietzen were standing there too, as we all mingled during the Upfronts. You see, everyone associated with CBS at that time would attend the same party. The atmosphere was lively, and I found myself enjoying the company of the NCIS team. Gary casually mentioned, “You need to come back,” to which I replied, “I’m tied up in a sitcom now, but I really want to.” He asked me what I desired, and I jokingly suggested, “Just kill me off!” We both laughed, and he said, “Maybe we should do that.” So, it was my suggestion to be written out of the show, though I must admit it was a rather foolish idea.
Matt Jones featured in six episodes of NCIS during Seasons 9, 10, and 12. If the show’s creator, Gary Glasberg, who passed away in 2016, had his original plan, Ned Dorneget would have continued to appear. However, as Jones was planning to star in Mom at that time, he felt it was crucial to ensure that Ned could never return. Consequently, in the penultimate episode of Season 12, titled “The Lost Boys,” Ned met his end in an explosion set off by Daniel Budd, leader of the terrorist group The Calling. Later in the series, Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon) saw Dorneget among the spirits of other deceased NCIS colleagues who had been part of his life (Paula Cassidy, Mike Franks, Kate Todd, Jenny Shepard, and Christopher Pacci).
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Jones’ career undoubtedly benefited significantly from working with his mother, but as the final sentence in the previous statement indicates, he deeply laments having ruled out a future collaboration with Ned Dorneget permanently. Given that NCIS is set to air its 22nd season in 2024 and Mom finished its eight-season run in 2021 (with Jones absent from the last two seasons), there was ample opportunity for his character to reappear and reunite with characters like Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee, Brian Dietzen’s Jimmy Palmer, and Rocky Carroll’s Leon Vance.
Even though Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo expressed their wish for him to join them in Hungary for their upcoming spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Matt Jones hinted that since he doesn’t have the same role as before, perhaps he could rejoin the franchise in a new character. Additionally, he suggested the possibility of reviving his old character Ned as a ghost, which de Pablo is open to with Ziva’s half-brother Ari Haswari. Although Ned’s story as a living character has ended, there may be opportunities for him to reappear in this procedural world in some different capacity in the future.
If such an event transpires, TopMob will keep you informed. Until then, enjoy fresh episodes of NCIS every Monday at 9 PM ET, and the series NCIS: Tony & Ziva is set to debut on Paramount+ as part of their 2025 television lineup.
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2024-10-30 16:37