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'NCIS' Season 18 Episode 8: Why does Jack Sloane leave after kissing Gibbs? Fans call it 'a sh*t ending'

Looks like nothing could have prepared fans for the way her arc was about to fade out after three successful years on the show, not even the big kiss

It's perhaps the most emotional night on 'NCIS' Season 18 and it's finally time to bid adieu to the beloved character of Jack Sloane. Ahead of this season's premiere, actress Maria Bello had announced she would be leaving the show and her name listed in the cast credits up till Episode 8 'True Believer' had raised speculations that this was her final appearance on the screen. But it looks like nothing could have prepared fans for the way her arc was about to fade out after three successful years on the show because the way things unfolded for Sloane has fans slamming the show for giving her a "shit ending".

The official synopsis of the episode states: "When Sloane's name is discovered in Afghanistan at the site of an abandoned bus with a dead driver, Gibbs (Mark Harmon) accompanies her on a trip to find a group of girls who were kidnapped from the bus. Also, McGee, Bishop and Torres track down a hacker who emailed compromising information to the Taliban." The trip to Afghanistan brings up certain traumatic memories for Sloane, but also some kinder ones where a fellow captive called Darya used to bring her food and resources, keeping her alive back when she had been captured by the Taliban.

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Sloane had been able to make her way out and escape from the torture, but Darya (Sara Emami) had stayed back to help fight against sex trafficking of young girls in the region. As the episode unfolds, it is revealed that Darya was also chaperoning some young girls, helping them go to school and get an education. But the Taliban would never allow that, and due to some hacker revealing Darya's locations, they were able to target the bus she was helping the girls travel in and that's how Sloane's closest ally turned up dead.

At this point Sloane was already having second thoughts about continuing her work with NCIS; she was already considering a change from her stint and wanted to move to Costa Rica to take some time off. Gibbs and the rest of them tried convincing her otherwise, and even though they were able to turn Darya's death into a cause for which Sloane could fight on with them, she wasn't convinced enough. Sloane stayed for just as long as she needed to get justice for Darya, and the episode ended shortly after she was able to punch a few terrorists and save the girls from being trafficked; but ultimately, she does leave for Costa Rica as she has seen too much. 

Looks like this wasn't enough for fans; not even the sparing kiss between Sloane and Gibbs that comes right after the tragedy has been averted and to seal her big exit from the team for good. Taking it to Twitter, fans expressed their deepest discontentment for the exit arc, writing, "Sloane is so overwhelmed which I understand but you can’t quit for the meantime. You need to get justice for Darya." Another wrote: "so call it what you want! quitting! running! i don’t care. i’m out. i’m done!"

Some fans even complained, "I really wanted to see Jack leave #NCiS on a high note, not because of a tragedy close to her." And seemingly fed up with the way it all ends for her, a fan tweeted "I hope there’s more for Jack cause if not, that’s a sh*t ending." The only respite? As one fan puts it, "I knew it was coming but I'm still not ready [...] gonna miss Jackie. Thank God they didn't kill her off. I would have really been pissed." Looks like not even the highly anticipated Gibbs kiss could make her stay.

'NCIS' Season 18 airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm only on CBS.