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Some television duos are simply a package deal, and NCIS‘ Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) top that list. But last week's news that Weatherly's returning to the iconic CBS show this fall left us with more questions than answers.
Deadline reported that the network "declined to comment regarding whether de Pablo will also return to NCIS." There are also questions as to whether the writers will ignore the actors' now-canceled Paramount+ spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Did those events actually occur, or will they be folded into the Season 24 NCIS storyline?
Given the spinoff, it feels like de Pablo should be a part of the NCIS fall season, right? Here's why we need Tony and Ziva back together for good.
Emotional endgame
The NCIS: Tony & Ziva season ended with the couple finally getting a fresh start on their relationship after saving their kidnapped daughter, Tali (Isla Gie). With that satisfying ending for viewers, it seems crazy to ignore the reunion, especially since the spinoff was about them rebuilding their family. If the NCIS writers leave Ziva and Tali out of the equation, it's going to raise obvious questions of their whereabouts.
A decade of anticipation
When de Pablo originally left the NCIS-verse in 2013, followed by Weatherly's exit in 2016, there was a pent-up demand for "Tiva" to make a comeback. While fans got it in 2019 after it was revealed in the NCIS Season 16 finale that Ziva was indeed alive and not dead, de Pablo returned for a brief arc in Season 17.
Now that viewers have seen Tony and Ziva as a united front with their daughter, it would be upsetting to cut off that storyline. Even Weatherly expressed that thought to TV Insider in June 2024, ahead of the NCIS: Tony & Ziva premiere.
"Tony & Ziva should really be called Tony & Ziva & Tali because their priority now, both of them, is Tali, not themselves or each other-of course, couples get into their petty business, but I think the dynamic that emerges is going to be a really brand new one," he explained. "And I have no idea what that's going to feel like."
Unfinished business
Beyond her relationship with Tony, fans would love to see Ziva reconnect with her former NCIS colleagues, including Timothy McGee (Sean Murray and Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). The witty banter between Tim and Ziva turned into a deep bond, and Jimmy's emotional reaction when he found out Ziva was alive? Unmatched friendship goals. Plus, her perspective as a former Mossad officer and NCIS agent offers plenty of rich storytelling opportunities.
If Tony DiNozzo is coming home, it only feels right for Ziva David to walk through those doors beside him. After all these years, NCIS fans deserve to see a Tony and Ziva homecoming.
Don't miss our list of every NCIS crossover episode in the gallery below.
