As a gamer who’s spent countless hours binge-watching TV shows and movies, I can honestly say that the return of Ziva David in NCIS was a moment that gave me goosebumps. The way they managed to keep her comeback a secret, invoking “Fight Club rules,” was nothing short of impressive. It’s not every day you see a production team channeling a movie’s first rule to maintain secrecy!
At the start of NCIS Season 11, Cote de Pablo left her role as a primary cast member following eight seasons. Yet, Ziva David, a cherished character she played, didn’t vanish from the hit CBS crime series entirely. Instead, Ziva was introduced to replace the deceased Caitlin Todd in earlier seasons. De Pablo made an unexpected return in the closing scenes of the Season 16 finale and reappeared in multiple episodes of Season 17. The details surrounding her comeback were carefully guarded, as executive producer Mark Horowitz put it, “adhering to Fight Club rules.
Horowitz recently dropped by “Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch” for a chat with producers Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly, who will be reunited in the upcoming spinoff series “NCIS: Tony & Ziva“. During their discussion, the topic of planning de Pablo’s Season 16 guest appearance came up. To kick off this part of the conversation, the producer began by sharing:
During your unique episode’s return, anticipation filled the air as everyone eagerly awaited your arrival. We were exceptionally skilled at maintaining confidences, a talent that proved crucial for the unexpected events unfolding before our audience. There were certain scenes and plans that were exclusively known to a select few, kept hidden even from the show’s crew members who weren’t privy to the secret agenda.
After Cote de Pablo’s departure from NCIS as a series regular, it was initially assumed that my beloved character Ziva had met her end off-screen during Season 13. However, I, Tony DiNozzo, never truly believed this. Following my resignation from the agency, I embarked on a journey to uncover the truth about Ziva, accompanied by our daughter Tali, whom I’d recently discovered. This quest led me first to Israel, then to Paris – a city that held a special place in Ziva’s heart. Intriguingly, during Season 16, Agent Ellie Bishop uncovered the shocking truth: Ziva was alive! The season finale ended with a surprising twist as Cote de Pablo’s character appeared in Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ basement, warning him of impending danger.
To find out how the rest of this exciting tale continues, tune into NCIS Season 17 with your Paramount+ subscription. Interestingly, the creators of the show, led by Mark Horowitz, adhered to the first rule from Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, which is “Don’t talk about Fight Club,” to maintain the mystery surrounding Ziva’s return. Horowitz also shared anecdotes about the night when Cote de Pablo arrived to film her cameo appearance, as he recounted:
Your arrival was one of those rare instances where most of our team members had already departed, leaving only a handful behind. Perhaps you encountered traffic or an incident on the way. Maybe there was an accident or some other unforeseen event. As it grew late on the final evening of the season, I strictly prohibited anyone from taking photos, but I found myself captivated by my camera. A moment came when the stage fell silent, and in the distance, we heard distinct footsteps, growing louder with each step. Everyone watched, anticipating, and then Cote de Pablo emerged from around a corner. It was an unforgettable, magical moment.
Previously, Ziva was set to join Tony and Tali in Paris during Season 17, marking the long-awaited reunion of the trio. Since then, Ziva has been absent from NCIS, but Tony made a surprise comeback this year for the special episode commemorating David McCallum and his character, Ducky Mallard. In their upcoming spinoff series, which is exclusive to Paramount+, we’ll witness the on-screen reunion of Ziva and Tony as they flee Europe after Tony’s security firm is targeted in an attack.
Looking forward to it, I can’t wait for my favorite spin-off, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, to grace our screens sometime in 2025. As for now, tune in on Mondays at 9 pm ET on CBS to catch the latest episodes of NCIS. Afterwards, don’t forget to stay tuned for the prequel series, NCIS: Origins!
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2024-11-29 04:07