The NCIS franchise continues with an exciting new spinoff next year with NCIS: Tony and Ziva. Years after Ziva David’s (Cote de Pablo) supposed death and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) leaving the NCIS team, the new spinoff series picks up with the couple together in Paris, raising their daughter, Tali (Isla Gie). The new series will explore the fan-favorite couple as they are forced to go on the run from mysterious assailants and struggle to find their happy ending. However, what exactly happened to Ziva on NCIS? How did she fake her death? Why did she leave her daughter and Tony, making them and her closest friends believe she was dead? It’s time to take a deep dive into the events that led to Ziva faking her death and going off the grid in NCIS!
Ziva David Was Believed Killed by Trent Court in ‘NCIS’ Season 13
During the NCIS Season 13 finale, “Family First,” it appears that Ziva David is killed in a mortar attack on her home arranged by the rogue ex-CIA agent, Trent Kort (David Fayan Fisher). During the episode, Tony learns that he and Ziva have a daughter, Tali. Ziva had already left NCIS earlier, and Tony never knew she was pregnant and gave birth to their child. Ziva’s friend, Mossad Director Orli Elbaz (Marina Sirtis), reveals that Ziva did not tell Tony about their daughter because she did not want to disrupt his life. During the episode, after Tony meets his daughter, he realizes Ziva told Tali who he is when she recognizes a photo of Ziva and Tony together and calls Tony her “Aba,” which is Hebrew for father.
“Family First” ends with the NCIS team, DiNozzo included, tracking down Kort and gunning him down, taking revenge for Ziva’s death. Devastated by Ziva’s loss, Tony turns in his gun and badge, leaving NCIS, ending Weatherly’s 13-year run on the series. Tony decides to focus on being a dad and raising Tali, seemingly closing the book on the Tony and Ziva romance. That is until Season 16, of course.
Wait, Ziva Is Still Alive?
The Season 16 finale, “Daughters,” marks Cote de Pablo’s return to NCIS, as she suddenly appears, alive and well, in front of her longtime friend and superior officer, Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), in a cliffhanger scene, informing Gibbs that he’s in danger. Events pick up in Season 17 with a multi-episode arc, revealing what happened to Ziva and how she faked her apparent demise. Ziva faked her death and went into hiding because she was being targeted by a dangerous operative named Zahar (Louise Barnes). Zahar marked Ziva for death, wanting revenge against Ziva for the death of Ari Haswari (Rudolf Martin), Ziva’s half-brother.
Earlier in the series, Ari went rogue, becoming a double agent and operating for terrorist organizations, including Zahar’s. Ziva killed him way back in 2005 during a confrontation she had with Gibbs. Because of the incident, Zahar held Ziva and Gibbs responsible for Ari’s death. Ziva went to the drastic measure of faking her death and deceiving her friends and family to keep them safe from Zahar as she attempted to take down the organization covertly. During Season 17, Ziva reunites with Gibbs to take down Zahar and her splinter group. The Season 17 episode, “The North Pole,” reveals that Zahar has been secretly living next door to Gibbs, raising her son, Phineas. Later, the newly revealed Zahar fights and traps Ziva in an abandoned warehouse. Gibbs arrives just in the nick of time to end Zahar for good. The next episode, “In the Wind,” marks Ziva’s last canonical NCIS appearance, as she helps the team locate and rescue a kidnapped Phineas. Ziva bids farewell to her friends at NCIS before leaving to go to Paris to reunite with Tony and Tali.
‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Picks Up With the Couple Living in Paris
What we know so far about NCIS: Tony & Ziva is that events pick up where things left off for Ziva. She is back with Tony, and the couple is raising their daughter in Paris. However, the family must go on the run across Europe when Tony’s security company is attacked. Tony and Ziva must figure out who is targeting them and learn to trust one another to finally achieve their happily ever after. The official synopsis suggests that Tony still doubts Ziva’s love for him since she did not inform him about their daughter and faked her death. A significant part of the series will be about Tony struggling to regain his trust in Ziva.
‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Marks a Welcome Return for ‘TIVA’ Shippers
Considering how things left off with Tony and Ziva in the NCIS series, it’s great to see the cast members returning as their iconic, fan-favorite characters. especially since their relationship was unfinished and unresolved. The series never even depicted Tony and Ziva getting back together, and it never truly exploited the romance between the couple, dubbed “Tiva” by NCIS fans. It’s exciting that Weatherly and De Pablo will finally headline a brand-new series where Tony and Ziva’s relationship takes center stage.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva premieres in 2025, but NCIS is available on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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