Why Ziva Won’t Be Joining Tony in ‘NCIS’ Season 24
Tony DiNozzo is returning to NCIS!
Earlier this year, CBS confirmed that Michael Weatherly would reprise his role as the fan-favorite character in season 24. But the news immediately raised a big question: What about Tony’s former colleague-turned-partner Ziva David (Cote de Pablo)?
Unfortunately, viewers eager to see more of Tony and Ziva together after Paramount+ canceled their short-lived spinoff series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva should brace themselves for disappointment. So far, there’s no plan for Ziva to join Tony on the upcoming season of NCIS, which premieres October 6.
What brings Tony back to ‘NCIS’
When we last checked in with Tony and Ziva in the spinoff’s season finale, the pair had decided to start over again – together – along with their daughter, Tali. Now, as NCIS Season 24 begins, it’s roughly one year later, and the pair has returned to the U.S. from Europe. In the premiere, titled “Wayward Son,” Tony is in D.C. to open a satellite office of his security firm. But it doesn’t take long for him to get pulled back in to his old world.
“While trying to drum up new clients for his upstart satellite office, an old contact of Tony’s picks up some chatter involving NCIS. Tony is, of course, intrigued and decides to pay his old friends a surprise visit,” executive producer Steven D. Binder told TV Insider. “Unfortunately, the reunion quickly goes sideways, and Tony finds himself in the middle of a five-alarm fire.”
Weatherly said he’s eager to bring the “new and improved” version of his character back to NCIS for his season-long arc.
“They have written the absolutely perfect reentry,” he told TV Insider. “It is explicitly and exactly tied to Paris and Tony’s security company … wait and watch. It is very rewarding.”
Ziva’s absence, explained
While DiNozzo will be a key presence in NCIS Season 24, the show won’t ignore his complicated relationship with Ziva, even if we don’t necessarily see her onscreen. Ziva will be living somewhere close to where Tali is attending boarding school, Binder explained. The coming episodes will continue to unpack and explore her and DiNozzo’s dynamic, both he and Weatherly teased.
“Loving each other was never an issue. The problem has always been, can they be together without killing each other? And that’s the question that still needs to be answered,” he said. “In our universe, Tali is now a few hours away in boarding school, and Ziva is there with her. Whether or not her path will cross with our agents in D.C. is still an ongoing question — but rest assured, her presence will definitely be felt!”
“Tali and Ziva figure into in terms of we understand where they are and why they are where they are and the changes that have happened in the last year,” Weatherly said. “And all of those are surprises that I can’t reveal, obviously, because it’s too much fun for the audience.”
NCIS Season 24 premieres Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Episodes stream on Paramount+.
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