Michael Weatherly’s Farewell to ‘NCIS’ Tony DiNozzo: ‘I Was a Mess’
By the time you read this, Michael Weatherly will have given away his last farewell gift (a Swiss Army knife engraved with Big Kiss) to the NCIS crew. His trailer will no longer be parked on the show’s lot in Santa Clarita, California. Tony DiNozzo, the role he inhabited for the last 13 years, won’t be on the series’ call sheet. The characters rumored to be replacing Tony, FBI vet Tess Monroe (Sarah Clarke) and British MI6 agent Clayton Reeves (Duane Henry), will be introduced in the May 10 episode. And Weatherly himself will soon know if his new CBS pilot, Bull, which is based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, has been picked up for the 2016-17 TV season. Either way, life for the actor will be very different.
“Family First” — Coverage of the CBS series NCIS, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network.
But, right now, he still has five days left before he films his final scene as boisterous, unpredictable man-child Tony on the show that made him a household name. Weatherly is feeling wistful while sitting in that trailer. “It’s an epic time for me,” he says of shooting NCIS’s season finale and Tony’s departure, “personally, professionally, emotionally. And it’s been wonderful. Pauley [Perrette] and I just filmed Abby and DiNozzo’s goodbye in the squad elevator and it was very, very beautiful. The Tony and Gibbs [Mark Harmon] stuff in the episode is also very satisfying. All of it.”
Perrette, however, has a different take. “I was a mess,” she admits. “I told the guys on the crew that the only acting I was really doing were the parts when I wasn’t crying. The rest is totally real.”
RELATED: CBS Confirms Michelle Obama’s NCIS Cameo
When Weatherly announced in January that he was leaving NCIS at the end of the season, it wasn’t that much of a surprise. It had been 13 years, after all. “I meet 20-year-olds who were in first grade when we started. Basically, their entire lives they’ve known me as ‘Hey, you’re on television, playing that guy,’” he points out. His exit, in fact, was a long time in the making. It’s something, says Weatherly, he began thinking about seriously two and a half years ago, in Season 11, after the departure of Cote de Pablo, who played his verbal sparring partner and love interest, Ziva.
“Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies,” he says, “that was gone, and then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long. I would look around the room and other people were really in sync and having fun. The show was a huge success, but I just suddenly realized that I probably had other things that I should be doing. And then the wanderlust set in. I directed a documentary. I have a production company. And I wanted to spend time with my family.” (Weatherly and his doctor wife, Bojana Jankovic, have two children, a son and a daughter. Weatherly also has a son from a previous marriage.)
So, how did he end up signing on to possibly star in another hour-long drama on the same network right after leaving NCIS? First, Bull is produced by Steven Spielberg’s company Amblin and has Donnie Brasco writer Paul Attanasio at the helm. Second,Weatherly fell for the script. “I sat down my wife and I said, ‘We have to have a serious talk, because I think I just fell in love,’” he says. “Her eyes popped open wide and I said, ‘No, no, with a script.’” Whether or not Bull works out, the actor is thrilled to eventually get back in the game. “It’s exciting, really,” he insists. “The last time I auditioned for a TV show, it was Dark Angel in 1999. I had a black-and-white headshot and a VHS cassette with my demo reel.”
But first he wanted to give Tony a proper goodbye. And why not? He learned a lot from the guy. “Tony allowed me to do the widest range of acting I could ever imagine,” he says. “I got to do Steve Martin Jerk-style and wild-and-crazy-guy comedy. I got to do my Cary Grant, my James Bond, my Indiana Jones. I got to chase bad guys, dive into water or climb up a building and shoot my gun. Then I’d go into the interrogation room and do strong, dramatic stuff. I’m forever grateful for that.”
RELATED: 7 NCIS Guests Who Went on to Become Stars (PHOTOS)
During Season 12, Weatherly informed his bosses that this year would be his last on NCIS. “I think initially they thought I was negotiating my salary or trying to box clever,” he remembers. “Then very quickly they realized I wasn’t and I wanted everyone to be able to prepare and put time into Tony’s leaving.” And it worked. If you haven’t noticed, Tony has had a big year that’s led to a lot of soul-searching. He briefly, and unhappily, took over as boss in the season premiere. He reunited—twice—with his true love, Jeanne Benoit, who is now married to another man. He had his identity stolen, then had to hear from two of the thieves how lame his life had become (OK, that was funny). All of it, showrunner Gary Glasberg says, is leading to a major decision Tony will make in the finale, the plot of which revolves around the team’s continued hunt for rogue British spy Jacob Scott (Vince Nappo), who recently murdered their former chief (Alan Dale).
“We started talking about it six months ago, and we knew we had to acknowledge that Michael had been part of the show since Day 1,” Glasberg says. “So the episode had to show Tony in all the different ways we’ve come to love him. We also knew that the reason Tony DiNozzo would ever choose to leave his NCIS family would have to be something really significant. What we came up with delivers some real heart-wrenching, emotional moments.”
But viewers be warned: A large portion of those tears will be for someone close to the team who will be fighting for his or her life. “There will be carnage and death and destruction,” Weatherly warns. “I’ve never worked harder on an episode to hit all the right emotional beats.”
RELATED: How TV Guide Magazine Welcomed the Birth of NCIS
On the lighter side, he says he also went to great lengths to include several inside jokes for DiNozzo fans. Plot elements from way back in the NCIS story vault will resurface as the episode unravels. And since Scott is out to avenge his wife’s death during a sting operation by targeting current and former NCIS agents, the finale features cameos from several familiar faces from NCIS history (“It’s probably the largest guest cast we’ve ever assembled,” Glasberg says).) Just don’t expect the return of Ziva David. While Glasberg insists “that relationship is part of who Tony is and that impacts his reason to go,” de Pablo already confirmed at a recent screening of her film The 33 that she didn’t shoot any new scenes for the episode.
And don’t for a minute think this is the last you’ve seen of Anthony DiNozzo. Weatherly promises he’d be willing to return if the story needed it, and he’d especially like to turn up in other parts of the NCIS franchise. His appearance on NCIS: Los Angeles earlier this season was specifically engineered so Tony could test those western waters. “I wanted to do L.A. because I knew I was leaving,” he admits. “I really wanted DiNozzo to touch all corners of the NCIS universe before I had to go.”
He also sees himself nipping back just for a powwow with Harmon, Perrette and Co. “I know that if they let me come by and visit, I’ll come by and visit,” says the actor. “There’s always a free lunch going on here in Santa Clarita.”
But, right now, in his trailer, Weatherly is already envisioning life as a regular Joe—even if it’s just for a little while. “The other day, I was in a restaurant and I told the waitress, ‘I’m going to the bathroom, but I’ll be right back.’ It’s because I’m so used to being supervised. Right now there’s someone standing outside with a walkie-talkie getting ready to pull me to rehearsal. In real life, you don’t have to ask permission to go to the bathroom. Nobody just comes up and starts fixing your hair. I also don’t have to wear a plastic and rubber badge,” Weatherly says. “I’m very excited to get back to reality for a few months, even if I have no idea what the future holds. As Pinocchio would say, ‘I’m a real live boy!’”
NCIS, Season Finale, Tuesday, May 17, 8/7c, CBS
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Comments are closed on this story.
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G
Whoa misleading headline. You make it sound like Michael was a mess. It was Pauley.
18
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C
Tony & Ziva were the heart and soul of NCIS. It's great to hear from Michael about how he felt when Cote de Pablo left the show: it was also time for him to leave. And he's right, their characters were amazing together, but with Ziva gone, DiNozzo was just not the same. His soulmate was gone and Tony lost a lot of his spark. I thank both Michael and Cote for making the show the success it is, and wish them luck in all their future projects.
18
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O
Tony's been lost ever since she left. Makes sense Weatherly was too. The show has never been the same.
11
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R
The "heart and soul" of the show? Pardon me while I guffaw.
7
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C
Pardon you? why would I do that? I don't give a damn what you think.
6
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O
Then obviously your heart and soul has not been into the show as much as the real fans who loved the Tony and Ziva chemistry.
2
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R
Sorry, try again. Not only have I watched this show since the very first episode, but I watched the 'mother' show, JAG, including when Gibbs and DiNozzo were first introduced. So YES, the show existed BEFORE Ziva arrived, and still exists now, AFTER she left. You're entitled to your rigid opinion of the show and Ziva, just as I'm entitled to mine.
5
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O
The relationship between Gibbs and DiNozzo was the heart and soul of the show, but then I think you know that, unlike those replying to you.
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O
Good luck to Michael! He did the right thing: if he felt like an outsider he needed to leave.
Tony was a great character and he lost a big chunk of himself with Ziva gone.I hope he will find her and he will be happy with the woman he crossed the sea twice for.And it was Ziva.Not the one he 'doesn't have under his skin' and the one who tried to frame him.15
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C
Tony lost a big chunk of himself with ziva around
7
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G
True. The unchallenged sexist part was lost.
She challenged him in a way no one had before, and he couldn't get enough. He initiated and enjoyed pushing each other, getting under each others skin. They were both complex complicated characters, and ultimately understood and cared deeply for each other in a way nobody else did.
2
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C
So in other words he treated her the same way he treated the other members of his team....got it.
& see ziva just took & took without understanding a single thing about 'agent meatball'. Unlike Jeanne, EJ & Zoe - who saw inside, past the masks to the man
3
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G
PEOPLE! It's only a show! Get over it and get a life of your own.
2
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G
HEY! Some of us REALLY get into these shows we've watched since they STARTED now OVER 13 YEARS ago! That is a LONG time ago! "If" YOU had watched this show since the DAY it started too, YOU might "ALSO" feel this way about this show, too! Apparently, you have NO CLUE WHAT IT'S LIKE to really look forward to a weekly show like this. It's too bad you have NO CLUE/NO UNDERSTANDING what this is like.
So we have ONE SHOW that is ONE HOUR LONG we look forward to ONE DAY per week! That is NOT too much to ask for! -
C
his college nickname was sex machine in ncis.
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R
know it's not!!!!!!!
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R
Jeanne was not his true love, Ziva was and even if you want to play the game she wasn't, Wendy was closer to being his true love than Jeanne. He was going to marry her. He wouldn't even leave NCIS for Jeanne.
13
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P
But he was willing to die for Ziva only! Not Wendy, not EJ, and most certainly not Jeanne.
5
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R
I am a full fledged believer that Ziva was his true love I was just pointing out that wendy makes more sense then Jeanne.
8
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P
I apologize for my tone and I do agree....he was going to marry Wendy til she left him. Jeanne never knew the real Tony.
6
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R
Jeanne was annoying and whiny. No problem on the tone. I understand:)
7
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P
Which Jeanne still was when she came back this season. And still couldn't trust Tony even when he told the truth.
6
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G
Perhaps you should take that up with Mr. Weatherly, you know the actor who played Tony.
He is the one who said, twice this season that Jeanne is Tony's one true love.
Color me crazy, but I believe he knows the character that he portrayed for 13 seasons better than a tiva shipper.Very insightful interview. I'm really excited for "Bull" and whatever else he has planned for his future.
8
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O
Jeanne was a ballbreaker. Much rather see him with Ziva.
8
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O
Who's wendy?
1
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O
she was the same bitch she always was.
2
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O
In this article he's not the one who said she's his true love. The writer did.
5
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C
Let's see. Michael thinks Jeanne was the love of Tony's life so since Michael is Tony and Tony is Michael I'm going to go what HE feels about the subject.
2
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C
Tony himself has said he was in love with Jeanne and was still in love with her during this season.
1
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O
Are you reading what HE said? Where exactly Michael said Jeanne was his love in this article? Please show me that line.
Meanwhile I can see another lines right here,in front of everyone's eyes: It’s something, says Weatherly, he began thinking about seriously
two and a half years ago, in Season 11, after the departure of Cote de
Pablo, who played his verbal sparring partner and love interest, Ziva.
“Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between
those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near
lovers and back to buddies,” he says, “that was gone, and then I got to
the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long. I would
look around the room and other people were really in sync and having
fun.8
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O
Tony did? I missed that episode.
5
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O
can you read much? Michael didn't say it. The writer did.
9
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O
Dear Joni,please bring on the lines from S13 where Tony said he was still in love with her.I heard him saying he 'doesn't have her under his skin' and I can't care less about her skin.
Thank you.5
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O
He dumped her, twice, this season.
5
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O
Of course you did.This episode exists just in some fantasies. LOL..
6
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R
Maybe you should learn to read because Michael never said that tHE writer did . You're an idiot.
9
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R
His ex fiance who called off the wedding the night before. She was in an episode. I forget the season
1
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R
the same Michael who said he should have left the show when cote left because it was boring without her. You mean that Michael
10
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C
I apologize. Michael said it about Tony on Entertainment Tonight:
"Tony DiNozzo is still in love with Jeanne Benoit," Weatherly said. "I think that's pretty clear."
http://www.etonline.com/tv/175771_ncis_love_story_bears_uncanny_similarities_to_michael_weatherly_real_life/
1
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C
Jeanne's husband David saw it too:
"Loose Canons"
David: I see the way you look at her. Frankly, the
way she looks at you.Tony responding to Ellie:
Bishop: How'd it go? Are you okay?
Tony: Aside from Taft verbally ripping the bandage off a very delicate wound, it as super awesome!1
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C
No need to name call. And yes, Michael did say it:
"Tony DiNozzo is still in love with Jeanne Benoit," Weatherly said. "I think that's pretty clear."
http://www.etonline.com/tv/175771_ncis_love_story_bears_uncanny_similarities_to_michael_weatherly_real_life/
2
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O
forgot about her. She wasn't important.
1
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O
She was a beyotch, then and now.
4
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O
I don't see Tony saying he loves her. Jeanne was a bitch who got off controlling him. Like hse controls her husband.
3
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G
You know Weatherly didn't say that quote, right? he talked about Ziva an only Ziva. I agree, I will listen to his own words, which were all about ziva.
5
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G
that's your idea of Tony declaring his love for Jeanne? are you serious? He sounds terrified of her and not because of love. She's a nutjob and I'm so glad he dumped her, at least three times.
3
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G
Except, Michael doesn't. The writer does. Michael only talks about Ziva and no other woman in Tony's life.
4
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P
And that's your idea of Tony saying Jeanne's his true love?? Well, how come Tony is so worried & concerned about Ziva in the promo for next week????
4
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C
We're never going to agree on this topic. I was asked for proof. I provided a direct quote from Michael about Tony's feelings and I did.
2
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G
that's your idea of proof?
2
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G
Michael only talks about Ziva in interviews. He has never talked about any other woman.
4
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G
No he didn't. Not once.
1
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G
Gosh and I thought he was so happy to be on set without cote, after 8 years of misery with her.
3
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P
When did Michael say Jeanne was the love of Tony's life? In that behind the scene clip on Entertainment Tonight? So why is Michael saying he started thinking about leaving the show shortly after Cote left????
6
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O
You're crazy. He didn't even say that. you're an idiot.
5
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O
I want what you're smoking.
1
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O
You ma'am are no genius.
3
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P
What proof??? I'm still waiting!!!
1
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O
Nah..nah..nah..Tell me when Tony said he still loves her.
Her husband seeing his wife ogling someone else doesn't bother me.After all it was she who was looking at him and not him looking at her (according to David),Like I said:don't care what she feels/thinks.
And yes,it was a delicate wound because he felt some ridiculous gilt.
I have to say:it is really amazing how you think he said something remotely close to 'love you' to Jeanne in S13 but sure refuse to see all those words and actions/sacrifices he made for Ziva.Very selective.
So,sorry,you got nothing.Anyway it will be over in 2 weeks.3
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O
Why are spinning and blatantly telling what you want to see there? Michael didn't tell that.The journalist did.Meanwhile there is a huge paragraph about Cote and Ziva.
Stomping feet is ok for kids...2
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O
Now who is putting words in his mouth?
He doesn't say here and he has never said that he should have left the show when de Pablo left.
2
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O
Not half as crazy as someone who feels the need to sign in and comment using multiple different accounts because she is so desperate for other people to agree with her.
4
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C
he didn't say that
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C
yeah, he said that luc
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C
because that's how CBS spliced the footage for all we know
1
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C
& I want to know why you feel the need to use mulple sign ons in articles to make your point
2
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C
I think you are smart enough to realize why without drawing a correlation to cote as the reason. it's pretty obvious what GG did to the character from season 9 onward
1
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G
It wasn't Tony who said that. It was the actor Michael Weatherly on extra or some other show that reported about Jeanne's return. Michael said Tony's still in love with her.
1
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P
LOL......and you bought this lie?????
6
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P
This is taken directly from above:
His exit, in fact, was a long time in the making. It’s something, says Weatherly, he began thinking about seriously two and a half years ago, in Season 11, after the departure of Cote de Pablo, who played his verbal sparring partner and love interest, Ziva.
“Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies,” he says, “that was gone, and then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long. I would look around the room and other people were really in sync and having fun. The show was a huge success, but I just suddenly realized that I probably had other things that I should be doing.
5
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C
Again you know exactly why he's leaving & it isn't because cote left.
1
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O
Yes, Michael did right before the ep. Also he said 100 things about different women.
As far we are talking about the show and character aka Tony his words are more important then MWs.We can argue forever. We have been doing that for years.Never came close to understand each other or accept any point from the other side. Probably all those comments and discussions had their impact on the show. Or they didn't. Doesn't matter now. All is done and we won't change anything including anyone's opinion.I know even if some people see Tony yelling to Gibbs face ' I love Ziva and going to be with her' they will spin it anyway. So, farther discussion is useless. The game is over and let's see if we can accept with decency the outcome.
I really wish Michael and Cote luck and will follow their career for sure.
I am finally closing this chapter. -
O
No, we never going to agree on that. Meanwhile I never asked you to quote MW. You said Tony said it and I asked you to quote Tony.
1
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O
He did. Straight forward.
3
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R
Lol - Ziva was much worse than Jeanne ever was.
3
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R
I don't know - it could be argued that Jeanne saw more of the "real Tony" than his teammates ever did. Gibbs said that Tony hides behind the mask of a clown, and there have been other inferences of that as well throughout the run of the series. With Jeanne, he didn't have to wear a mask because she never knew his real name and never put the expectations that his boss, teammates, and even his father, put on him.
2
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R
Season 6, Episode 18. “Real doctor, real love, real bad breakup.”
1
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R
Ziva dumped him twice in season 11, first when she told him he shouldn't have come looking for her and second, when she told him she wouldn't return with him because she wanted to change for another man (Gibbs).
1
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R
Maybe because, regardless of their relationship, they worked together for eight years, were at very least good friends, and he's a compassionate human being?
2
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P
Well, why was she so mean to him in the last episode....cause she sure as heck didn't trust him when he said he wasn't investigating her father??? And by the way, I'm still waiting for Jeanne to apologize to Tony for accusing him of murdering her father.
Meanwhile, Tony did cross the ocean twice for Ziva, once to avenge her death and once to find her and try to convince her to come back. Which was a crappy write out by the way.
And now they're teasing Ziva in the promo clip for next week. I wonder when they'll stop using Ziva to attract the viewers.
3
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P
He didn't seem all that concerned when Jeanne showed up both times.
Meanwhile, looks like they're using Ziva as click bait for the viewers to watch the final two episodes. Not Jeanne, but Ziva.
2
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R
Now that's an outright lie, Lucie, and you know it.
2
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R
That's okay, I'm still waiting for Ziva to apologise for attacking Tony in Israel and trying to get him kicked off Gibbs' team. I doubt either of us are going to get our wishes anytime soon.
3
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P
Oh, you must have missed the episode where Ziva did apologize to Tony, you know, the season 7 epi. 2 called 'Reunion'. Yes, she apologize for not trusting Tony. You might want to go back and watch that episode again, just to refresh your memory.
1
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R
I'll give you (now that I've gone back and read the transcript of the episode) that she apologised for trying to get Tony kicked off the team telling Gibbs she didn't trust him - but only after Abby, Gibbs and McGee all came down on her about it and essentially guilted her into it. What she says about the assault is this:
Z: "When you shot Michael, I almost killed you where you stood."
T: "I wasn't standing."
Z: "No, you weren't. You were lying on the ground without adequate backup, completely violating protocol."
T: "And double-parked."
Z: "Yes, I noticed. But that does not matter."
So, not only does she not apologise for attacking him, she turns it on him. She never even addresses the reason he was lying on the ground. She offers some weak-assed comment about how he's always had her back and she was wrong to question his motives.
EDIT: Sorry - I just realised that the passage quoted below refers to when she finds Tony in her apartment in DC. She doesn't actually say anything about the assault in Israel in this (or any other) episode.
Quite honestly - and I know you think I live and breathe to hate Ziva and/or CdP, but I don't - if she had said. "I attacked you. I know it was wrong, but I was mad and upset and was not thinking straight. That is no excuse, but is an explanation. I hope some day you will be able to forgive and trust me again as I trust you." it would have gone a long way to redeeming Ziva in my (and, I think, other fans') eyes. And that's on the writers, not on Cote de Pablo. It's a shame, because they had a chance to do a great redemption arc for Ziva, one that I think CdP really would have been able to sink her teeth into.
1
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O
Where?
He has never said that he should have left the show when she did, that's what you and your friends have been saying, but he never has.
What he says here can be interpreted that he waited until after she had left to see if things would improve - and then realized that they were not going to.
That would be him leaving despite of her departure, not because of it.
2
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O
That's where you Cote worshippers look so stupid: someone says that they don't believe Michael is in love with her, so you claim they say that he hated her; someone says he appeared relieved when she left and you claim that means they are saying he hated having her there for the entire 8 years.
You don't believe that it is possible for him to like her but not love her, or for him to have enjoyed working with her but still be relieved that she moved on.
2
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R
I'll agree with you on the using Ziva as clickbait part. Honestly, I think that's what annoys me the most about this, and I think TPTB may find it has the opposite effect to what they want. The core Tiva/Ziva group supposedly doesn't watch any more anyway and they're not likely to return, especially given Cote de Pablo has stated straight out she's not coming back. Many of those who were still watching just in case she returned may stop now that they know she's not returning and because they see it for what it is. And many who are not Tiva/Ziva fans may stop watching because they're so fed up with the "will she/won't she" and this is the last straw for them.
2
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O
Only for the fans that are dumb enough to STILL be watching in the hope that her name might be mentioned.
You can't believe that people watch the show anyway and might enjoy the bonus of a mention of her.
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O
Whoopee, those of us who enjoy the show can get on and enjoy it and enjoy talking about it without being told that it is rubbish that we shouldn't enjoy because it doesn't meet your exacting standards.
1
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O
He said "after" she left, not "because" she left, and I don't deny that her departure had a bearing on his decision, but it wasn't the only reason for it.
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R
Yes he did. Go look it up:)
3
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R
Waiting for your apology:)
http://www.tvinsider.com/article/88090/michael-weatherlys-farewell-to-ncis-tony-dinozzo-i-was-a-mess/4
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R
I liked Wendy and don't want to forget about her. she was great
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R
Tony had a fake name and was playing her to get info about her father. He was faking the majority of it and when it came down to it he wouldn't even leave NCIS for her. It was all fake
1
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R
She made up the entire thing about seeing him murder her father so I'm not sure an apology would have been enough.lol
1
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R
Ziva and Tony were never a couple so no, he / she never dumped anyone
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C
cite your source....because it isn't in this interview.
what he's hinted at is that once he got to be just Tony again, he found the writers didn't have a clue
2
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O
I don't believe he said it, so there is nothing to look up - you wanna prove that he did say it, you look it up for us.
1
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O
We know why: when you profess to be speaking for all of 20 million fans you need to do anything you can to make it look like there are more than a couple of thousand of you.
1
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G
I don't this interview here serious at all. I just watched an interview he did with Extra. I could see him talking, thinking about the answers he gave. And it is quite amazing how he didn't even mention Ziva or Cote at all. I think this interview isn't that accurate. I go with the Extra interview that explained that in Michael's opinion Tony has run his course. Michael has been very vocal about his opinion of Tiva (like the easter bunny it's not real) but he always liked to tease the shippers and viewers. Tony never said that he loved Ziva. If he did, he would have said that in Truth or Consequences while being under the truth Serum. He didn't. He's been worried about her safety and missed his co-worker although she abused and wanted to kill him. That has nothing to do with love. Even Ziva never said that she loved him. She said he is so loved, but not by whom. For me, as an NCIS fan since day 1 it is simply annoying to constantly have the Tiva shippers making such a huge fuss about it. And the way it is done by most of them, is truly awful and rude. Some are so obsessed with that ship that they don't even mind to cross lines and threaten Michael's wife or his children.
2
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P
Lisa Liscoumb,
You ended your comment with the doubled park statement,perhaps you should have watched it all.Tony asked her what did matter & she explained ,how she trusted Ari & Michael,that she could not afford to trust him,meaning mozzad would have killed Tony,do you get that part Lisa.
Tony said he was sorry & Ziva said no it is I who am sorry.You people on this site are so sicking when I comes to the Ziva remarks.Just as the way you address your comment,makes me wonder do you have any friends? -
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Lisa Liscoumb
Gibbs always told Ziva to follow her heart,& she had to do this alone,She wanted to change,she also changed the way she felt when Tony showed up because of the Dr friend from child hood that wouldn't forgive her for killing Ari,That brought the story into her laying down the badge,to Tony & not go back to ncis.
She made that decision before Tony found her after her talk with the Dr her child hood friend.How you equate Ziva dumping Tony twice does not make sense ,Watch it again & pay attention.Plus it was zivas last episode she was leaving the show,you tell me that it was her dumping Tony. I se your in the Ziva bashing club perhaps you all should get together & whine to each other. lan -
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LisaLiscoumb,
We get it Lisa you didn't like Ziva,& yes they worked together for 8 yrs & Tony does have compassion & it was all towards Ziva.he went half way across the world to find her t see if she was alive & spent 3 months in Israel looking for her,& he had his badge back & gt permission from Gibbs to go & see if he can find her.
What show are you watching? lan -
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LSilvaxx,
When Tony was under the truth serum he told Ziva he couldn't live with out her,so what does that mean.you don't think for a second that Gibbs didn't know that they Loved each other,he got Vance to ok the mission to go to Somalia.Give me a break with the Jeanne part she accused Tony of killing her father,& at the elevator she asked him if it was real ,he said no.If Tony loved Jeanne so much he could have said yes & that he needed to explain it all t her.he could have left NCIS to go be with her.Who knows maybe that's what they will show on his departure,they are actors it not real people. lan -
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And yet, two years later, he told Vance's friend "Real doctor. Real love. Real bad breakup." So obviously it wasn't fake, at least not to him.
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She never truly knew the man. If she had, she'd have known to not push him into buying a place with her, or to not ambush him with a meet the mom lunch. And she would never have asked him to leave the job he loved at NCIS. She's history, shes long ago over, she's married.
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COuldn't live without you doesn't mean he loves her. I have a lot of very good and close friends that I couldn't or wouldn't want to live without but I'm not in love with them. In the last eps of S6 Ziva wanted Tony dead, then he goes and risks his and everyone else's life to safe her sorry ass and she cannot even thank him properly or apologize for her behavior. That has nothing to do with love.
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Knowing Tony's character and his sense of duty and responsibility to his team-family, he would have done that for any one of them. He would have gone to avenge Tim if it was Tim who was thought to be dead; he would have gone anywhere to bring Abby back if she left in the same way Ziva did. That he did those things because of Ziva has less to do with "Oh, he loves Ziva" and more to do with his absolute loyalty to his people.
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He told Jeanne it was all a lie so that she could start to forgive (he hoped) and move on with her life. Had he said it was all true, she might have continued on the same path of anger, pain, and not moving forward to someone/something new. I'm surprised more people don't see that, especially because it was their precious Ziva who said, "Tell her what she needs to hear" with the clear implication of freeing Jeanne from the past.
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His exit, in fact, was a long time in the making. It’s something, says Weatherly, he began thinking about seriously two and a half years ago, in Season 11, after the departure of Cote de Pablo, who played his verbal sparring partner and love interest, Ziva.
“Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies,” he says, “that was gone, and then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long. I would look around the room and other people were really in sync and having fun. The show was a huge success, but I just suddenly realized that I probably had other things that I should be doing.
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I agree
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He will leave an enormous hole in NCIS, no matter what some say. Let's hope the end gives us the SFA DiNozzo dedicated to his job. Since his one true love is already married, let him leave for reasons that hep him advance. Thanks, Michael and Tony.
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Ziva is his one true love.
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Not according to Michael
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Yeah, who doesn't love herpes.
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I SO HOPE HE DOES NOT LEAVE DEDICATED TO THE JOB THAT STAGNATED HIM.
Tonys problem and lack of anything else is that he's been too dedicated to his job. Becoming successor Gibbs is NOT a good thing for Tony. He needs less work, more life. Why do you think all these episodes were talking about him having no life, no wife, no kids? To foreshadow his leaving to have MORE than work.
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The show runners had no problem pumping TIVA for all it was worth for ratings. Then wrote Tony terrible because he said he publicly said he hoped Cote came back. Best wishes for Michael. as to seeing he was not on this week's episode, I can say this. He and Cote are missed by my family, Friends and I.
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Agree with you 100%. Glad you said it.
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Last Night's Tony less episode was a preview of how it will be. Even more dull and boring since Ziva left. I hung in there for McGee, Vance and Palmer. NCIS LA is so much better.
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Actually it isn't a preview of how it will be in the future. As of next episode there will be a couple of brand new characters and the law of averages suggests that a good chunk of viewers will find they like one or both of them.
Considering that there are many viewers who don't actually like DiNozzo (their loss, right?) there are going to be viewers who are more than happy with the change, as well as those of us who miss him.
It remains to be seen just what the overall effect of it all is.
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One more comment for the site administrators: Sandra, Dido Twite are
the same person. She also has several other user names so you might
want to check the IP address on the comments for this article.4
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agentscully514 and Dido Twite have already been exposed as one and the same person on another site.
She is entitled to her opinion, but ganging up on another poster by using multiple accounts is rather disingenuous.
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Tony & Ziva were the best for each other on the set. To me they had a thing for each other and the show where they had to act like a couple in the hotel room.I think that was the best show when Ziva was on there and after she left it wasn't the same. Now Tony is leaving, I don't know if it will be worth watching....
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Best wishes to Michael. He deserves the best. Even if Ziva's name is mention he might go away with dad and visit her. He is such a great actor. He will be missed. I am glad they will let him come back if he needs to.
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I don't really get all the hate in the comments. It's kind of a natural evolution. Everyone on the show has someone he gets along with best. As for Michael, that was Cote. And while both were on the show, the stories pretty much revolved around them and they were put in the spotlight. Now that era is over and it's time for others to take that spot.
Maybe finally let McGee step forward and out of the shadows. And let him and Emily Wickersham be the new "siblings to near lovers and back to buddies".As for Michael, he doesn't seem to be leaving with any hard feelings. He fell in love with the "Bull" script. He's open to return on the show and it's spin-offs and get together with his friends and former colleagues. He seems to have it thought through.
As for Cote, she still seems to have hard feelings, but she moved on, too. And did some awesome and very different projects. To the historical fiction and spiritual "The Dovekeepers" to the history-based "The 33". And now shooting a science-fiction pilot "Prototype".
It's time for the fans to move on, too.
May you be a fan of Michael, Cote, NCIS or all of them.2
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Incorrect - MW has never said he got along with cote best. He's been bluntly honest - in the beginning he gelled with Harmon, made a pact with PP to always have fun & has posted more than a few pics with her from behind the scenes. Sean is on record as saying he's closest to MW.
What is said about the cote? he's talked about her widow's peak, made disparaging remarks about ziva and now talks about how with out her around tony was a character adrift because ziva was the only character he was written with by too many writers.4
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Again, his words:
His exit, in fact, was a long time in the making. It’s something, says Weatherly, he began thinking about seriously two and a half years ago, in Season 11, after the departure of Cote de Pablo, who played his verbal sparring partner and love interest, Ziva.
“Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies,” he says, “that was gone, and then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long. I would look around the room and other people were really in sync and having fun. The show was a huge success, but I just suddenly realized that I probably had other things that I should be doing.
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Which does not say that he got along with cote best...
he's saying right there in black & white & yet the mere mention of cote/ziva just blinds some to think that he's saying he misses the actress & character.3
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So you're choosing to ignore this then:
'Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies,” he says, “that was gone, and then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long.'
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But you and your friends are also ignoring part of that quote - where he says "BACK TO BUDDIES". He's just said straight out right there that they ended up as buddies, not soulmates, not lovers (and, in fact, he also dispels the idea that they were ever lovers by using the word "near" as a qualifier).
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Not ignoring....just not putting the uber focus on that part of his answer that tiva wishers do. To me the more telling part of his answer comes after that.
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He mentions how they went back and forth and if you actually watched their last scene together he kissed her. You're assuming his order means anything but words something.
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so what if he kissed her...no big deal
cote got her wish fulfillment part way then
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You've never had a boyfriend or girlfriend have you. You need to look up what a real kiss is
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actually the ones that need the lessons are those who think mote is real and tiva is vital to their existence
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I totally agree on that. Of course, Cote and Michael are buddies. But they aren't lovers. Michael is happily married. And both - Cote and Michael - lead their own lives and aren't dependant on one another. And each one has his own career making the business decisions that is right for them. "Mojana" is real and Tiva is fiction.
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I am talking TV show characters. if you're talking real life then you are the one with the issues.lol
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So where in the article does MW say Ziva was Tony's true love??? I see sibling, near lovers & buddies.
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Where in the article sites he say Jeanne was his true love? When has he talked about any woman except Ziva?
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I didn't mention Jeanne, did I??? & so he talked about Ziva, maybe he's doing it for ratings??
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I see him mentioning no one but Ziva.
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And why did he say he started thinking about leaving shortly after Cote left?????
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& when did we start confusing real people to fictional ones? We were talking about Ziva not Cote. What does this have to do with Ziva being Tony's true love??
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So? Again, he mentions Ziva as a sibling, near lover & buddy never his true love.
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He will...after S13. LOL...
At least it is way more then about any woman,right? -
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Sure..when he talks about Ziva it is for rating..Gibbs..well true love is there.
Oops,he doesn't talk about Gibbs anymore. Sorry,my bad.
And why he would even care about ratings now? Did he ever said something for ratings at all? Sorry,but I respect the man for being direct and honest.1
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Again, did I mention someone other then Ziva? Did Gibbs name come in at all? I also respect him for being direct & honest and not once in this interview did he state that Ziva was Tony's true love.
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Considering what was done to his character for years & then what happened after ziva, if you were in his shoes, wouldn't you leave?
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Poor thing....so delusional.....everybody knows that Ziva was Tony's love interest, even the very network that's now promoting the name of Ziva for next week's episode.
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Being promoted as such does not make it so.
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Oh, dear, NCIS shouldn't have put this clip up on their youtube then!
Is Ziva Returning to NCIS? (Special Preview) - NCIS4
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Then call me delusional. As many have requested from people who say prove to me that Jeanne is Tony's true love, I'm just asking the same from the people who claim that Ziva is Tony's true love... Prove it. & let me add that when some can't justify a response they attack people personally.
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Oh, Jet, they didn't spend 8+ years teasing TIVA for nothing...in article after article, they've referred to Ziva as Tony's love interest.
And just because Michael said one time that Jeanne was Tony's 'true love' doesn't make it true. Especially since it was done behind the scene and not said on screen. LOL
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Who is Jet?? You are confusing me with someone else maybe that's why the personal attacks.
So basically you're saying if someone other then Tont/MW says its so then it is because the author in this article states that Jeanne is Tony's true love so I guess that makes its so. A true love and a love interest are two different things. You can't have it both ways.
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Exactly. And, with one word, dispels the idea (at least in his mind) that they hooked up in either Paris or Israel.
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So, you dismiss the comment about Jeanne being his true love because the writer made it, not MW, but jump on the comments about TIVA because ... writers have made them? Sorry, you can't have it both ways.
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No more delusional than you are about Tony and Ziva - if someone did to me what she did to him and treated me the way she treated him episode after episode (and yes, I know it's what the writers wrote) then I would have no romantic feelings for them whatsoever and very little affection. But I could easily still have loyalty to a team-mate, even though I probably wouldn't trust them.
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Rating for what show exactly because his new shows won't be on for 8 months and he couldn't care less what NCIS ratings are because he is leaving
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The network interns will tease what they are told to tease...
With any luck Scott has already killed ziva & then there will never be any tiva to haunt the show & mote to haunt Weatherly
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Keep dreaming, AnnSan!
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you never know....
but hey - the show can deal with tiva after MW leaves...but MW deserves to NOT have to deal with the mote crap1
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Or the show can just ignore TIVA and Tony like they've done Ziva. Just saying.
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now see that's the ultimate difference between the two groups. Minus a couple of obvious fanatics, the Weatherly fans are excited for him to leave and exlore new things. They'll actually follow him to new roles and to whatever he does with Solar Drive.. They also don't expect the show or the castto go on & on about Michael and how much he's missed and how much they owe him next season.
unlike the whining from some (still) about how Harmon has never publicly and properly thanked de pablo (heaven onlyh knows for what). and still whining about they 'deserve' a tiva HEA when WEatherly clearly said that it was a fanon ship.
fanfic - it's a beautiful thing....
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Not every person leaving a job hopes that their previous employment is destroyed by their leaving.
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I had stopped watching the show cause of the tony ziva dynamic. I have really enjoyed the show again since she left (Love Cote just not ziva character romance crap with tony). Sorry to see tony go but respect Michaels decision. Looking forward to see what they do!
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Wonderful interview. I'm very sad to see DiNozzo leaving, he is such a wonderful complex character that will be missed by all. I am also very happy to see Michael going out to pursue other things. I wish him every happiness & success in his new endeavours & his life after NCIS. This is not so say I won't have a box of tissues beside me next week. All the very best Michael!!!
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It helps a little bit to lose him knowing he'd like to come back if they want him to. Fair Winds and Following Seas, Michael.
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It helps a LOT knowing he loved Ziva as much as we fans do.
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Didn't say that Lucie
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Nowhere in the article does he say that.
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So he loves Ziva as much as I do?
I'm cool with that.
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does any one know his email? i need to talk him out of this. he's my favorite character.
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Here's another actor with a STEADY job baling. For what? A chance this new show will be picked up? He and Josh Charles should be banished from acting. I certainly would NEVER hire hire either one!
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I think he would be really good in a role as a private investigator like in the classic "Rockford Files".
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Truly a shame. This show expanded into several others. They could have broken all the records. What's wrong with running longer than Gunsmoke. His character would be expanded. He could always have done other things besides. For any show to be number one with so many for so long makes any change a betrayal. I'm sure he's set for life, so it isn't the money. As for a new show based on Dr Phil, I wish him success but wouldn't bet on it. It the superman syndrome. Hopefully he will be back.
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The headline is misleading - it's not what Michael said about himself, but what Pauley said about Michael leaving. So I'm wondering, can the whole article be trusted then?
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I will miss you, Tony... Good luck, Michael, you're Great!!!!!
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What is going to happen to DiNozzo, Sr. ? I will miss Robert Wagner.
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When you read this article pay close attention to the quotation marks. They tell you what was actually said by Michael or Glasberg. Anything else can be either restatement in the author's words or the author's summary or the author's opinion. Also, pay attention to the banner at the top of the website. tvinsider from the editiors of TV Guide Magazine, which is owned by CBS.
I was most impressed by what Michael actually said. The part about Jeanne Benoit as Tony's true love was not in quotes. So, I haven't a clue if that is the writer's opinion or what.
It's something, says Weatherly, he began thinking about seriously two and a half years ago, in season 11, after the departure of Cote de Pablo, who played his verbal sparring partner and love interest, Ziva. (Although there are no quotation marks, he attributes this to Weatherly..)
Then comes my favorite part, all in quotes. .“Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies,” he says, “that was gone, and then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long. I would look around the room and other people were really in sync and having fun. The show was a huge success, but I just suddenly realized that I probably had other things that I should be doing. And then the wanderlust set in. I directed a documentary. I have a production company. And I wanted to spend time with my family.”
Although he had been critical of the Tony/Ziva thing at one point (he expressed that on Buzzfeed) he came to miss it, "that was gone." His friend was gone.. The saddest part for me was, "I felt I'd stayed at the party for too long." Many of us know the feeling--waiting too long to make a difficult decision. I think that he got it right. Good Luck, Michael!
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sigh -
as has been pointed out to numerous people BY numerous people. MW eferred to Jeanne as the one Tony was still in love with in interviews earlier this season.
also he has never referred ziva as Tony's love interest. That's always been the entertainment 'journalists' who did that.
he does not say he came to miss it or his friend was gone. that's you wishing. What's interesting is his feeling of being the odd man out while the rest were so in sync - thank you so much GG & writers, NOT.
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I don't want to watch a show about Dr. Phil. Bleah.
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The new show isn't about Dr Phil, it's about the type of work Dr Phil did in his early career - which sounds far more interesting than Dr Phil.
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The show would be based on McGraw's work, and he would be a producer. Sounds pretty much like we're supposed to believe Weatherly's character is a stand-in for McGraw. (The description is kind of a hoot, btw.)
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McGraw himself has already said the character isn't a stand in in an interview. The show is based on the TYPE of work he used to do. That is all
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Even McGraw has said that the character is very loosely based on work he did as a jury consultant, not on him.
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On the second picture is it me or dose the lady sat down look like Zoe Keates
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I think it looks like Kate from the side
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Yea but Kate is dead so I don't think it's her
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