13 Best Tony & Ziva Episodes of ‘NCIS’
One half of Tiva returned to NCIS in Season 17, and while the couple reunited (off screen), we’re hoping to see them both appear in a future episode.
After the shocking Season 16 finale, in which the supposedly dead Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) showed up in Gibbs’s (Mark Harmon) basement with a warning for her former boss, four episodes last season delved into why she faked her death. And by the end of her arc, viewers found out if Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) knew she was alive—he did, and they’d been in limited contact—and watched her head off to reunite with him and their daughter, Tali.
While we wait to see if de Pablo or Weatherly make another appearance, scroll down to relive the best Tiva episodes of the series.
NCIS, Season 18, Fall 2020, CBS
"Kill Ari (Parts I and II)"
(Season 3, Episodes 1 and 2)
Relive Tony and Ziva’s first meeting — and flirtation — as the two got to know each other and didn’t quite trust one another just yet.
"Under Covers"
(Season 3, Episode 8)
It’s a classic way to tease fans: put the will they/won’t they couple in an undercover assignment where they’re playing a (married) couple. In this case, their acting convinced FBI agents of their cover story.
"Boxed In"
(Season 3, Episode 12)
Another classic tease is locking two characters in a room (or in this case, a storage container) together. It came at a time when tensions were high — she’d invited everyone over for dinner except for him — but they still managed to work together.
"Semper Fidelis" and "Aliyah"
(Season 6, Episodes 24 and 25)
You have to take the good with the bad, especially when it comes to TV couples (there’s always drama). In the final two episodes of Season 6, Tony’s investigation into Ziva’s boyfriend, Michael Rivkin (Merik Tadros), led to the Mossad Officer’s death and quite the confrontation between the teammates in Israel.
"Truth or Consequences"
(Season 7, Episode 1)
Her teammates put their lives on the line — and Tony and McGee (Sean Murray) got themselves captured — to rescue Ziva in Somalia, despite the rocky way she left things with them when she stayed behind in Israel at the end of Season 6. “Couldn’t live without you,” Tony told her when she asked why he was there.
"Shiva"
(Season 10, Episode 12)
Following her father’s murder, Ziva stayed in Tony’s apartment. Tiva fans especially won’t want to miss their goodbye at the airport when she left to bring her father’s body home to Israel.
"Berlin"
(Season 10, Episode 21)
Tony joined Ziva on her trip to Berlin to track down her father’s killer. From their conversation in the hotel room to their dance (as seen above) to that moment in the car, this was one of the last major Tiva episodes (for now?).
"Past, Present, and Future"
(Season 11, Episode 2)
In de Pablo’s last episode (at the time), Tony tracked her down but also respected her wishes and let her start over. One of the biggest Tiva moments of the series came when the two said goodbye at the airport.
"Family First"
(Season 13, Episode 24)
Ziva might not have appeared in Tony’s farewell episode, but she had a major presence. After the team found out about her death (or, rather, supposed death), Tony learned they had a daughter together. He left the team (and United States) to raise Tali in Paris.
"The North Pole" and "In the Wind"
(Season 17, Episodes 10 and 11)
While Tony did not appear in any of Ziva’s four appearances, he was very much on her mind during them. These two episodes detailed what he knew about her “death” and ended with her leaving to join him and their daughter in Paris.
