8 Questions We Have After Ziva’s Return to ‘NCIS’ (PHOTOS)
Is Ziva really alive?
It’s very, very likely that she is. There is still a slight chance she’s really dead and just another ghost Gibbs is seeing — he did spend the episode talking to one of his dead ex-wives, Diane (Melinda McGraw) — but all signs point to her being alive. After all, we never saw a body.
Does Tony know she’s alive?
Assuming she’s alive, how long is the list of people who know she isn’t dead? We are, of course, most concerned about Tony (Michael Weatherly). Though the two never officially got together, they were romantically involved long enough to have a child together (which Tony only found out about after her supposed death). Wherever she’s been, does Tony at least know she’s out there?
And if he does, does his father know? Senior (Robert Wagner) has appeared in several episodes since Tony’s exit and has mentioned visiting with his son and granddaughter.
Is Tony in Paris?
If Tony and Senior both know Ziva’s alive, it’s also possible that Tony’s not even in Paris and that is, instead, a cover story they’re using to protect their family.
Has Ziva been with Tony and their daughter?
If Tony knows, has she been able to spend time with him and their daughter, even if she hasn’t been with them this entire time?
And if she is with them, are she and Tony together?
Where has Ziva been?
If she hasn’t been with her family (in Paris or elsewhere), where has she been? She was presumably in D.C. for a brief period of time to leave that note for Bishop. Has she been on the move?
Does Gibbs think he’s seeing a ghost?
We wouldn’t blame him, considering he just spent time with Diane, who told him that they’re “all” here for him. Bishop (Emily Wickersham) tried to figure out how much he knew earlier in the season, but nothing came of it.
Is Ziva’s warning to Gibbs connected to the case in the finale?
Ziva warned Gibbs he’s in danger, just after ghost Diane noted that he wasn’t done with the case. They got the middle man, who hadn’t been eager to name his supplier from Canada. “You don’t want to mess with this guy,” he warned Gibbs, and it was unclear if he ever gave up that person’s name.
Whether or not he did, the case was still open by finale’s end, but it doesn’t seem likely that’s connected to Ziva’s return considering the timing of it. She appeared pretty much the same day.
What is Ziva’s warning about?
Gibbs has been doing this job for long enough that he has quite the list of enemies. But is he in danger because of something only from his past or something from his and Ziva’s pasts?
Or could she have stumbled upon something while doing whatever she’s been doing all this time that led her to realize she had no choice but to reveal herself?
NCIS brought back a fan favorite in Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David in the final moments of the Season 16 finale.
But now that we’ve gotten over the (very pleasant) shock of seeing her again (and almost certainly alive), we’re looking ahead to what her return means for the series and the character.
Fans thought Ziva had been killed off-screen in the Season 13 finale, but this season featured the strong suggestion that she is, in fact, alive, and featured enough mentions of her that we expected some sort of payoff by the end. The final scene with Gibbs (Mark Harmon) delivered that and more.
With “no time for pleasantries,” Ziva walked down the stairs to Gibbs’ basement and warned him that he’s in danger. “Aren’t you going to say something?” she asked as he stared at her. All he said was her name, and that was the end of “Daughters.”
But that isn’t the end of her return to the CBS drama. Following that surprising moment — one that was a lot of trouble to keep a secret — showrunners Frank Cardea and Steven D. Binder hinted that it’s “just the beginning” and announced de Pablo will appear in the Season 17 premiere “as Ziva’s warning to Gibbs unfolds.”
With that news, we want to know what Ziva’s been up to and what’s coming next. Click through the gallery above for our questions about her role in the upcoming season, and add your own in the comments below.
NCIS, Season 17, Fall 2019, CBS
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