Cote De Pablo Had One Request For Michael Weatherly Before Signing On For Tony & Ziva, But Knew She’d ‘Have To Earn It’

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When Cote de Pablo started playing Ziva David on NCIS in Season 3 of 2006, viewers quickly grew fond of the ‘will they, won’t they’ tension between her character and Michael Weatherly‘s Tony DiNozzo. They even coined the term Tiva for their potential romantic pairing. Now, with only a few weeks left until the premiere of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which is set to air on the 2025 TV schedule, fans are eagerly anticipating seeing them together again after more than a decade. However, before de Pablo agreed to star in the Paramount+ exclusive spinoff, she had one condition regarding how their relationship would be portrayed in the series.

At San Diego Comic-Con, not only did the cast of NCIS: Tony & Ziva participate in a panel discussing aspects such as how the spinoff will introduce new characters and Michael Weatherly’s emotional farewell moment during filming, but they also engaged in numerous interviews with various media outlets, including ScreenRant. During one of these interviews, Cote de Pablo was queried about her preference for Tony and Ziva to develop a romantic relationship or to maintain their “slow burn” dynamic in the upcoming series. The actress responded:

I appreciate the gradual build-up in their relationship. And it’s intriguing how Michael characterizes these two characters as tragic lovers. It’s almost like they’re destined to be together, yet something always intervenes and things become difficult, making a successful relationship seem impossible. I made one thing clear to Michael: I won’t tell their story unless there’s some form of happy outcome in the end. After all, I believe they deserve a… However, before we reach that point, we must first work hard to show their struggles. So, prepare for them to go through a lot of trials and tribulations.

In the television series NCIS, the last instance where Tony and Ziva appeared together was in Season 11’s second episode, where they shared a kiss before Tony returned to the United States, while Ziva remained in Israel. Later on in the Season 13 finale, it was revealed that they had slept together, and their daughter, Tali, was introduced. However, viewers never witnessed Tony and Ziva forming a long-term romantic relationship. Actress Cote de Pablo has expressed no qualms about these characters not having a chance to be romantically involved in the show.

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To put it simply, she explicitly told Michael Weatherly that she would join “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” only if there was a satisfying conclusion to their long-standing issues. The trailer for “Tony & Ziva” hints at ongoing complexity between the characters since they share custody of Tali, and there’s no indication they will rekindle their romantic relationship by the end of the premiere. However, fans who have rooted for Tony and Ziva all these years can anticipate some form of resolution or payoff in their storyline as the season (possibly the entire series?) progresses.

As a die-hard NCIS enthusiast, I can’t contain my excitement as the long-awaited adventures of Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David unfold when NCIS: Tony & Ziva premieres its inaugural three episodes on Thursday, September 4. Given the immense popularity of this franchise and the record-breaking response to the spinoff’s trailer on Paramount+, it’s clear that many fans, including myself, are eagerly anticipating what lies ahead for these beloved characters. Will they finally find their fairytale ending? Only time will tell!

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2025-08-05 02:38