As NCIS gears up for its 21st season, people are still hoping for the long-awaited return of fan-favorite couple “Tiva,” which consists of Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. While Michael Weatherly’s rumored return seems to be a mess right now, between comments about former co-star Mark Harmon and some demands that aren’t making producers happy, that isn’t stopping him from still teasing fans about a potential comeback.
Earlier this year, Weatherly, who departed the long-running CBS series as Special Agent DiNozzo in the Season 13 finale, gave such hope to fans that a Tiva reunion would be happening. In response to a fan asking if Tony and Ziva will reunite, he had an interesting comment about it, telling them to “stay tuned.”
Stay tuned… for this might be an interesting year for such “moments”! https://t.co/K2RQOqjL4E
— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) January 1, 2023
Ever since Cote de Pablo made her debut as liaison officer Ziva David in Season 3, there was immediately something that sparked between her and DiNozzo, even if the two of them didn’t initially see that. While they technically weren’t really together, in later seasons, it became clear they were more than just friends and colleagues, even if they didn’t want to admit it. de Pablo officially exited the series at the beginning of Season 11 after Tony spent weeks searching for her and ended up in Israel. They have a steamy goodbye, and it seemed like that might have been it for the pair.
The end of Season 13 revealed that Ziva died in an explosion while she was at her father’s farmhouse and that she had a daughter, and Tony’s the father. Knowing that he now has another life to look after and not just his, he makes the decision to leave the team for a better life and to search for Ziva. Cote de Pablo returns at the end of Season 16, revealing that she faked her death, and for four episodes of Season 17. She revealed that Tony did find her in Egypt, but the two have been careful to not be seen together for fear that someone was after Ziva, and she wanted to protect her family, which is why she faked her death in the first place. But with all safe and sound, her final appearance on the series in Season 17, Episode 11 suggests that she finally went back home to her family.
As of now, Michael Weatherly’s return is complicated, and it may not happen as soon as fans want it to, if it ever does. It doesn’t seem completely out of the question however, so fans will just have to hope that Tony and Ziva reunite on-screen in the future. In the meantime, though, they can rewatch their blossoming love story on NCIS on Paramount+.