‘NCIS’ season 13: Cote de Pablo says she will not return for Michael Weatherly send-off
For everyone out there who was hoping that we would see Cote de Pablo return for the send-off to her former “NCIS” co-star Michael Weatherly, we have some news courtesy of the actress herself that may be rather entertaining.
While speaking during a Q&A session today at Babson College in Massachusetts, the actress confirmed (per several people who were attending) that she will not be appearing in the season 13 finale airing next month. It’s disappointing news to hear, and it does squelch a little bit of the hope that we had that this was something that CBS was hoping to keep secret. Honestly, if Cote were not appearing we actually think it would be a better move for the show / producers make that crystal clear in advance, largely because you don’t really want to run the risk of heavy backlash from people watching the episode and expecting something.
Even if there is no physical appearance, we do know that Ziva is going to at least be a component of the story leading to Tony’s exit. Maybe season 13 is set up in a way where he goes off and finds her, or her name is at least brought up in several conversations. We know that the principal storyline for this episode is going to be seeing a case all about someone targeting current and former agents, so in that sense the possibilities for Ziva mentions are pretty endless.
In terms of other guest stars, Robert Wagner is meant to return one more time before Weatherly departs, and there could be some other surprises thrown in here, as well.
You can see some other news when it comes to “NCIS” by heading over here and reading our archive. Also, sign up over here to secure some other TV news on all we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: CBS.)
Update: Check out Cote’s explanation below.
chris
April 27, 2016 @ 8:14 pm
So if she was actually talking about a possible return in season 12, and she said that ziva was going to remain miserable and alone in Israel, has it clicked in anyone’s brain what she was actually saying? Sounds to me like she’s saying that the tiva was never going to happen.
If she was talking about the writing for ziva in general, she comes across as a very bitter, angry and petty person. No class and even less tact.
Either way, it’s would be a lose/lose situation for cote and her fans.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 6:23 pm
it’s really sad that Matt Carter refuses to do anything about the influx of sock accounts commenting on his blogs.
Glonget
April 26, 2016 @ 6:51 pm
Sorry but to me CDP is such a hypocrite, I just… I don’t even want her back. There is cast and crew who still work on NCIS and are making the #1 DRAMA IN THE WORLD and deserve our respect. She left and now she denigrates them like that. To me she is in no position to criticize!
liz laughlin
April 26, 2016 @ 8:39 pm
She said nothing about the cast being bad. She had problems with the writing. Most specifically how they were going to write Ziva, a character that she loved and had invested 8 years of her life playing. She kept her comments general. She did not name names.
I have problems with the writing. I think it’s a shame how Michael Weatherly’s Tony has been written for three seasons. He has been standing around with little to do for three seasons. He used to be Gibbs’s “go to guy.” Now that honor falls to McGee and Bishop.
How did she injure them? She was asked if she would be coming back for Tony’s send off. She said, “No.” What was she supposed to say? “Yes.” That’s a lie. “I don’t know.” That’s a lie and sounds stupid. “I’m not allowed to talk about that.” That sounds like “Yes.” She doesn’t work for CBS. She simply said, “No.” She is not an employee of CBS anymore. Her contract ran out at the end of season 10 and yet you act like for the rest of her life her priority is to support CBS. For three years when asked why she left she responded with “It was a personal decision.” How long was she supposed to wait before she could say that it was about the writing? Until she was 80? This is America not some totalitarian police state.
Glonget
April 26, 2016 @ 9:01 pm
The thing is, she has the nerves to criticize, but she was the one that quit and hadn’t done anything for the show since. Luckly NCIS is so much bigger that Ziva and I personally would not want her back…
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:28 am
She did not have a contract with CBS. She wasn’t working for CBS. You can’t quit unless you are working for them.. I don’t know why you can’t understand that. If she signed a contract and left, then she could quit but of course she would have been sued for breech of contract.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 5:09 am
MW did publicity for the show/network when he was in tense negotiations during his Monte Carlo trip with cdp.
He only didn’t show for Upfronts in S12 – negotiating again.
cdp’s team negotiated thinking they were getting a good faith deal. Both parties got screwed by cdp in the long run. & considering the contracts can actually be nullified every 9 weeks or so if the character is leaving for ‘storyline purposes’…..
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:42 pm
Another example of insider knowledge. I’ve wondered are you GGs hobby?
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 6:32 pm
thought you had a life? Why are you still responding to me?
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 7:14 pm
Well since you don’t have a life, I thought that it would be kind to keep you company. Now, I am out of here. Oh, I did hug the cat.
Lisa Liscoumb
April 26, 2016 @ 9:25 pm
She could have said “I had eight good years on NCIS, but unfortunately in the end it came down to creative differences between myself and others as to Ziva’s future”. Short, sweet, and it doesn’t trash the writers or others involved in the show.
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 10:52 pm
THIS ^^^
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:24 am
Maybe she could employ you to do her public relations. No matter what she said, you wouldn’t like it. I can count on it. Toodle oo I ‘ve had enough of ya’ll
Lisa Liscoumb
April 27, 2016 @ 2:05 pm
Well, she certainly needs someone to do public relations for her, as she’s doing a piss-poor job herself.
And I don’t know why you’ve decided I hate Cote de Pablo – projecting much? I was happy for her when she got the roles in The Dovekeepers and The 33, and I was actually happy for her when she got a new role in Prototype, because she’s obviously trying to move on and do things other than NCIS that will make her happy. Maybe if she’d phrased her statements in a way that didn’t trash the show, writers and people who made her into a star in the first place just to pander to a group of people who only seem to want her to play one role then I’d have more respect for her and her opinions.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:42 am
It appears she was more talking about what might have come in season 12 and not the writing she acted out for 8 years. Rumors flew during season 12 that the set up with Sergei was perfect for a ziva return. Her comments made it seem like she’d seen a script for an appearance and rejected it because she didn’t like the way ziva was written or what would happen to her.
For her to suddenly criticize the writing now is really ridiculous since the whole time she was on the show in every interview she pushed a for a romance for ziva and to be allowed to be a girl instead of being the fighter.She wanted meat to play – well she got it in season 10.
Oh wait…she didn’t like the exit? Maybe she should have given the show more notice and not acted like everything was great and she was coming back at Upfronts. Maybe she should have given the show more time to actually do a proper exit. Not like she had anything going on in her life after she filmed PPF.
Cote should know that in H’wood, you’re only as successful as your last part/show. She got TDK on the basis of her popularity as ziva. Well, that was a major flop.
It’s unfortunate that at a Q&A for The 33, she chose to whine about the show that gave her her wealth and fame. Gotta wonder what her possible future bosses thought if they saw the video.
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:18 am
As much as I like to argue with you, I have better things to do right now. All your negativity is depressing. Have a nice evening.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 4:22 am
create more sock accounts elsewhere undoubtedly….and try to figure out how to argue back the idea that there’s NO way de pablo was talking about ziva in season 11 since she never saw any scripts for it
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 3:54 pm
Nope. I have a lawn to mow, a family tree to work on, a job to go to, a cat to hug. Since you know what scripts Cote read or didn’t read. and you also claim to know for sure what CBS charges for selling advertising time you either work for CBS or a company affiliated with CBS or you are a liar. I doubt that you could look up either of those two things on the internet. Since you work for the network, there is nothing I could say to you that would make any difference. Your job is to vilify CdP. Closed book. Goodbye. Have a nice life.
Crystal Miller
April 25, 2016 @ 11:44 pm
My family, friends and I are sick and tired of the ncis show runners being unprofessional. Mark Harmon acts like a rejected suitor when it comes to Cote and Gary Glasberg is his puppet. They gave her a script they knew she would not go for and then will say oh we gave her a script…these guys are like the politicians. They are making decisions for the political party they are affiliated with instead of doing right for the people. That being the 90% majority who want Tony and Ziva happily reunited. Shane Brennan of NCIS LA gets it so why don’t they?!
Lisa Liscoumb
April 26, 2016 @ 8:37 pm
Outed on TVLine (dot) com as a sock account. Reported and flagged.
LSilvaxx
April 26, 2016 @ 10:11 pm
Are you dense or somethin? What does Harmon have to do with the writing or the fact that your princess is frustrated and bitter that the writes prefer Michael’s wishes over hers?
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:22 am
He’s an executive producer or didn’t you notice?
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 5:10 am
which means he MAY be involved or may not be. Most of the writers are EPs as well. Or didn’t you notice?
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:51 pm
Go back to the beginning of this thread. It was about who is responsible for the writing on this show.
Do you really think that Harmon has no input? So, the writers have no input to the show either? Well, you said the execs have no input. Harmon probably has no input. The writers have no input. And not too long back LSylvaxx said that Glasberg has no responsibility for the writing. This is amazing. The show is evidently writing itself. Oh, I get it ! The $20 an hour janitor is writing the show. Someone should give that guy a raise.As amusing as this is, I’m out of here. Ciao
Oh the mirth you created, distracted me from my point. Executive producers fall into one of the these four categories: 1) the showrunner is the chief executive in charge of every thing related to the production of the show, including the development and daily management of the show, 2) head writers, 3) The CEO of the production company who distributes the show, and 4) a producer on the show who has climbed his way up.
Number one is of course Gary Glasberg-Yes he is responsible for the whole ball of wax (about a year ago he said that one of his duties was to keep the higher ups (the execs) happy)
Number two is the head writers (I’m sure you guys know who they are.)
Number 3, well Bellisario gets this one as an honorarium, since he has been banned from the creative process since season 5.
Number 4 again you guys know better than I. They are producers with an atta boy or atta girl ( producer is a term used for writers of a particular episode.)
Of course the joke is that all off the executive producers have some degree of input except for Bellisario.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 6:25 pm
Actually the beginning of this thread was nothing more than a sock account whining & blaming someone who had NOTHING to do with whether cote came back or quit & whether or not shippers managed to get yet another FANON ship made canon.
Everything else you’ve stated is inconsequential because of the errors in the post that started the thread
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 7:07 pm
Okay, I didn’t go back to the beginning–my mistake. I went from the LSylvaxx first comment. I will just take a clue from you. Everything that you say is inconsequential because of your constant deflection. You don’t address the ideas. You engage in name calling, a logical fallacy called “poisoning the well.” That shows me an inability to present a cogent argument. You definitely were not on a high school debate team.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 7:18 pm
LOL – it’s funny because I’ve yet to call you a name or make a dig at you yet that is all you’ve done in EVERY response to me & to others that I’ve responded to when I’ve ignored you. Gotta wonder why
Harmon has stated multiple times that he does *not* influence the writers on scripts or storylines. Barring evidence that he has done so, he has to be believed. Beyond anyone else having input, at the TCAs the replacement for Tassler made comments which indicated he also has no input. I’m sure you can then figure out who has input in the scripts on your own. maybe….maybe not – given your insinuations as to who the showrunner is for the show.
Thought you had gardening to do….
LSilvaxx
April 28, 2016 @ 2:52 am
I said that Glasberg is not only responsible for the writing alone. You’re so… I better stop here.
LSilvaxx
April 27, 2016 @ 12:05 pm
Watch the beginning of an episode and then tell me how many people are mentioned with the description “Executive Producer”! Then tell me again it’s alright to blame ONE of them for everything that doesn’t please you personally on a TV show that is not designed for your own pleasure.
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 11:08 pm
You mean that Shane Brennan gets just how tedious the crap between Kensi and Deeks is? How can Tony and Ziva be happily reunited when all Ziva wants to do is put Tony down and disrespect him.
What I don’t get is why de Pablo was happy to take the money for a good four years of crappy scripts and character assassination but stalked off when it became clear she wasn’t going to get her Tiva romance.
And are all your family and friends fictitious just like your accounts on here?
Seriously if you need to resort to creating fake accounts to make your numbers seem greater, then you aren’t the majority.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:45 am
Nice talking points….Wonder if you’re going to be deleted for being a sock account here like you were at TV Line….
oh and get your facts right. 90%? not even close – unless you’re counting all the sock accounts of the mote fanatics
Eleanor S
April 25, 2016 @ 11:28 pm
Had enough of Mark Harmon and Gary Glasberg’s games. They are the most unprofessional show runners my family and I have seen. They could not write a acceptable script for Cote and for us. They have disrespected not only her and Ziva but US. The majority that wants Tony and Ziva happily reunited! DONE WITH CBS.
LSilvaxx
April 26, 2016 @ 10:12 pm
The majority? Speak for yourself only because Idon’t want her back.
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 10:53 pm
The true majority of fans have no need for sock accounts to make their numbers seem greater than they are.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:47 am
And yet another account that was deleted on TV Line for being a sock account.
Newsflash crystal – the show doesn’t have to write anything that’s acceptable to cote or her fanatical fans.
Marie H
April 25, 2016 @ 11:18 pm
Why does CBS let this happen? Again the NCIS show runners Gary Glasberg and Mark Harmon Have disregarded what the majority wanted…Tony and Ziva happy reunion. Done with CBS!
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 10:52 pm
Which one of you is real: Marie Hixon, Eleanor Shea, Cheryl Gress or Crystal Miller?
No wonder you think you are in the majority if there are four voices in one head.
CBS are paying attention to what the majority of fans want and it ain’t Tiva.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:47 am
and here we have ANOTHER sock account that was outed on TV Line….
Cheryl Gress
April 25, 2016 @ 10:38 pm
Wow Mark Harmon and Gary Glasberg are just plain jerks. Cote had not said a bad word about them and to give her a crap script….goes beyond comprehension. They lost my family and I from watching this show for good. Tony and Ziva deserved to be reunited. No wonder Michael Weatherly is done with it.
LSilvaxx
April 26, 2016 @ 10:13 pm
The majority? Speak for yourself only because Idon’t want her back. Even Weatherly doesn’t want Tiva.
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 11:00 pm
So what exactly have Harmon and Glasberg done other than that old show business adage of “the show must go on”.
And de Pablo has said several bad words about them, she said she left because of bad scripts, ie she trashed Glasberg and the writers. She said her departure was rushed, trashing everyone when it was rushed because she set the timing.
Glasberg and Harmon are the ones who have not said a bad word about her; they said it was her choice to leave and that they respected her decision.
Why do Tony and Ziva deserve to be reunited? So that Ziva can disrespect Tony again? Not every fan wanted romance on this show, let alone wanting Tiva.
And do sock families even watch TV?
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:48 am
And here’s yet another sock account
Brooklyn Aggie
April 25, 2016 @ 10:35 pm
SO disappointed with the ncis show runners. Mark Harmon and Gary Glasberg. By not having Cote back as Ziva for Tony, they threw the Demo and ratings down the toilet.
LSilvaxx
April 26, 2016 @ 10:12 pm
Yes blame everyone but not the one who is to blame!
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 11:03 pm
You mean the way Glasberg and Harmon have thrown the demo and ratings of every other show on network TV down the toilet?
The absolute numbers may be falling, but NCIS is still winning the night (or very close to it) in the demo – even on re-runs – and that is what counts.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:49 am
So the idea that Weatherly probably voiced an opinion against having a tiva ending doesn’t matter to you
Lisa Liscoumb
April 27, 2016 @ 2:14 am
Not outed yet as a sock account, but with the language so similar, willing to bet it is.
Brooklyn Aggie
April 27, 2016 @ 10:41 pm
My family and friends get together for good food and conversation. So we decided to comment. Can not help if we feel this way and comment on it. This show on the downhill slide.
Lee
April 29, 2016 @ 9:53 am
After 13 seasons it would be a miracle if it was not on the downhill slide.
The argument is all about whether that is the natural lifecycle of a TV show or whether one actress could have stopped it (the evidence was that she couldn’t, the slide began in earnest in season 10 before she left).
chris
April 27, 2016 @ 9:10 pm
According to cote and her fanatics, she was “sticking it to the man”. She decided the script wasn’t good enough for her or her character.
Marla
April 25, 2016 @ 9:43 pm
As much as I would love to have Cote come back one last time, I’m proud of her for not compromising het integrity and for knowing when to walk away. As Liz said, kudos to Cote for standing up to the ‘old boy’ network in Hollywood.
I was drawn to Tony and Ziva because of Michael and Cote. I hope we’ll get to see Michael & Cote on screen somewhere down the road.
Matt, thank you for reporting this!
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:51 am
Yes, Marla because sour grapes looks so good on an actress who didn’t get what she wanted (another chance to grope MW) just like a toddler throwing a tantrum in public looks so good.
Jeanne
April 27, 2016 @ 2:10 am
You are totally disgusting. I’m so proud of Cote for telling them no. In the last of S10 it was Ziva character assassination, and would have continued into S11. I say Bravo to Cote. As much as I wanted to see her back I’m so glad she told the good ole boys to shove it.
Lisa Liscoumb
April 27, 2016 @ 2:15 am
So it’s fine for you to insult people (“the good ole boys”) but if someone says one word against your “queen”, they’re disgusting? Can you say “hypocrite”?
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 4:12 am
I smell sock account….
& let’s see she’s done SO well for telling them ‘no’? Or wait – try playing hardball and losing.
Lee
April 27, 2016 @ 7:46 am
She had no problem taking the money and re-signing when Ziva’s character was assassinated in season 6 and 7, if she was that concerned about Ziva’s integrity why didn’t she tell the “good ole boys” to shove it then?
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 4:32 pm
Wow! How often do we see a woman stand up to the “old boy” network in Hollywood? Patricia Arquette did it at the Academy Awards and brought the likes of Meryl Streep to her feet. I don’t see that Cote said anything inappropriate. She spoke her mind and it’s refreshing. Why is it so offensive that Cote de Pablo had artistic differences with TPTB at CBS. Because she worked with them for 8 years, they own her thoughts and her freedom of speech forever? I think that her comments were well measured and well within the bounds of propriety. If anything her comments were too polite. She’s a class act!
Hollywood has a long history of treating women unfairly. I hope that the “casting couch” is a thing of the past but I don’t know. Women in Hollywood are paid lower than their male counterparts. They have shorter careers than men because it is thought that few people want to see a middle aged actress. Men can be romantic leads well into their sixties and seventies. Why is that? Because the guys, who are running things, are middle aged or older. They are legends in their own minds! Hollywood is an anachronism and it would be nice if they caught up with the rest of the world.
I watch a lot of British television. What a difference! The Brits put their focus on excellent writing and excellent acting. (Michael Weathery once said that he would love to be on Downton Abbey.)There is an occasional “pretty face” but it doesn’t seem to be a requirement. Older women are considered to be attractive–sexy even. In Hollywood work dries up after 45 if you are a woman and if you are very good, you can maybe make 1/3 of what your male counterpart makes.
marynela
April 25, 2016 @ 5:06 pm
Well, I think we just have to agree to disagree on this.
For me, her words didn’t sound like standing up to the network – which I’m all for – but leaving for not getting her will. For not being willing to portray a “miserable” and, yes, maybe weak Ziva (for a while). In my opinion, it would have been refreshing to see a weak Ziva, i.e. Ziva going through an emotional growth.
But, well, for me, it’s still mostly the timing that bugged me.
She should have left early enough not risking the production of Season 11.
Having the writers re-write the first episodes in a hurry and in that hurry even having them to create a send-off for Ziva.
It just wasn’t fair to everyone working on the show, cast and crew – and her friends.
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 5:56 pm
Cote was not under contract to CBS. Her contract had run out 3 to 4 months earlier. She had been in negotiations for over 3 months. She was free to accept or reject whatever CBS offered her. CBS was not prepared for the possibility that she would not accept what they offered. That is a very bad business strategy. Shame on CBS for being unprepared, such as they were. They over played their hand and lost. All of you can cry foul but I’m shedding no tears for CBS. Cote was one little Latina actress and CBS is a huge corporation worth billions, I shall shed no tears for them.
Lisa Liscoumb
April 25, 2016 @ 6:07 pm
I shed no tears for them either; nor do I for Ms. de Pablo, who has made her bed and must now lie in it.
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 6:16 pm
Yes, she will have to deal with the results of her choice. Tweaking the noses of the CBS execs may have cost her a lot. You don’t mess around with the big dogs without getting bit in the behind. When they thought she would sign and she didn’t and they were unprepared, well it made them look…. unprepared. They needed to heed the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared.”
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:55 am
Cote showed up at the Upfronts and did not dispute the indication that she would return. The evidence points more to she played hardball at the last minute and lost.
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:14 am
Again, you all want me to believe that CBS went all the way down to the wire and had no contingency plan. That makes them look like fools. Is that what you are telling me that these guys are a bunch of “babes in the woods,” They didn’t know how to protect themselves if she chose to not sign the contract. That is ridiculous.!
liz laughlin
April 26, 2016 @ 5:01 pm
Well, you are right. She could have taken the road that Michael Weatherly took. He stayed and was a good employee of CBS and watched as TPTB destroyed the character that he had played for 10 years. For the last 3 years the character Tony Dinozzo has stood around with nothing to do. The once great senior field agent was written as the comic relief, a silly man–colon cleanses, casseroles and baking bread with Zoe. He is the forty something guy with nothing but failed relationships. As the faux Tonys ridiculed him, “a loser.” He doesn’t get respect from Gibbs and he takes a back seat to Tim and Bishop. I wonder how he feels about what happened to the character in whom he had invested so much of his life and talent. I’m sure that Cote is aware of what happened to the character, Tony DiNozzo. She and Michael are very close. Why now? Maybe the timing makes perfect sense. Just my opinion.
Lisa Liscoumb
April 26, 2016 @ 8:21 pm
And Michael Weatherly got a production company and, now, a pilot for a series where he’s the lead. Compensation for what he went through, or reward for being professional and not burning bridges?
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 1:54 am
snort – the destruction of Tony began in season 6 with the ascension of ziva as all things NCIS.
Weatherly stayed because the cast is his family. CBS recognized his talent and wanted to keep him. Hence he has Solar Drive and the pilot for starters.
What does Cote have again?
sadtonyfan
April 27, 2016 @ 3:24 am
It seems to me that the powers at NCIS starting with Shane Brennan didn’t value the DiNozzo character enough to give him much of anything to do unless it was connected to Ziva. When Brennan left and team Glasberg took over Tony became nothing more than window dressing. The NCIS powers that be clearly do not value Weatherly’s contribution as a good actor or as an important character. CBS on the other hand seems to get it. Weatherly is obviously a loyal and decent person for remaining as long as he did, but his departure from a show runner who didn’t care about his character, his career, or his fans was long overdue.
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:15 am
Snort if you must. A snort from you deserves a thank you.!
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 5:00 am
Did you know that seasons 9 and 10 set the records for NCIS viewership in both Live and Live+7. How the heck did that happen with that awful Ziva and the totally ruined DiNozzo? Live+7 viewership has slipped from the highs of .22.4 million average in season 9 and 22.7 million average in season 10 to the current 20.7 million average in season 13 which will end up even lower by the end of the year. That is a loss of about 2 million viewers per episode. That is a 48 million loss in total viewership for the year.comparing season 10 to season 13.
Did you know that in season 10, Shabbat Shalom had a live +7 viewership of 24.9 million and the next installation of the arc, Shiva had the all time high viewership for NCIS of 26.1 million. Fans hated Shabbat Shalom so much that the next week another 1.2 million additional fans watched. That is amazing. Cote must have bribed Nielson.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 5:04 am
Did you know that the seasons youre touting are the ones cdp was witching about. OH and MW said Tony had already died in them….
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 6:21 am
Wrong! she specifically mentioned the plan to send Ziva to Israel and Ziva becoming a broken woman. That was Past, Present, Future. Ziva was already in Israel but the conversation with her friend Dena Bashan was not revealed until Tony talked to Dr. Bashan. Ziva as a broken woman was the subject of the B plot of PPF.
Shabbat Shalom and Shiva was the two ep arc about the murder of Eli David and Jackie Vance. Shiva was the most watched episode in the history of NCIS.
My point was that the episode was about Ziva, the one that you despise so vehemently. So, although you personally find her so vile, that episode drew the greatest number of viewers in the history of the show. Because it was a continuation of episode 11, Shabbat Shalom, we can logically assume that that the viewers knew that it would be about Ziva and watched in record numbers. Cote de Pablo and Ziva made a lot of $ for CBS. High viewership allowed CBS to charge more money for advertising time. You don’t like it but the numbers don’t lie. Goodnight again!
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 12:53 pm
So at the most cdp was unhappy about her exit story….aww – poor unprofessional child….
Shiva was not billed as ziva heavy but TEAM heavy. Proves it’s the team that’s the draw and not a single poorly written, overly acted character. You can draw whatever illogical conclusions you want to bolster up your favorite character. Pretty much the ONLY place they’ll hold weight is here since this is the fanboy blog. The rest of the fanbase and actual entertainment jjournalists have moved on from the ‘ziva is the be all of NCIS’. As far as what your claiming they were able to charge for advertising, prove it. I’d guarantee what they got for NCIS was never significantly higher with ziva than it was without ziva
Dido Twite
April 25, 2016 @ 3:19 pm
Wow, such nasty comments. All she said was she had creative differences. I can’t imagine why that would be seen as burning bridges.
marynela
April 25, 2016 @ 3:30 pm
For me, it’s not (only) about what she said, but how she said it. And her timing.
To me, she seems bitter and upset about not having got what she wanted.
But we will never know what the writers had in mind for Ziva in the long run.
Maybe she would have been miserable in the beginning of Season 11, but would have risen and become a stronger woman than she was before in the course of the season.
The only thing we do know is that nobody at CBS and NCIS was planning on a season without Cote.
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 5:59 pm
TPTB should have been planning ahead. Cote’s contract ran out at the end of season 10. That would be when they stopped shooting season 10, about April 2013. They began shooting season 11 in about August 2013. So, for over 3 months she was in negotiations with CBS. She was not under contract for over 3 months. Without a signed contract, she did not owe CBS anything. This is Business Law 101. CBS thought that the “little lady” would cave in on negotiations and sign the contract. They were so sure that she would sign that there was no contingency plan. She did not accept the offer of CBS and she walked. And now I’m supposed to feel sorry for CBS? Surely you jest. Now I’m rolling on the floor laughing.
LSilvaxx
April 26, 2016 @ 10:18 pm
She made it clear she wants to come back. She told that to the publist and Harmon who then officially confirmed it. Then she left. She lied and betrayed their trust. Thank God Weatherly has a lot more class and cares about the character for real and not for attention when his career is stuck.
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:04 am
Could you give me your source, please. I’m an outsider in all of this. So, who at CBS told you what happened.?
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 4:17 am
rewatch everything from the upfronts during that time. Educate yourself
LSilvaxx
April 27, 2016 @ 12:06 pm
I don’t have sources and I’d never claim that. I read an article in which it was stated in 2013. And the article was NOT posted on any of this kind of sites.
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 10:48 pm
de Pablo negotiated with CBS more or less from February until her departure was announced in July: nearly six months. (She gave an interview just after Harmon inked his new deal and she was already in negotiations at that point and very blase about the whole thing).
And you are right, CBS were so sure that she would sign that there was no contingency plan – which implies that CBS thought that negotiations were going fine. If THEY had been playing hardball then they would have known there was a possibility that she would turn them down and not sign, especially if they were still talking deal-breaking factors after best part of 6 months of negotiations.
As for her, if CBS were so far from what she wanted in negotiations, why wait until the very last minute to walk away? – unless she thought that gave her extra leverage?
Ironically, had she announced in May, or earlier, that she was not signing, the fan backlash might have got her a better offer, because it is clear that CBS and NCIS production feared for the future of the show for a while. None of which sits very well with the idea that CBS were determined to do her over.
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:09 am
There is no deal until the contract is signed by all parties concerned. You say that she negotiated for six months. Okay then why didn’t CBS put a stop to all of this negotiating? Why did they let it go down to the wire and not have a plan if she didn’t sign? This makes no sense unless these guys are incompetent and I don’t think that is true. You want me to believe that the CBS execs are a bunch of nitwits.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 4:16 am
Why did she show up at events she had no business being at if she wasn’t ‘under contract’? When MW was still in negotiations for S12, he did show up and give anyone false hope.
Also you do realize that it’s not up to the network to have a plan? That the people negotiating were network lawyers and her reps and most likely the 2 groups did NOT communicate with anyone else?
And no – no one wants you to believe that the CBS execs are a bunch of nitwits. The fanatics have proven for the last few years that the title belongs to them and all their sock accounts
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 5:11 am
Again, you are making the CBS execs, their agents and attorneys look like a bunch of incompetents. If that is the route you are choosing, I can’t stop you. I choose to believe that they are intelligent, educated and savvy.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 5:13 am
actually you choose to believe the network should have had some kind of master script spelling out cdp’s demise should she not sign. speaking of incompetent….
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 5:25 am
Yes, if that was the way they wanted to deal with her, they could have killed her off. TPTB are gods in the NCIS Universe. They could do whatever they wanted with the characters.
They took a big risk and it didn’t work. And calling me incompetent isn’t going to help your case any. What you do so well is call people who disagree with you names. I really have to go. I have not eaten my dinner yet.
Good night
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 5:33 am
ROFLMAO….
it’s not the NETWORK that writes the scripts. It’s the show! I stand by what I said….
Most fans have the knowledge your posts try to refute
Lee
May 1, 2016 @ 9:17 am
You show only a limited understanding of contracts and negotiations. There is no “legally binding commitment” until the contract is actually signed by both parties; that doesn’t mean that a deal hasn’t been agreed, however, just that it is not yet one that legally commits both parties.
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Negotiations are generally conducted “in good faith”, on the understanding that both parties are negotiating toward the same ultimate outcome. Yes, there can be offers and counter offers, which generally get smaller and more detailed as the negotiations progress. Fundamental, deal-breaking, mismatches are generally dealt with first, so that negotiations break down early, not at the last minute. CBS would have known if they were still negotiating over big things and that would have been the trigger for a plan ‘B’.
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That there was no plan ‘B’ gives credence to the rumors that CBS had agreed a deal with her representatives, somewhat before the last minute, one which was merely awaiting her signature. That also implies that her decision was unrelated to the content of that contract – and neither party have said anything that contradicts that idea.
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I’ve worked on contract, I’ve started work without signing a contract because the deal we had agreed was that I start on a certain date and their legal department hadn’t got the contract to me to sign before that date. We were negotiating in good faith and I signed the contract when I got it, just as if I had signed it in advance. By your logic the people I was working for and I are all incompetent nitwits.
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As a rule these things work out, which is why it is such big news when it doesn’t.
mimi
April 25, 2016 @ 8:56 pm
Nope she said “the script was not good enough”. Big difference!
Lee
April 26, 2016 @ 11:22 pm
Actually, no, she didn’t say that there were creative differences – although that is what she should have said – she said that the scripts were “not good enough”, that casts shade on everyone she worked with.
You’re right, I can’t imagine why that would be seen as burning bridges.
mimi
April 25, 2016 @ 9:15 am
The script was not good enough?! ROTFL
The only real reasons of why she quit and why she’s not coming back is that they told her loud and clear that tiva will never happen and they weren’t going to pay all the money she asked. That’s all!
Miss de Pablo should just shut up, stop playing the victim and be ashamed of herself because of her very unprofessional and disrespectful goodby… but it seems that disrespect and ungratefullness is part of her.
Thank you, Cote for this amazing news… though we already knew it ;)
Dido Twite
April 25, 2016 @ 3:21 pm
Wow that’s nasty. She had creative differences. Period.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 2:01 am
Sure Lucie….she wanted full on consummated tiva and the ability to grope Weatherly. CBS, the show and likely MW said no
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 6:11 pm
CBS should stop playing the victim. Cote was not under contract and they cried foul about how she did them wrong? They had to know that one possibility was that she wouldn’t sign. CBS couldn’t even imagine that she wouldn’t sign. When it happened, it was her fault that they weren’t prepared. That is so incredibly unintelligent that it takes my breath away. I don’t care what she may or may not have said, until it’s in writing and the contract is signed by both parties, no one is bound to do anything for the other party. This is so simple that a child can understand it.
Michelle
April 25, 2016 @ 10:45 pm
No ones arguing the technicalities – we know she wasn’t under contract, it’s how it all went down,& how she’s speaking about it now, that’s upsetting to some fans who love this show for more than just Ziva David.
It’s pretty well known that NCIS is a special,tight knit set & yet no one – not even her cast mates – saw her departure coming.
Sasha Alexander (Kate) did it the right way, the classy way – she went to the showrunner months before to say she wasn’t happy (for her it was the grueling long hours), & they had time to developer and cast Ziva & write one of the best exit storylines in the show’s history.
I don’t begrudge Cote her opinions on her character, but I do take issue with how she left. There are many ways to leave a job, especially one you supposedly loved. I’m not sayin CBS or TPTB are blameless, but she didn’t have to throw the writers and the show under the bus. Why couldn’t she just say she’s happy for Michael & wished the show the best, though she & CBS were unable to make her return work. If she wasn’t going to be up front from the start about why she left, then why say it now? Just not classy.
liz laughlin
April 26, 2016 @ 3:34 am
She did not want to leave, She was negotiating. CBS make an offer. Cote’s rep makes a counter offer. They go back and forth and hopefully you have a meeting of the minds at some point. I believe that at some point in time, CBS made an offer and said this is it take it or leave it. She left it. From what David James Elliot’s agent said, that is what they did to DJE. CBS made an offer. They countered and they never heard from CBS again.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 2:00 am
How do you know that they didn’t have an agreement and then cdp torpedoed it
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:02 am
I don’t know anything for sure. You seem to, so I assume that you work for CBS?
liz laughlin
April 26, 2016 @ 7:52 pm
Seeing as how her friend Michael is soon out of there and what they did to his character on the show, maybe it is finally the right time.
SirYodi
May 18, 2016 @ 3:48 pm
Isn’t it telling though that none of the ‘main’ women actors end up happy on this set. As a fan who has watched every episode there is something to be said for how they write the characters. The dynamic between Kate/Ziva and Tony was far more important to the show than killing every women we liked as an audience or making them weaker as the show went on. Ziva used to be a badass – and slowly they made her into a blandish weak character. No with Weatherly gone who is left but Gibbs to carry the show.
Michelle
April 25, 2016 @ 5:49 am
While I respect Cote’d opinion, I think she just burned a lot of bridges by doing this. Why say this now and not 3years ago? The Tiva thing was on its last legs in s8-10, & I agree that ziva’s storyline was kinda depressing, but she really through the writers under the bus & I don’t think they deserve that. (They mostly do what the showrunner tells them).
A ton of people will come out and applaud her for “sticking it to the man” & standing up for her character, but she sounds terribly ungrateful. NCIS gave her her big break, & maybe she should’ve spoken up sooner about the writing than waiting til the 11th hour to quit & putting the crew/cast jobs in jeopardy as they scrambled to rewrite the first 3 eps of S11. I’m sure I’ll get a ton of hate on here, but sorry, I don’t like this move – didn’t feel classy. I didn’t like that the showrunner was kinda dangling the Ziva character out there as a possibility for Tony’s departure, but her comments almost seemed designed to hurt NCIS& rile up Ziva fans. I wish Weatherly wasn’t leaving, but at least I can enjoy my fav show w/out this whole “will Ziva return” thing constantly being brought up by angry fans bc Tony (the main connection to Ziva) will be gone. I know there are many fans who feel this way but don’t express it bc they don’t want to get into a fight w/Ziva fans – somebody’s gotta say this POV & I guess it’s gonna be me.
::Ducks from flying objects::
marynela
April 25, 2016 @ 10:54 am
Thanks, Michelle, for your words! I totally agree.
I’ve always tried to remain neutral – esp. since Cote de Pablo herself hasn’t ever really spoken out – and I’ve been following her work since she left the show and I really liked “The 33”.
But this is just very disappointing.
I’ve always said that life sometimes requires leaving business unfinished – even in an unprofessional way. But then you have to be honest with yourself and others, and not play the victim.
If Cote de Pablo had ever really wanted to come back – even if it had been only for Michael Weatherly’s departure -, she would have agreed to any storyline. Like Melissa McCarthy to be in the “Gilmore Girls” revival.
Cote de Pablo’s words, though, sound rather egotistical stabbing everyone – cast, crew and fans of the show and her (?) – in the back. Again.
I might still check out her new show “Prototype”, but I admit that this video leaves a sour taste. Again.
TonyForever!
April 25, 2016 @ 12:12 pm
I already knew she wouldn’t be back after what happened at the end of S12 and after none of MW’s ideas for Tony’s exit involved tiva/Ziva in any way. Her last-minute goodbye had been really unprofessional, but I never thought she’d be so ungrateful and disrespectful with the show, the people and the network that made her famous and that endured her whims year after year.
I watched TD out of curiosity and I regretted it greatly.
I gave The33 a chance and I liked the movie, but her performance didn’t impress me (and critics) at all.
Now she’s shooting a pilot for SyFy (not CBS) and I wish her it’ll go series, because I’m afraid that with these last words she’s burnt her last very fragile bridge with CBS and any other big network.
Ungratefulness, disrespect and stabs in the back are always a bad policy in the work-world. Always…
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 4:40 pm
The Dovekeepers was an example of horrible screen writing. There was nothing wrong with Cote’s acting. Her mistake was not recognizing the lousy job of taking the book to the screen.
mimi
April 25, 2016 @ 8:54 pm
True. TD was a horrible screen writing, but critics had bad reviews for the miniseries and her performance too. Not all actors got bad reviews ;)
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 9:37 pm
One reviewer praised the work of both Cote and Rachel Brosnahan. I don’t remember exactly what he said but it was something like they did the best they could with the script as written. Practically every actor in Hollywood has had at least one poorly scripted movie that they wished they never had taken part in. Heck, Mark Harmon has a laundry list of forgettable movies that he has acted in.
LSilvaxx
April 26, 2016 @ 10:24 pm
Yeah, but Harmon can act and even made those movies good.
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:23 am
How many of them did you actually watch? Good night!
LSilvaxx
April 27, 2016 @ 12:03 pm
Since I’ve been a fan of NCIS since they were introuced on JAG I had 13 years to watch the work of the cast. I watched enough to form my opinion that Harmon can act – unlike de Pablo.
liz laughlin
April 27, 2016 @ 4:36 pm
That is called deflection. You said, “Yeah, but Harmon can act and even made those movies good.” I asked about how many of Harmon’s movies you watched. You did not answer the question. You told me that you watched all of the episode of NCIS. Heck, I’ve watched all of the episodes through season 11 more than once. So, I repeat, how many of Harmon’s movies did you watch? I’m surprised that as a fan of Harmon, you haven’t seen any of his movies. If you have Prime, you could watch Summer School. I just did about a month ago. His acting was okay. Harmon’s big draw was that he was a very good looking (drop dead gorgeous) athletic guy. (He was the starting quarterback for UCLA for two years before graduating in 1974.) Probably the best of his big screen roles was in the Presidio with Sean Connery. That was the likely the high point of his movie career, Most of the rest were not A movies. He did a bunch of westerns. The small screen is where he found his real success. Okay you don’t like Cote de Pablo. I get that but saying that she can’t act, that’s your opinion. So how are things in Europe, where you live? Do you live in Germany? Your gruff attitude suggests that you may be German.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 6:27 pm
Now there’s the huge difference between fans of the other cast members versus fans of ziva.
Most fans who claim to be fans of the actor will tune in to their other projects. Fans who claim to be fans of cote are actually just fans of ziva & want little to do with her other projects as the ratings for TDK prove.
annsan
April 27, 2016 @ 2:04 am
Of course there was nothing wrong with cote’s acting. All she had to do was kiss and have screen sex with her lover and walk around looking perplexed or angry. Her ideal wish list for ziva
Karen Padecky
April 25, 2016 @ 2:34 pm
Michelle you said that beautifully. .I thought she was totally disrespectful and classless..makes future employers leary of hiring her.
Lisa Liscoumb
April 25, 2016 @ 4:28 pm
Agreed, Michelle. Although I wonder how much of her statements were to placate the very vocal Tiva/Ziva fans in the front rows. I think it’s shame that, at a talk/Q&A about a recent globally-released movie she supposedly had a pivotal role in (and which had just been screened for the audience), the focus was put on a character she finished playing – apparently unhappily so – three years earlier, rather than her experiences in that film and how she felt being back in her birthplace to film such an important film.
Barb
June 25, 2016 @ 2:05 am
Agree with you totally !
liz laughlin
April 25, 2016 @ 1:51 am
TPTB have things so under control, who needs fans? A backlash isn’t even thinkable.