‘NCIS’ season 11, episode 5 review: Tony flashes back, still misses Cote de Pablo’s Ziva
Can we make a new “NCIS” spin-off that is mostly about Abby and Delilah being passive-aggressive towards each other? If we were able to do that, then we imagine that we would have something with at least some more guaranteed ratings that the upcoming “NCIS: New Orleans” spin-off show.
Okay, so we seriously don’t want to see Abby away from the team, but this partnership between the two characters ended up being one of the two best parts of tonight’s episode “Once a Crook.” The other part? This was an hour that reminded us about the greatness that is Tony DiNozzo, which the show needed to do given that it has not given him very much to do ever since Cote de Pablo first left the show. Seeing so many flashbacks to his early days in Baltimore was a fun way to add a little bit more dimension to the character, and show off a little bit more of who he is.
One major component of who he is right now is simply that of a man who misses Ziva. While it may be difficult to reference the character multiple times in one episode, the scene where Tony breaks down over her being gone was critical to the show. It proved that she was not forgotten, and that the show is not going to just act like she was never there. For those of you hoping for her to return someday, even for just an episode, this is a good sign. If there was no hope of her returning, the character would be buried. Plus, Tony coming to terms about the fact he missed Ziva helped him to bond with the team in the present.
Overall, “Once a Crook” was a mystery that was both funny and emotional at the same time, and probably the best installment since the second one this season. While it wasn’t perfect (some of the actual case work was a tad boring), it was at least a nice showcase of Michael Weatherly’s talent, and a good usage of the Delilah character to stir things up a little bit more with McGee and the office. Now we just hope that the writers continue to do some more character studies to show us more of the characters that we already have. Grade: B.
If you do want to read some more news related to “NCIS,” including our full preview of next week’s article, be sure to click here.
Photo: CBS
connieg
November 1, 2013 @ 7:30 am
The one good thing about TV was NCIS. Each week I looked forward to the duals between Ziva and Tony. Tony mention her in the bathroom. Thank God for that. For way too long the writers did not get these two together. They were more than a team. Please Ziva come back? for your fans please come back.
Tory
October 23, 2013 @ 11:05 pm
I th no that this season is the best one yet. While I’m a huge fan of the first four seasons, I love how the characters have grown. But I’m tired of everything being referenced back to a character who is now gone. It I s time for the show to let go and look to the future with the folks now there. Miss not fair to the actors nor the characters to tie them constantly to someone gone and now in the past. I don’t really see Cote de Pablo returning. IF she did, both Cote and Ziva would return to coworkers who have grown and moved on. It wouldn’t be the same, nor should it.
Please, please….can we get a reporter who REPORTs a and not just babbles endlessly?
Looking forward
October 23, 2013 @ 4:02 am
The talents of Michael Weatherly were highlighted and poignant as a counterpoint to the character of Ziva because he was at his best, worst, most sarcastic and crazily humor-laden with quips and twists relating to her. Fun watching them interrelate made watching NCIS worthwhile and joyful. That won’t happen again with another character because that character won’t be Ziva David but another woman with her own drama to work out. Who knows if the character of Tony will offset the new woman or not? For these reasons, character Ziva would be most appreciated back because of how she made character Tony most adorable and charming. Yes, no character can replace Ziva and Tony as a duet. Something will always be missing on the show no matter how wonderful the new character may be.
maria
October 23, 2013 @ 1:56 pm
I could not agree more. As much as I love the Tony character, there will always seem to be something or someone missing no matter what he is doing or what case he is working on. He and Ziva were together as “partners” far too long for anyone to ever replace the chemistry they had. My favorite part of last nights episode was when Tony was talking about missing her in the bathroom :) I also really liked the team of McGee, Tony and Ziva and that is really missed. As far the other characters go, Abby’s character has not changed since the beginning and I find her annoying. She is too childish for a grown woman and has not matured in 10 years. Gibbs has seemed grumpy, disinterested and angry in all of this season’s episodes. The characters have gotten stale I’m afraid and I really think NCIS’ time has passed. I think Tony having his own team somewhere with a different twist may be an idea. Michael Weatherly is a very talented actor and I think his talents will be wasted here. I say bring back Ziva, have some happily-ever-afters and move on.
Guest
October 25, 2013 @ 2:39 am
Uh … I don’t think he was missing her in the bathroom, though we viewers probably miss her confronting him there.