‘NCIS’ season 11: Talking the latest Cote de Pablo rumor

When it comes to this particular “NCIS” article, we debated writing it for a number of reasons. One, it’s a story based on a credit, and those can often be misleading. Whether you are talking about a name being listed on IMDb or a press release, we have been duped enough times to know that unless a network confirms it or you actually see the episode, it’s hard to really start to buy into what is being sold in a guest cast lsiting.

But, we’ve gotten enough messages about this Cote de Pablo story over the past 24 hours that it is worth addressing that on her IMDb page, it lists her now as having a “voice” role in Tuesday night’s new episode “Shooter.” This is the same role she had in the premiere “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” and “Past, Present, and Future” is the only episode this season that she has actually physically appeared in.

So while she is listed on IMDb for being in the episode, she’s not listed on the CBS press release or anywhere else directly related to the show. Maybe this is just a tiny cameo, or just a subtle reminder via a phone conversation that Tony does still keep in some sort of communication with her and that she is still out there. Given that we know the story of the episode already being about homeless veterans, it’s not going to be something (if there even is anything) that takes up a big chunk of the run time.

We’ve always said that it was always possible that Cote could come back to the show, but it probably wouldn’t be anytime soon given how negotiations went over the summer. It’s at least not happening in physical form the rest of this season. The real tricky part of a return would be finding the right time, making sure all parties were interested, and having  the return fit the story. For example, it wouldn’t be particularly fun to see a return come at the expense of another character being jettisoned; the show has a large family, and they all should be included in it.

But, there is no point in speculating on this further for now. All you should really make note of for now is that the credit is there, and it could mean a variety of different things. It could even be something that was recorded a long time ago but never aired until now, or even a mistake since those happen. If you’re a Cote fan, just don’t get your hopes up too much.

Update: In doing some research, this is most likely a case of an IMDb prank. The information above is still interesting, and this is why we were hesitant to really report on something via such a listing in the first place. Keep this in mind in the future if you see a name of a surprising guest actor in any listing.

Update 2: Now, we’ve received pretty much confirmation that it won’t be happening. We’ll continue to point out these sort of rumors in the future, and offer possible analysis while always reminding you to never believe anything you see, even on a trusted site like IMDb, until CBS confirms it.

If we find out anything more substantial, we’ll let you know. If you want further TV updates, then sign up today for our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: CBS