Is NCIS season 16 finale perfect time to bring in Cote de Pablo’s Ziva?
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Before we dive in here, we should mention that technically, neither NCIS nor CBS have confirmed that Cote de Pablo will be returning as Ziva David at all at this point. Yet, at the same time, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the writers go through the trouble to reintroduce the character, only to then forget about her. Maybe they don’t have any plans in the immediate future, but clearly someone wanted to leave that door open for a possible Ziva return down the line.
Do we think that Bishop will keep her secret, as Ziva apparently requested at the end of last night’s episode? We have to think that she will, mostly due to the fact that Bishop feels a certain kinship towards her and now it’s looking like Ziva may feel that way too since she is trusting her with such a huge secret. There’s little reason for her to go and betray her and the only reason we could foresee her breaking that promise is if she realizes that Ziva is in danger and needs the help of the team … or if Ziva actually gives her permission to do so for whatever reason. last night’s episode really created a bond with these two, almost like a passing of the torch and an understanding between them. it was a really nice way to bring together some of the OG NCIS team with the newer team members.
So why consider the NCIS season 16 finale as the best time to bring this story to the forefront and maybe bring in a Ziva appearance? Well, for starters, this is a fantastic venue for promotion — we already posted that Tuesday’s new episode “She” was the most-watched installment of the show since Pauley Perrette’s departure. Why would the show want that ratings bump and then decide to do nothing with it? Beyond just that, they will want to have a big event at the end of the season — we don’t think that this story will be addressed over the next couple of episodes, at least based on some of the information that is out there. This feels instead like one we could see a little further down the road. Typically, NCIS does introduce a long-term story or two early on in the calendar year that they pick up again a little bit later in the season. A part of this could depend on Cote’s availability, while another part could depend on whether or not there is a compelling story for it to happen now. You want to make sure that if you’re bringing Ziva back, even for just an episode, that it’s the right story, the right feel and the right timing.
Do you think that the NCIS season 16 finale would be the perfect time to bring Ziva back into the fold, and how do you think it should happen? Be sure to share some of your thoughts now below! (Photo: CBS.)