‘NCIS’ season 12, episode 6 video: Ziva mentions, Halloween, and cannibals in new promo
Is “NCIS” starting to become more like “Criminal Minds” or “The Walking Dead”? The moment that we watch the promo below and start to see a guy tell Agent DiNozzo that he likes Italian after he looks at him, we start to worry. We know it’s Halloween, but do we really need to go in that direction here? Luckily, we feel like that is probably a little more misdirect than anything else.
What we find perhaps the most interesting about the latest promo below for Tuesday’s “Parental Guidance Suggested” is that the show openly does something that they have not done a whole lot of this season, and that is actually say the word “Ziva.” While Cote de Pablo’s character was referenced a handful of times after leaving last year, it has been a veritable ghost town of her in season 12. This conversation between Tony and Abby is a recognition that she still exists in this universe, but her encouraging Tony to try to move on is probably not something most Tiva fans really want to hear, even more than a year removed from her departure from the show.
From here, the show does seem to be moving towards a new possible love interest for Tony (played by Marisol Nichols), though there is still not much in the way of information that this person will be around forever.
In between the Ziva references, possible new romances, cannibals, and a case involving Gibbs trying to get information from children, there is a lot happening in this promo. Let’s hope that it is not ultimately too much and it ends up drowning the show in content in the end.
What do you think about this video? Share below, and head over here to see some other previews for what lies ahead on “NCIS”! Also, sign up to get some further TV scoop on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo via CBS.)
http://youtu.be/y-H8bKC6wXs
marysue
October 26, 2014 @ 3:06 pm
I know a lot of people have varied opinions on whether Ziva should be mentioned or not and also whether the character should come back, but this promo has me really piqued as to the reality of Cote returning. A lot may not agree but the TIVA storyline has to be finished once and for all to give fans some peace.
liz laughlin
October 26, 2014 @ 3:57 pm
I think that the most likely thing is that this is an attempt to to bolster their slipping numbers, like the “we love Bishop, please love her too” video. The next most likely is that this is the beginning of the actual, factual end for Ziva. TPTB are tired of the outcry from Ziva fans.and want to send them to their rooms for pitching a fit about it. The least likely is that they actually will bring Ziva back in some way shape or form. I want the last choice but this is all about $ and ego. I was talking to a friend yesterday and as she said, “I think there is too much ego to admit a mistake was made.”
marysue
October 26, 2014 @ 8:38 pm
I agree with the ego thing. The more I think about it the more I’m convinced that there needs to be a final Ziva arc to end the hue and cry once and for all.
sadtonyfan
October 26, 2014 @ 2:54 pm
I certainly hope that they aren’t going to continue to stunt Tony’s growth by involving Ziva in any way. Although they still don’t really let Tony do anything of consequence or get any personal danger or drama (since that all has to go to Gibbs now) at least we aren’t subjected to the weekly Ziva one ups and humiliates Tony scenes. I hope that they are finally closing the door on Ziva where Tony is concerned. I obviously don’t want her back but I also think it’s kind of low to give Ziva fans hope that they might bring her back if they have no intention.
liz laughlin
October 26, 2014 @ 4:16 pm
I am currently watching Season 2 of NCIS. (I love the episode where Tony is baby sitting Ducky’s mother.) When this show started, DinNozzo got more head slaps than anyone one else. He was obnoxious. He tried to get McGee or Kate to do his work and he took credit for what they did. He was essentially lazy. He started to change after Jeanne and then continued with Ziva. He became the competent, grown up investigator. Now, they are turning him back into a “goof ball” again. So, I don’t see it the way you do but I agree that they pay Weatherly a lot of money to play DiNozzo as a buffooon. At age 40+, he should be a grown up. If they keep him around for comedy only, that makes the show unbelievable. If Tony is a bumbling idiot, then why trust him to be a member of the team? TPTB mystify me by their bizarre choices. When Glasberg said that they were going back to basics, I hoped he didn’t mean back to frat boy Tony. Please, let Tony grow up.
marysue
October 26, 2014 @ 8:51 pm
Tony uses goofiness to cover up his real feelings and insecurities and when it came to women his feelings about commitment in relationships. It comes across as immature. It was that immaturity that bugged Kate and later Ziva. Ziva often made reference to it. In one episode Ziva made some kind of comment while they were watching a coworker being bawled out by a higher up that Tony would like to sleep with that coworker but she was only a girl and the man Ziva thought he was becoming (post Jeanne) needed a woman (meaning someone more mature that would commit and not just foo around). Ziva was trying to make it clear to Tony that he didn’t stand a chance with any woman unless he saw more to her than sex.
liz laughlin
October 26, 2014 @ 9:44 pm
DiNozzo came by his commitment issues honestly. When he was eight, he lost the two most important people in his life. His mother died and his father couldn’t stand up and be the father Tony needed. He put him in boarding schools and summer camps. Tony only saw his father for a few weeks out of the year. Tony was put into a position where he couldn’t commit because the people he loved abandoned him. For Tony, to love meant a great possibility of getting hurt. He couldn’t risk it.
Even his apartment showed it. It wasn’t really a home. He didn’t want his father staying with him. He got very angry when he found his father cooking in his kitchen. Tony ate out–no food in the fridge. He had a single bed–no room for two. His apartment was a place for him to hide out and sleep. And at one point, he said he never brought a woman home to his apartment. He was a womanizer and all romance happened at the woman’s place not his. I think that most people missed the significance of Tony bringing Ziva home to his apartment and letting her sleep in his bed. That was an important step for him. He invited her in where other women had never been and it wasn’t for the purpose of sex. It was an act of unselfish love. He was growing up.
marysue
October 27, 2014 @ 12:40 am
You hit the nail right on the head with this. You are absolutely right. When Tony’s dad asked about Ziva having seen what Tony’s apartment looked like, her reply was “I don’t know. I’ve never been invited.” And the opposite of that with Ziva. She had I assume a queen sized bed because there was one scene where she was shown in bed at her place with Rifkin. He was asleep and she was lying beside him wide awake. Jeanne too, had at least a queen sized bed. Her love scenes with Tony were all at her place. His apartment and lack of food etc. does symbolize his lack of a childhood home. At the end of season 10 in addition to Tony bringing Ziva to his place he did demonstrate other acts of unselfish love by offering her support after her father was killed. When he met her at the synagogue where she was praying he asked what she wanted/needed. He also was serious about getting her to come back to Washington with him. The fact that he didn’t care whether she was bagging groceries or working at NCIS and just wanted her “to come home with me” shows that he was taking their relationship to another new level. The goofiness of last season and somewhat this season (even though some find it annoying) is actually him trying to deal with and hide his sense of loss, hurt and missing Ziva . I think the reason fans have acted so strongly about this relationship is due to its complexity and we know that so much good could come out of it if these two characters were able to work it out. This is a character driven show and that is a big part of its success. People get hooked on the character stories as much or more sometimes than the drama/crime story. In the recent promo on site here Tony admits to Abby that he misses Ziva. That is the first admission on his part and is important as he learns to face why he is currently having problems with women. He can’t find anyone that fits the bill like she did. Fans have been vocal about why Ziva wasn’t mentioned this past season. Maybe we’ll now see how this now mention of her brings forward a reason why. I for one, am really curious as to how this season is going to play out. It will be interesting to see how they tie up the Russian bad guy and the mention of Ari Haswari and if Ziva will play any role in it.
liz laughlin
October 27, 2014 @ 1:52 am
There were indications that Ziva had been to Tony’s apartment before that time after her father died. Eli David previously told Ziva that he had Mossad watching her. He showed her the pictures of her entering Tony’s apartment building over several months time. He said that she visited Tony’s apartment at night several times a week during the time they watched her. Ziva was, of course, very angry with her father when she found out that he had her under surveillance.
Also, most fan’s believe that something went on between Tony and Ziva in Paris. What we have actually seen on screen is, apparently, the tip of the iceberg. Clues have been dropped like crazy. The Ziva haters evidently didn’t pick up on most of them or maybe didn’t want to. You are right this is a very complex relationship and it’s no surprise that the fans who picked up on all of this are not satisfied with the resolution. With all that happened between Ziva and Tony, it’s hard to believe that either one could just walk away and forget it. And as you say, we just have to wait and see. I’m afraid that TPTB will just kill her off. That is the cheapest and easiest solution. Cheap and easy seems to be the way they are going now.
marysue
October 27, 2014 @ 2:10 am
Yeah, also remember some photos, but I thought it was Tony at Ziva’s early on maybe season 3. I didn’t remember that it was Mossad taking those though. Either way no matter whose apartment it was, that and the Paris incident does lead us to believe that they had something going on. When they were on the flight back from Paris and Nora was questioning Ziva, her reaction gave it away that she was lying. She was very nervous. If Cote does come back it is going to be very interesting to see what, where and how they reveal all this. Even if she does come back just for a short arc I too, hope that they just don’t kill Ziva off. I was angry when they killed Kate, Jenny and Mike Franks but I guess it is their way of indicating to fans that that character is done with the show. As I have mentioned if Cote’s departure had had better closure then it could have been left alone and fans wouldn’t have been as upset.
liz laughlin
October 27, 2014 @ 3:48 am
Now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think that it was Ziva’s father who told her they were watching her. I think it was a a Mossad supervisor with white hair, an older guy in the U.S. I was thinking that it was at the end of season 6 after Rivkin was killed but that’s not right. I’m just not remembering. Well, I’m re-watching season 2 right now. eventually I’ll figure it out.
A good way for them to bring her back in would be to have her and Gibbs be in touch since she returned to Israel. Gibbs would be the one who could help her work through all of the death and heartbreak she’s dealing with. Because both of them were trained to find and kill enemies of their countries and he’s already been there and dealt with it. Ziva and Gibbs always had a special relationship that neither one had with the rest of the team.
marysue
October 27, 2014 @ 12:31 pm
I agree that would be a good storyline to explore. You’re right again. They did/do have a special connection in that way. Well, time will tell as for what happens this season.
marysue
October 27, 2014 @ 12:50 am
You are right. If there is a lot of hype and mention of Ziva to give fans the impression that Cote is returning and then it doesn’t happen there will be backlash for sure. I sure hope that GG gets that. I respect the fact that you don’t want the character back but if the storyline is done correctly with conversation not sex I think it will reveal a lot of how Tony has matured. I have a feeling that if Ziva comes back there will be a lot less humiliation of Tony on her part. She was crying at the airport because she too, had matured and realized that her life would be a lot fuller and richer with someone special in it. Her humiliation of Tony was to get him to back off. She did feel attracted to him but was really afraid of her feelings and because of past relationship failures was scared that the most important one of all would face the same fate. Unconsciously she was trying to not go down that road again.
liz laughlin
October 26, 2014 @ 4:52 am
It looks like something is up. Glasberg said that they would not drop Ziva’s name unless it was “organic” to the story line. So, does that mean that something “organic” is about to happen? Her name is mentioned in the promo for the first time in over a year. That sure sounds like “organicness” (not a real word) of some kind or are we being played? Is this the beginning of the end of Ziva? Or is this the beginning of a return of Ziva? Or is this just a casual dropping of her name to help ratings? Hmmmm….I guess you just have to watch the show to find out It is broadcast three days before Halloween, maybe it’s a trick instead of a treat.
marysue
October 26, 2014 @ 8:38 pm
Time will tell.