Tony & Ziva Has 1 Major NCIS Problem Hiding in Plain Sight

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I just finished watching the first season of the new NCIS spin-off on Paramount+, and it was really enjoyable! As a long-time NCIS fan, I was so excited to see Tony and Ziva back, especially with their daughter, Tali. They’re living in Europe now, and it’s been amazing to see their story continue after all these years – honestly, it felt like a real event for anyone who’s followed them for the past twenty years!

Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo easily recapture their famous characters in this series. The story follows the former special agents as they go on the run, working to expose a dangerous conspiracy involving weapons dealing, secret agents, and a risky formula. While the NCIS spinoff successfully delivers on its core premise, Tony & Ziva is held back by one significant flaw that prevents it from being truly exceptional.

Tony & Ziva Was Missing Bigger Connections to the NCIS Universe

What Tony & Ziva really lacked was a stronger connection to the wider NCIS world. Both Tony and Ziva were key characters on the original NCIS for many years, building close relationships with the other agents. Ziva was on the show for nine seasons, and Tony for thirteen, starting with the very first episode. While both have made appearances on NCIS since leaving, they’ve never shared screen time together again. Given that Tony & Ziva brings this iconic couple back together after over a decade, it would have been great to see them interact with their old NCIS colleagues. Cameos aren’t essential for a show’s success, but this series is special. Tony and Ziva played a huge role in building the NCIS franchise, and fans have been eager to see them back together. Including a few familiar faces would have made the experience even better.

Although the series Tony & Ziva mostly focused on its new story, it did include a few nods to the larger NCIS universe. Tony and Ziva mentioned friends from their time on NCIS, including references to Mark Harmon’s character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Fans would have loved to see these characters appear in the spinoff. While these mentions were appreciated, the show would have benefitted from actually including them, even for a short scene. Michael Weatherly himself suggested a cameo from Gibbs – a quick, playful moment where he lightly slapped Tony on the head in passing. Though this idea never materialized, a small gesture like that would have strongly connected Tony & Ziva to their NCIS history. While fans were hoping for reunions with characters like McGee and Gibbs, there’s still a chance that could happen in the future.

Season 2 Could Fix Tony & Ziva’s Biggest Problem

The future of Tony & Ziva is still uncertain, as Paramount+ hasn’t announced a second season yet. However, it’s likely the show will continue, especially since both Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are eager to reprise their roles. They both previously left the original NCIS to explore other work, so their willingness to return is a good sign. It’s reasonable to expect a second season within the next few years, bringing back the beloved characters for more international adventures within the NCIS universe. A second season could also address a key criticism of the first by bringing in familiar faces from the original series. While Season 1 focused on reintroducing Tony and Ziva and their evolving relationship, Season 2 could explore reconnecting them with old friends and colleagues.

A second season of Tony & Ziva would be a great chance to bring back familiar faces that NCIS fans haven’t seen in a while, like Gibbs. He was a mentor to both Tony and David, helping them when they first started as special agents. Although we see his younger self in NCIS: Origins, it’s been a long time since Mark Harmon played the iconic role. He may not want to commit to a full season of NCIS like he did for twenty years, but a shorter season, like the ten episodes of Tony & Ziva, might be appealing. Another option would be to connect the show to the larger NCIS universe through crossovers with other current series. NCIS is well-known for its crossovers that link multiple shows, and future seasons of Tony & Ziva should take advantage of this. This would allow Tony and Ziva to team up with characters from other NCIS series, including the original show and NCIS: Sydney.

Which NCIS Characters Should Tony and Ziva Reunite With?

Fans are eager to see certain characters join Tony and Ziva in future episodes of their new series. Leading that list is Agent Gibbs, who shared incredibly strong bonds with both former NCIS agents – some of the best relationships in the entire show’s history. Right behind him is Agent Tim McGee, played by Sean Murray. McGee and DiNozzo had a wonderfully funny dynamic that was a standout feature of the original series’ early years, and it would be great to see how their friendship has evolved. Plus, Murray is the only original cast member still on NCIS, which could make an appearance on Tony & Ziva possible.

Beyond Tony and Ziva, it would be great to see other familiar faces from NCIS join their spinoff series. Abby Sciuto, played by Pauley Perrette, was a close friend to both characters during their time on NCIS, and hasn’t shared a scene with either of them since leaving the show in Season 15. While Perrette has stepped back from acting, a short appearance on Tony & Ziva isn’t out of the question. Plus, bringing back other key NCIS characters like Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), or Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham) in Season 2 of Tony & Ziva would be a welcome addition.

As a big fan of the NCIS universe, I’m really enjoying NCIS: Tony & Ziva. It feels like a promising beginning, and I’m hoping it becomes a fantastic new part of the franchise. To really make it shine in future seasons, though, I’d love to see them tie it back to the original shows – bringing Tony and Ziva back together with some familiar faces would be amazing!

All episodes of NCIS: Tony & Ziva are streaming on Paramount+.

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2025-10-28 23:38