Is NCIS: Tony & Ziva blossoming into the best show on the air?
Every so often, an episode comes along that doesn’t just move the story forward but fundamentally changes the tone of a series.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva Season 1 Episode 5 was that kind of hour. What began as another slick, globe-trotting rescue mission quickly spiraled into betrayal, heartbreak, and a cliffhanger that now puts everything Tony and Ziva care about in jeopardy.
The pace was relentless — probably the fastest we’ve ever seen in the NCIS franchise. Between the jet theft, the prison break, the surveillance gambit, and the drone strike, the action never let up, yet the show still found time for flashbacks and quieter emotional beats.
That balance is impressive because this hour could easily have been a blur of explosions and reversals, but instead, the therapy sequences grounded it and gave the chaos more weight.
Those flashbacks may have seemed like a detour at first, but they revealed so much about Tony and Ziva’s dynamic. We’ve always known Tony uses humor as a defense mechanism, but seeing him crack jokes in a couples retreat, only for Ziva and her therapist to call him out, was telling.
It was funny, yes, but it also underlined the strain that habit puts on his relationships.
The Relationship is the Draw of NCIS: Tony & Ziva
Ziva even pointed out that their daughter often takes his side, which made the moment sting even more.
For once, Tony had to confront the idea that his charm and humor might not always be the answer, especially when the people closest to him are craving sincerity.
That insight carried back into the present storyline, giving his choices more emotional resonance.
Ziva, as always, provided the sharper instincts in the field, but the episode didn’t reduce her to just the intuitive one.
What worked here was how balanced their dynamic felt. They’re still circling around that kiss from NCIS: Tony & Ziva, wondering whether it was adrenaline from their dangerous lifestyle or if their feelings are pushing them back toward something romantic.
The ambiguity adds tension to their scenes, reminding viewers that their connection has always been layered — professional, emotional, and deeply personal, all at once. For longtime fans, these nuances feel like a reward for waiting so long to see them together again.
While the Tony and Ziva material was strong, the real emotional gut-punch came from Henry’s arc. Up until now, he’d been painted as a possible traitor, someone working against them.
The twist that he was manipulated, that he was never the villain but the only one who could clear their names, hit hard.
It’s a credit to both the writing and the performance that his death felt like such a loss. The way he sacrificed himself so that Tony and Ziva could escape — and ultimately to give them a chance to protect Tali — upended everything we thought we knew about him.
Are You Buying Henry as Tony’s Best Friend?
The only flaw is that the show hadn’t done enough groundwork to sell him as Tony’s supposed “best friend.”
The reveal of their closeness came a little late, but Michael Weatherly’s raw reaction to Henry’s death still made the moment land. It was brutal, shocking, and easily one of the series’ most devastating scenes so far.
The villains also got a significant shake-up. The reveal that Jonah and Martine are partners and lovers could have easily veered into soap opera territory, but it worked.
The chemistry between them is undeniable — sharp, stylish, and calculating — which makes them feel like a genuine long-term threat.
They’re not just after Tony and Ziva; they’re after power, and their ability to manipulate people like Henry proves how dangerous they are.
At the same time, Martine’s unease about targeting children may foreshadow a future fracture in their alliance, especially after Henry’s death and Jonah’s increasing ruthlessness.
One of the more clever touches in the episode was the “drop the tags” plan, which initially looked like a throwaway line but turned into a neat piece of spycraft.
Usually, high-tech shortcuts can feel like lazy writing, but here, it added tension and a sense of realism.
High-Tech Twists Are Good
It’s exactly the kind of inventive twist that keeps this show fresh, even when it leans into well-worn tropes like jailbreaks and double-crosses.
What continues to ground the series, though, is the theme of family.
From Ziva’s determination to protect Tali to Henry’s final sacrifice, every plot twist circles back to the bonds that matter most.
That’s why the cliffhanger landed so hard. The voice message from Tali, abruptly cutting off after she says there’s a strange man in the house, was inevitable in hindsight, but it re-centers the story.
This has always been about more than espionage or saving the day — it’s about what Tony and Ziva are willing to risk for their daughter and for each other.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva Season 1 Episode 5 was brutal, fast-paced, and emotionally charged, setting up the second half of the season with the highest stakes yet.
Henry’s shocking death will linger, Jonah and Martine feel more dangerous than ever, and Tony and Ziva are about to face the most personal threat imaginable.
For a spinoff that could have easily coasted on nostalgia, this series keeps proving it’s willing to go darker, deeper, and more unpredictable than anyone expected.
What are your thoughts on Henry’s death and how the show has been switched up as we delve into the second half of NCIS: Tony & Ziva Season 1?
