‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Episode 9 Recap: The Spy Spin-Off Is Finally Getting Good With 1 Episode Left

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: Tony & Ziva Episode 9.NCIS‘s latest and probably most anticipated spin-off is gearing up for a high-stakes finale, as its penultimate episode sets the stage for the final showdown. NCIS: Tony & Ziva brought back the franchise’s most iconic couple and shoved them from their attempt at a civilian life into an espionage cat and mouse chase across Europe, one that is finally winding down to a close. Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) have spent the season trying to clear their names while protecting their daughter Tali (Isla Gie), and were separated at the end of the previous episode. In Episode 9, “Ride or Die,” Ziva and the crew are trying to track down Tony while he tries to stop Jonah (Julian Ovenden) from fulfilling his revenge against Aaron Graves (Sean Pertwee).

‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Episode 9 Reveals Why the Couple Broke Their Engagement

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But before we jump into the present timeline, let’s wrap up the flashbacks that are littered throughout the episode. The past timeline begins on Tony and Ziva’s wedding day, and we can already anticipate that things may go sour. Tony is in a whirlwind of wedding preparations, so much so that he doesn’t notice young Tali wandering off with her flower girl basket and new dress. He is determined to make this day stress-free for Ziva, considering her PTSD, so she remains away from the havoc and channels her nervous energy into boxing practice. But when Tony notices Tali has disappeared, he tries to handle the situation without alerting Ziva, but she eventually finds out.

Now we finally discover why they broke the engagement, and it’s a scene that addresses many of the unaddressed concerns we had after the two characters left the flagship show. The two argue viciously, with Ziva upset that Tony didn’t inform her of the situation immediately. That’s when Tony confesses that he doesn’t trust her after she kept Tali’s birth a secret all those years ago and then faked her death — he was all alone and had to handle everything himself. They are interrupted by Claudette (Amita Suman) and Sophie (Lara Rossi), who find Tali picking flowers, so their fears are alleviated, but the damage is already done. Later that night, they confirm that the wedding is off; what’s a relationship without trust?

The Reigning Fire Mystery Deepens in ‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Episode 9

Back in the present timeline, Ziva manages to contact Tony, and he reveals that he followed Jonah and Graves to an island where the latter’s private compound is located. Even though the evidence they gathered from the Reigning Fire drone was eviscerated in the previous episode, Tony theorizes that since 9.4 was a hacking device that used artificial intelligence to learn, it must have a memory. Thus, if they get their hands on 9.4, they may be able to access the footage and expose Jonah for murdering Henry (James D’Arcy). So, Ziva instructs Tali and Sophie to hide in Barbados, much to the former’s chagrin, while she, Claudette, and Boris (Maximilian Osinski) travel to the island.

Cut to the Graves’ compound, and we see Jonah pretending to be on the corrupt Reigning Fire CEO’s side by offering his Interpol services as protection and blaming all the crimes on Tony and Ziva. While we don’t know Jonah’s true plan yet, we know he wants access to Reigning Fire’s vault, and only Graves knows the access code. Ovenden’s villainous performance is still as unsettling as ever, especially when Jonah gets a call from Martine (Nassima Benchicou), whom he had just betrayed. Martine forgives Jonah’s betrayal (of course, we know she’s pretending) and claims she killed Dejan (Velibor Topić), though we never actually saw his death. She entices Jonah by offering to give him Dejan’s laptop, and he accepts, inviting her to the compound.

Meanwhile, when Ziva, Claudette, and Boris land on the island, they are promptly attacked by Reigning Fire soldiers. It’s always gratifying to see Ziva’s badass fighting skills in action, but the scene is also used as a setup; Jonah sends Tony a picture of Ziva being attacked and claims he has abducted her. Tony, ever impulsive and in love with Ziva, falls for the trap and heads for the compound by himself. Unaware that Tony is now off the grid, Ziva has trouble contacting him and is slowly growing concerned. During this, Claudette and Boris devise a way to infiltrate the compound and discover a system of tunnels and an electrical grid that align, indicating that Graves is using it to power something huge. The Reigning Fire mystery deepens.

‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Episode 9 Is Rocked By Multiple Potential Deaths

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When Ziva goes to their planned meeting spot, Tony is nowhere to be seen, but, surprisingly, Martine arrives. She tries to recruit Ziva’s help, but fails as the latter leaves to find Tony, whom Claudette had just tracked to Graves’ compound. Meanwhile, Tony finds himself in a mysterious high-tech house when he is trapped inside. When Jonah and Graves video call him, he decides to expose Jonah’s past and desire for vengeance. Jonah immediately cuts the feed and realizes there’s no point denying it anymore. He gloats about his control over Graves’ island security, that he hacked using 9.4 by blowing up the building Tony was in — oh no, did the explosion blast through Tony’s plot armor?

While we’re pretty certain about Tony’s survival, the spin-off does end up surprising us with a plot twist when Martine finally arrives at the compound. She gives Jonah the promised laptop and tries to plead with him one last time, to which he responds with the classic villain line of “to defeat a monster, you must become one.” So, she shockingly shoots Graves square in the chest and flees the building, leaving everyone’s jaws dropped. And then, in a more predictable turn of events, she calls Dejan, who is very much alive in a hospital and is now partnered up with Martine.

Tali Goes Missing at the End of ‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Episode 9

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Ziva, Claudette, and Boris make it to the banana plantations surrounding Graves’ compound just in time to see the explosion. They immediately head into the tunnels towards the debris, far more concerned for Tony’s welfare than we are. Unsurprisingly, Tony is still alive and is greeted by a worried Ziva. We are rewarded with a heart-warming scene of “I love you’s and kisses, one that carries over to the closing scenes of the episode, where Tony and Ziva are sitting on a picturesque rocky beach. It is a complete contrast to how they were in the five-year flashback, portraying how much they have grown over the years.

But throughout the episode, we also got glimpses into Tali and Sophie’s flight to Barbados. Naturally, Tali was frustrated at the feeling of being abandoned again, but she had to shove those emotions aside when the pilot announced they had to make an emergency landing on the island where Graves’ compound is. Sophie immediately, and correctly, suspects Jonah’s meddling in this, and they are proven right when they are attacked at the airport. While Tali disguises herself as a part of another family, Sophie takes down two attackers. But when drones come flying in, both of them are distracted, and in the ensuing havoc, the attackers abduct Tali. So, when Tony and Ziva are on the beach, they get a panicked phone call from Sophie informing them of the situation. Last time, Tali’s disappearance broke their engagement; will it bring them closer this time?