NCIS Is Officially Replacing Ziva by Repeating a 7-Year-Old Revival Trick in Season 23

Dawning a new era for the series, NCIS Season 23 is finally giving Cote De Pablo’s beloved Ziva David character a spiritual successor. In the midseason finale of NCIS Season 23, which left fans with a shocking cliffhanger for over two months, Emily Wickersham returns as Eleanor Bishop, referred to by her former teammates as “Ellie” or simply “Bishop.”

As a former agent vital to Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ team from NCIS Seasons 11 to 18, Bishop can make a massive impact on the series. Moreover, Bishop’s return is already stirring up a lot of excitement, considering Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) has reported Bishop is a wanted fugitive and has become Jessica Knight’s (Katrina Law) first target for NCIS Elite.

NCIS Is Replacing Ziva David With Eleanor Bishop in Season 23

Ellie’s return escalates the drama for NCIS Season 23, but it’s more than that. It shows the series’ willingness to take chances to tell meaningful stories, which is something the CBS series has traditionally excelled at. Storylines like Kate Todd’s (Sasha Alexander) death and Ziva David’s introduction are memorable because of the risks they take, fostering long-lasting engagement.

Ellie’s NCIS comeback shows the series’ willingness to keep innovating, taking a sidestep to delve into its past and revive a character who had long been gone. The series took a notably similar risk before, and the correlation in the storylines suggests it is creating a spiritual successor to Ziva David, who returned in NCIS Season 16.

Ziva returned near the end of NCIS Season 16, years after de Pablo departed the series in Season 11. The story shocked audiences who believed that the character had died in a fire at her family home in NCIS Season 13. Ziva’s return revealed that she had faked her own death, forever changing the makeup of the NCIS franchise.

De Pablo’s return to her fan-favorite character generated fresh interest in Ziva David and rewarded long-time NCIS fans. After clearing the danger she faced, Ziva returns to her family, which includes her daughter, Tali, and the father of her child, Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly). That ultimately led to a spinoff about the couple, which premiered on Paramount+ in 2025.

NCIS’ willingness to tell high-stakes stories allows the franchise to open new pathways for storytelling, creating opportunities to expand further. Ziva’s return opened the door for de Pablo and Weatherly’s return in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which expands on their story following Ziva’s NCIS return. Ellie’s return has the same opportunities, creating a true, modern replacement for Ziva.

Bishop’s return signals that the franchise is giving Ellie the same treatment as Ziva, both of whom were among the veteran NCIS characters who spent substantial time as leading cast members. Already a beloved character, David became even more legendary upon her return. NCIS is opening a similar door for Ellie to evolve from a former agent to an icon.

Eleanor Bishop’s Return Expands NCIS’ Storytelling Potential

Image via CBS

Bishop can make a comeback only if Ellie can clear her name. The description for the midseason opener says that after being designated as a wanted cyber-terrorist, Ellie reaches out to former flame and NCIS partner Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), needing someone to trust. That signals that Bishop is in a tough situation, rather than guilty of her alleged crimes.

Considering Ellie is likely still working for the “good guys,” the door is open to a positive, memorable return that evokes Ziva’s legacy by bringing Bishop back years after she departed. It suggests that not only is Ellie important to the franchise and a memorable element of the Major Case Response Team (MCRT), but that she’s emulating Ziva’s second wind.

Ellie’s return ushers in the possibility of creating a larger arc around the character, as NCIS did for Ziva. It signals that Ellie didn’t just replace Ziva on the MCRT years ago in NCIS Season 11. It suggests that the franchise is committed to making Bishop a more layered, complex NCIS character, thereby creating an engaging overarching story.

It will be unclear what the larger arc of Ellie’s story might be until Bishop returns alongside former teammates in NCIS Season 23, Episode 9, on March 3. However, the former agent’s return may open up the possibility of an ongoing storyline, creating more opportunities for Wickersham to return to the character after Eleanor Bishop makes a comeback

The episode even gives a subtle confirmation that NCIS is mirroring Ziva’s robust legacy with Ellie’s return. The title for the upcoming episode, NCIS Season 23, Episode 9, is “Her.” It doesn’t appear to be a coincidence, given how closely it correlates with the episode that confirmed Ziva’s return to the franchise in NCIS Season 16, Episode 13, titled “She.”