NCIS: Tony & Ziva Episode 4 Proposes There Is A Missing CBS Character

NCIS: Tony & Ziva episode 4 gives the audience a romantic moment from the titular pairing that serves as a reminder of their time on the original CBS series. The spinoff series splits time between the present day with Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) on the run from Interpol and the past when Ziva moved to Paris.

While many of the flashbacks to Ziva and Tony coparenting Tali (Isla Gie) showcase Ziva’s struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, many of the flashbacks are also romantic, demonstrating the connection the two share. It’s one of those flashbacks that is a reminder of a character missing from the spinoff.

Tony Gave Ziva The DiNozzo Family Ring In NCIS: Tony & Ziva Episode 4

The Ring First Appeared In NCIS Season 10

Image via Paramount+

NCIS: Tony & Ziva episode 4 is called “Wedding Crashers,” and while the present-day storyline takes place surrounding a wedding being used as a trap, the 2020 storyline sees Ziva realizing that her own PTSD can affect how her daughter sees the world as well.

Tony and Ziva’s discussions about coparenting Tali leads to Ziva’s admission of a desire not to leave Tali ever again. Tony takes the opportunity to propose to Ziva. While the moment feels like a long time coming, it also speaks to both Tony and Ziva’s desire to have a family. Tony gives Ziva the DiNozzo family ring when he proposes.

The DiNozzo family ring made its first significant appearance in season 10 of NCIS. There, Tony and his father struggled to celebrate the holidays together as Tony could not forgive his father for the past. The DiNozzo men traditionally gave the signet ring to their sons on their 25th birthday, but Tony never received the heirloom.

While Tony believed his father pawned it to fund his lavish lifestyle, Anthony DiNozzo Sr. (Robert Wagner) had actually been holding onto it, wanting to gift it to Tony when the two made amends. After another argument, he gifts it to Tony for Christmas.

Tony giving Ziva the ring as an engagement ring is a great way to show Ziva that he and his father are not the same. While DiNozzo Sr. married multiple times, searching for a great love, but being unable to truly commit to someone, Tony is ready to spend the rest of his life with Ziva in 2020.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva Desperately Misses DiNozzo Sr.

Tony & Ziva Have No Family On The Run

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NCIS: Tony & Ziva is wrapped up in the trappings of a spy show, but at its heart, the show is all about love. That’s not just the complicated nature of the love Ziva and Tony have for one another, but also the love of family. Everything they do is for their daughter.

Ziva and Tony also have very little family left.

All of Ziva’s known family has been killed at this point in the NCIS franchise. She only has Tony and Tali. The only family Tony has is Ziva, Tali, and his father. DiNozzo Sr.’s presence, then, is sorely missing from Tony and Ziva’s story in Europe.

While they are close to employees like Sophie (Lara Rossi) and Claudette (Amita Suman), they share a very different history with Tony’s father. They trust Sophie with Tali’s life, and they trust Claudette with their own, but their skills are what Tony and Ziva need rather than their presence or comfort.

Because the show is truly all about their family, it would make sense for Tony’s father to have some sort of presence in the show. It makes for a missing element when Tony and Ziva have no family to turn to for help or comfort.

Can DiNozzo Sr. Still Appear In NCIS: Tony & Ziva (& When)?

Robert Wagner Is Mostly Retired

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It is possible that DiNozzo Sr. could still appear in NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Though the two are on the run in the present-day timeline, making contacting their NCIS allies nearly impossible, there is the possibility of an appearance while Tony and Ziva are not on the run.

The flashbacks to Tony and Tali reuniting with Ziva and Ziva beginning to rebuild her life have been able to give the audience a look into just how close the family is, how Ziva’s PTSD puts a wedge between her and those she cares about, and how Tony builds his business.

It is important to remember, however, that when Tony first found out he was Tali’s father and made the decision to move to Paris, DiNozzo Sr. also found out he was a grandfather. Given that it took him decades to mend fences with his son, he would want to be in his granddaughter’s life.

That may be in something as simple as phone calls between Tony’s father and the other three in flashbacks. It could also be in a visit from DiNozzo Sr. to Paris. He would certainly be enamored with the city of love.

Of course, it does seem inevitable that Tony and Ziva will eventually be cleared of the false allegations against them. If Tony and Ziva do not have to live a life on the run, their happy ending in the series could include reuniting with familiar faces, including DiNozzo Sr.

If that’s the case, it’s likely Robert Wagner would not appear in the role until the end of the season, or even in a potential season 2 of Tony & Ziva.

Of course, Wagner has not actually appeared on screen since his last NCIS appearance in 2019. He has mostly retired from acting, so it’s unclear if he would be interested in appearing in the show.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva might have to find other ways to make references to Anthony DiNozzo Sr. if Wagner, now in his 90s, has decided to fully retire from the entertainment industry.