‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Has Finally Stopped Ignoring Its Most Important Character

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: Tony & Ziva Season 1, Episode 6

Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) may be the names in the title of their own NCIS spin-off, but they’re not necessarily the most important characters in how the show looks today. There is one character in NCIS: Tony & Ziva that is just a fraction more instrumental to the narrative: their daughter, Tali (Isla Gie). Look, Tony and Ziva’s involvement was a given, but it is Tali’s existence that has dictated the story around them, from the location itself to nearly every decision they make. Tony and Ziva may be the faces of the spin-off, but it is Tali’s presence that controls the narrative, so it is really ironic that she has been absent for half of it.

The spin-off’s latest episode, “We’ve Got Company,” makes this issue far more obvious, as it shifts to the perspective of Tali and recaps everything she did over the first half of the series. We get a truckload of Tali, and it is hard to ignore how the show neglected her for the first five episodes, while pressing the question of: why wasn’t she more involved? At the very least, Tali’s performance and contribution to the themes in this episode reinforce the idea that she needs to be included from now on for the spin-off to succeed.

‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Totally Forgot About How Important Tali Is

Image via Paramount+

To reiterate, Tali’s existence has determined what this spin-off will look like all the way from the flagship show. In NCIS Season 13, when Tali’s existence was first revealed, it not only influenced Tony to leave the bureau but to also move to Paris, the setting of Tony & Ziva. Additionally, seasons later, the only reason Ziva approaches the bureau for help and eventually decides to join Tony in Paris is Tali. Even within the spin-off, the entire reason Tony and Ziva have left their civilian lives behind to careen across Europe on an espionage mission is to keep Tali safe and ensure she has a future. It was the threat to Tali in the premiere that really cemented their fates.

But apparently, Tali’s presence lingering in every choice in the spin-off wasn’t a good enough reason to involve her physically in the show, at least in the first half. We only saw her on the phone screen of a FaceTime call in the first five episodes, or as a younger child in flashbacks. It wasn’t enough to truly get a sense of her character nor her relationship with her parents; we only got Tony and Ziva’s experiences with parenthood. Tali lacked agency as a character in the show, but Episode 6 completely switches tact. Despite the episode’s tonal whiplash of suddenly getting an almost intrusive burst of Tali’s storyline, it proved why she needed to be in there the entire time.

Tali Is Too Important To Abandon in ‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’

We finally get a glimpse into Tali’s personality in Episode 6, and she is truly the product of Tony and Ziva — yes, literally, but also character-wise. Her characterization is a mix of both their traits, including independence, sarcasm, impulsiveness, and empathy. Watching her feels like an endearing nod to the couple as we see the best and worst qualities blend together, almost like a love letter manifested in human form. But more importantly, it gives us a glimpse into how they raised her, especially since Tony’s traits are a bit more dominant, as Tali’s attention span, charming ability to lie, and questionable decisions lead her to trouble. It’s an interesting way to flesh out their family dynamic without just witnessing Tony and Ziva’s arguments about it.

Getting a glimpse into Tali’s characterization also reflects some of the conflicts in their familial relationships, as Tali, despite being young, is already fairly capable and autonomous. Her babysitter and former MI6 agent Sophie (Lara Rossi) has no trouble letting the young girl climb into the vents or escape through the house alone. Through this, we can already deduce the subtle training Tony and Ziva gave her in case of any danger, all without directly addressing it, relating to Ziva’s trauma and subsequent paranoia. Just by watching Tali maneuver her way around the intruders and even having the gall to run someone over fleshes out the family bonds and her childhood in a way simply focusing on Tony and Ziva never could.

‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Needs To Keep Tali in Future Episodes

Image via Paramount+

Apart from the thematic value Tali adds to the show, Gie herself makes a case through her performance and chemistry with the cast as to why she should remain. While there is an inherent immaturity to her character (partially because of her age and partially because of traits Tali inherited from Tony), as far as child characters go, Tali is a pretty compelling one. Gie balances Tali’s childish boredom with a capability we would only anticipate in children raised by agents. She remains calm under pressure, is able to grab an opportunity to escape or to help people she cares about, and is self-aware enough to admit her own limitations or mistakes. It’s actually refreshing after watching Tony deny his own immaturity or the gravity of Ziva’s story.

Her relationship with Sophie also becomes endearing as, despite their age gap, there is still a mutual respect that exists between them, one that allowed Tali to manipulate Sophie. While there is a degree of deference from Tali’s side to Sophie’s expertise, they almost act like friends throughout the nine-day montage, and especially at the end of the episode, when Sophie thanks Tali for saving her life. The way Tali interacts with her parents is also fascinating, as she feels comfortable enough to point out the flaws in their plans while the couple struggles to reconcile their protective instincts with her reasonable arguments. If anything, the stubbornness she undoubtedly inherited from both her parents hopefully means she will stay in the remaining episodes of the spin-off, as Tony & Ziva is just not complete without Tali.