Considering that the last time we saw Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David together was in the Season 11 premiere of NCIS, the last time we saw Ziva was in Season 17, and the last time we saw Tony was in Season 13 of that very show, apprehension was a healthy emotion to go into NCIS: Tony & Ziva with. For those who don’t understand what those numbers mean, NCIS is about to premiere Season 23. That means it’s been over a decade since these two have shared a screen.
But fear not, NCIS fans, NCIS: Tony & Ziva isn’t just good, it’s very, very good. In fact, it might just have the best versions of these two characters, or at least, the versions we never really got to see them be for an extended period of time on NCIS. In fact, if you felt like NCIS stopped being your NCIS after Tony and Ziva left, then this is 100% the show for you. Personally, I enjoyed this so much more than even I expected, and I came into it with high hopes.
Some backstory on my credentials to say these lofty words. I was an original NCIS fan. A casual fan through the Kate days, a staunch Ziva fan, a devoted fan of the will they/won’t they dynamic, Tony and Ziva encapsulated to a “T.” I come by it honestly; Mulder and Scully raised me. I remember endless discussions about why this time it was happening. And then it didn’t. Then we were left with the most bittersweet of bittersweet endings. And I responded like any fangirl would at a very young and temperamental age. I stopped watching NCIS.
I would return to the show later (make my peace with it, or so I thought). But I don’t think I realized how much I wanted to see these two characters sharing a screen again until I pressed play on the first episode of NCIS: Tony & Ziva. And then I was back. And it was like I never left.
Why It’s the Perfect Time For NCIS: Tony & Ziva
Fans have been clamoring for more of this story pretty much since Weatherly left NCIS in Season 13, with a daughter he didn’t know he had in tow and Ziva supposedly dead. We later learned Ziva was, of course, not dead. And she, herself, returned to NCIS to clean up the mess in a way that allowed her to go back to her daughter, Tali, and Tony, even if it took four seasons. And then they reunited and lived happily ever after… or did they?
Look, when we didn’t know the story (or have a possibility of seeing it through on screen), it was easy to believe in the off-screen happy ending. But over ten years after these characters first said goodbye on NCIS, and in an era when nostalgia sells, bringing Tony and Ziva back was a no-brainer. But at this point, their characters don’t really fit in with NCIS, even if Jimmy and Tim are still there. How to solve that? Give them a new show, one where their relationship—whatever that might be—can take center stage.
Enter NCIS: Tony & Ziva, a show that keeps the NCIS in the name to tie it to the franchise, but that’s really just Tony and Ziva being Tony and Ziva, while trying to wade through years of baggage we know and some we don’t even know yet, and see if they can come out on the other side with the relationship and family, we always dreamed for them.
In a TV landscape where NCIS still works and shows like High Potential are all the rage, NCIS: Tony & Ziva couldn’t have come at a better time. And that’s just for the casual fans. The hardcore fans have been waiting for this for a long time, anyway.
Related: Here’s what we want to see in NCIS: Tony & Ziva
What You Need to Know Before Watching NCIS: Tony & Ziva
Perhaps the most-asked question, and the answer is surprisingly not that much. As much as this is a much more enjoyable show if you know the backstory of Tony, Ziva, and Tali, this is structured in a way that can be watched even by people who don’t know the characters—or by people who might have missed Ziva’s latest appearances on NCIS, or even Tony’s latest seasons.
If you stopped watching NCIS in Season 11, you’re good. If you watched until Tony and Tali left, you’re golden. And if you’ve never watched NCIS and just think Michael Weatherly and Cote De Pablo have really good chemistry, and you want to check out what their will they/won’t they looks like now, so many years later? You’re probably going to have fun with this anyway.
Who’ll Enjoy NCIS: Tony & Ziva
I’m a procedural girlie, so I might be biased, but if you like the genre, this is one of the best offerings in years. You don’t need to know anything about NCIS to watch it, either. There’s no NCIS purity test at the door. There are Easter Eggs that only long-time fans of the franchise will get, but if you miss them, you can still enjoy the show.
Fans of Densi’s dynamic and of couples like Castle and Beckett will particularly find the banter between Tony and Ziva fun. But above all, this is a gift to the Tiva fans who stuck around for over a decade. The ones that waited, and hoped, and prayed for these characters to get a chance at not just an ending, but a real story, one they could watch with their own eyes. Now here it is, and rejoice, because it’s worth the wait.
