NCIShas the perfect opportunity to replace Tony and Ziva’s slow-burn romance within the franchise, even before Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo return. Special agents DiNozzo and David met inNCISseason 3, and had immediate chemistry despite not trusting one another amid Ari Haswari’s (Rudolf Martin) reign of terror. Ziva was introduced on theNCISflagship in tandem with a massive transition following Sasha Alexander’sCaitlin Todd’s shocking death inNCISseason 2. Ultimately, Ziva would replace Kate, creating the perfect setup for Tony and Ziva’s romance.
While they never officially got together on the series, a romance developed between Tony and Ziva, untilCote de Pablo’sNCISexit. Even after Ziva faked her death inNCIS,Tony stayed committed to his former partner, stepping up to raise the daughter he discovered they had together, named Tali. Suffice it to say, theNCISromance was iconic, andNCIS: Sydneycan recreate it.
Why Tony & Ziva’s Relationship In NCIS Is Such A Fan-Favorite
Tony And Ziva Have An Epic Love Story
Tony and Ziva’s romance is a fan-favorite love story, which coincided with thegolden years ofNCISwhen Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) was the Special Agent in Charge. Tony and Ziva were Gibbs' two most trusted agents, along with Sean Murray’s rookie Timothy McGee at their side. Stories like theNCISseason 7 premiere, where Tony, Gibbs, and McGee rescue Ziva from Somalia, are some of the show’s best moments, and the characters are to thank for that.
CBS Just Made Gibbs' Most Badass Rescue In NCIS Even Better 15 Years Later
Somehow, CBS is able to revisit Mark Harmon’s most badass rescue scene as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS 15 years after it was originally revealed.
Tony and Ziva’s romance was compelling because the agents maintained tension by not acting on their romance throughout their entire time in the series.Essential Tony and ZivaNCISepisodes, like “Under Covers,” put Tony and Ziva in enthralling situations that showcased the actors' chemistry without technically green-lighting their relationship.NCISkept anticipation for Tony and Ziva’s romance arc high, and fans were consistently invested in the story throughout the pair’s time in the procedural.
Admittedly, there’s some disappointment that NCIS didn’t really have a clear payoff for Tony and Ziva’s romance. However, at least the franchise will reward those who have rooted for the couple since their paths first crossed. In the meantime, a different NCIS show from the universe can replicate the mothership’s success with one of its pairings.
NCIS: Sydney Season 2 Can Replicate Tony & Ziva’s Romantic Tension With Evie & DeShawn
Evie And DeShawn Can Up The Tension In Season 2
While Tony and Ziva’s romance on the flagship has sailed,NCIScan replicate its glory days by recreating the iconic romantic tension between Evie (Tuuli Narkle) and DeShawn (Sean Sagar) inNCIS: Sydney.The Australian-basedNCISoffshoot established a connection between the agents inNCIS: Sydneyseason 1, pairing Evie and DeShawn as partners throughout the procedural’s freshman outing. Evie often teases DeShawn while investigating, gender-flipping Weatherly’s playful Tony character.
InNCIS: Sydneyseason 1, episode 3, “Brothers in Arms,” Evie and DeShawn briefly pretend they are getting married to investigate a group of retired Navy SEALs who film underwater weddings.
The Sydney-centered spinoff proves that Evie and DeShawn are more than friends inNCIS: Sydneyseason 1, episode 7, “Bunker Down.” When Evie is sealed in a decommissioned bunker, she leaves her final words in a confessional voice memo to DeShawn on her phone. Evie and DeShawn don’t act on their romance in the first season, starting the perfect slow burn.NCIS: Sydneyseason 2 can continue building the tension by putting the agents in compelling situations like Tony and Ziva, potentially going undercover more extensively as a married couple.
Michael Weatherly & Cote de Pablo’s NCIS Return Explained
But Even Their Show Can’t Replicate Tony & Ziva’s Original Appeal
Weatherly and de Pablo will return as their fan-favorite charactersinNCIS: Tony & Ziva.Their offshoot focuses on the agents approximately a decade after their stories end on the flagship. Ziva has reunited with Tony and their daughter, Tali, and the family has been happily living in Paris, until their offshoot’s inciting incident. Rather than commit to the flagship’s established procedural format, Tony and Ziva’s spinoff will stream on Paramount+ rather than air on CBS, giving the agents a shorter set of more connected outings to continue the story.
While Weatherly and de Pablo will return, Evie and DeShawn’s romance has a better chance of recreating the perfect slow-burn than a Tony and Ziva continuation.
Still, while Weatherly and de Pablo will return,Evie and DeShawn’s romance has a better chance of recreating the perfect slow-burnthan a Tony and Ziva continuation.NCISestablished that Tony and Ziva are finally together and have been for years, soNCIS: Tony & Zivawill be more about their journey as parents and a family than their trademark will-they/won’t-they romance. In contrast, Evie and DeShawn are in the second season of their story playing out onNCIS: Sydney,which can take their tension to the next level while maintaining the anticipation like Tony and Ziva once did.
