Everyone thought Ziva David was gone for good. The popular NCIS character was believed to be dead for years—until she appeared out of nowhere at the end of season 16.
Her return shocked everyone, Gibbs (Mark Harmon) included, and now there are so many questions. Is she back for good? Is this a temporary thing? Are they doing this just to break our hearts all over again? It’s impossible to tell with this show, but here’s the information we’re working with so far.
Ziva will be around for more episodes than we initially thought.
Cote de Pablo, the actress who plays Ziva, will have a longer arc in season 17 than originally anticipated. We knew she’d back in the premiere, but now TVGuide is reporting that she’ll be in four episodes this year. Four!!!
Ziva and Gibbs are looking a little worse for the wear in the upcoming season.
The outlet confirmed that Ziva will guest star in the first two installments this fall, as well as two more in late fall and early winter. “This surprise moment is just the beginning,” showrunners Frank Cardea and Steven D. Binder promised.
Back up, what happened to her character to begin with?
Ziva and Cote left NCIS in 2013, and her death was explained later in 2016 when Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) exited the show. It was revealed that the two shared a daughter, who DiNozzo was responsible for in the wake of her passing.
Got it. So, what happens now?
The trailer for season 17 looks intense, and that’s putting it gently.
Ziva and Gibbs definitely look rough as they run from a woman named Zahar, who is apparently after both of them. We also get to see a sneak peek at the rest of the team’s response, and it varies from Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) being surprised and excited to McGee (Sean Murray) feeling hurt that he was out of the loop. No matter the reaction though, everyone is clearly thrilled she’s alive, while also being worried for Gibbs and Ziva’s safety. We’re so stressed already!
Do we think Ziva is coming back for good?
It’s hard to say. While the fan response has been overwhelmingly positive, long-term plans are cloudy at this time.
