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'NCIS' Season 17: Cote de Pablo teases what lies ahead for Ziva and reveals she's on for five episodes

Cote de Pablo has already shot three episodes out of the five she has been contracted for and her appearance will answer many of the questions fans have about her character.

Before the premiere of NCIS Season 17 on September 24, actress Cote de Pablo, in an interview about the return of her fan favorite character Ziva David, revealed that she had been contracted for five more episodes on the show. She has already shot three episodes and still has to shoot two more.

Asked about her surprise return, she said: "All I can say is I'm grateful I have these five episodes, exploring a little bit of what I feel is important." She said the main reason behind her agreeing to do the episodes was because "So many people have asked over the years that 'Oh my god, is Ziva ever coming back?" The actress felt she owed something to these fans and later said: "I love this character". Asked if fans would see her beyond these five episodes, she said: "We'll see." 

Teasing her character's story arc this season, she said that having to stay away from her daughter and her "big love" Tony DiNozzo was "a real source of pain" for the character. She revealed that fans would be "getting some of these questions answered, certainly through Gibbs" who she has come to save from a "big threat". The actress also spoke about returning to the role after being "disconnected" from it. "I had no idea if I was going to be able to do it again You always have these doubts when you are disconnected from something for a long period of time and I remember going back to set feeling a little jittery, a little nervous." But as soon as she walked in, dressed in her "quintessential Ziva jacket and the military boots", she heard the crew clapping and felt immediately welcome and at home.

Asked about her tough girl act on the show, de Pablo said that she did her own stunts on the show. She also claimed that living in Brooklyn when "Brooklyn wasn't cool" taught her how to be tough in a lot of situations. She used this experience and some background research to flesh out her character.  

NCIS season 17 premieres on Tuesday, September 24, at 8 p.m. on CBS.