'NCIS' Season 17: Cote de Pablo's Ziva David returns after six years and fans are excited about the 'Tiva' reunion
'NCIS' is all set to come back with season 17 and fans are going gaga over the long-awaited return of Cote de Pablo's Ziva David after a six-year absence. Not only are viewers raving about the show, but they have also started a hashtag around the same, which reads, #ZivaIsBack! One fan even went on to tweet: "Six years ago, 20 million US viewers tuned in to watch her goodbye episode; let's get 20 million-plus to welcome her back!"
In a surprise blast on the season opener titled 'Out of the Darkness', the makers brought back the character to CBS's long-running primetime scripted drama. Presumed to be killed in a mortar attack, she came back in the closing seconds of the season 16 finale to warn Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in the basement. "Hello, Gibbs! No time for pleasantries. You're in danger," she said.
"Where have you been?" Gibbs asks Ziva as the two reunite in the intense new trailer. Explosions and surprise attacks await the duo as they are triggered off by someone from Ziva's past who is far more dangerous than they can fathom. "There's a woman, she wants me dead. And now she's after you," Ziva informs her former boss and also says that she has never seen her.
Currently slated to appear in five episodes, Ziva's return sparkes major excitement among fans. "There was so much excitement during our last episode, just having Cote come back," executive producer Frank Cardea told ET ahead of de Pablo's epic surprise return in the season 16 finale. "It was great for everybody to see her and we pulled off a surprise we were hoping to pull off, so that invigorated us."
Teasing her character's story arc this season, she said in an interview that having to stay away from her daughter and her "big love" Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) 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".
Calling her the "cutest", "funny" and "adorable", fans on Reddit expressed their admiration for the actress. "I’m so excited! It’s also really cool to see everyone involved be so giddy about her being there!" one user wrote. Twitter was full of similar sentiments. "Ziva David is: smart, clever & calculating, a lover & a fighter, the sharp end of the spear, a poetic soul, unafraid to be who she is, working within & fighting dual patriarchal systems, motivated by justice, a mother, a partner, a friend, a daughter, alive #NCIS," one tweet read.
Looking forward to a 'Tiva' reunion, another user said, "#CotedePablo said there's a very emotional scene of #ZivaDavid in the bullpen with lots of memories. Wouldn't it be great if they showed her remembering Tony as he did her in Family first #NCIS."
Dropping major spoilers from the show, one user posted, "The endgame for #ZivaDavid is her daughter... Well... She doesn't know her mother anymore. Her Abba has been her everything for the past 3 years. So this adventure in #ZivaTown is going to be very interesting... The twists and turns of how it's all going to unfold #zivaisback," and another one wrote, "I’ve never been more excited for a new season of #NCIS before. Ahhhhhhhh! This time tomorrow we’ll all be counting down to seeing our ninja again! #ZivaTown #zivaisback."
Several clues also indicate Tony knew Ziva was alive but kept it secret for their daughter Tali's safety, and as the first episode premieres on Tuesday, September 24, at 8 pm on CBS, it is yet to be seen what new developments it marks for the characters.