I Learned From NCIS: Tony And Ziva’s Showrunner What That Major Heartbreak From Episode 3 Means For The Show Going Forward

Warning: SPOILERS for the first three NCIS: Tony & Ziva episodes are ahead!

Well, Tiva fans (and newcomers), the wait is finally over! NCIS: Tony & Ziva’s first three episodes have premiered on the 2025 TV schedule, and there was a lot to take in. From seeing Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David’s long-awaited reunion in the flashback storyline, to watching theses two avoid dangers around every corner, including self-driving murder cars, this Paramount+ subscription-exclusive spinoff in the long-running NCIS franchise didn’t skimp on both action-packed and emotional moments. In the latter category, Tony suffered a surprising heartbreak at the end of “Cover Story,” and Tony & Ziva showrunner John McNamara shared with CinemaBlend how this will impact the rest of the season.

The third of these premiere episodes saw Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo’s characters laying low at a ski lodge belonging to Tony’s girlfriend Nicole. The place was supposed to be unoccupied because it was the offseason, but not only did Nicole end up going to the cabin as Tony and Ziva were getting comfortable, her husband Max was in tow. Tony was unaware that Nicole was already married, so he was understandably crestfallen by her deception, and what McNamara told me when I asked about what this means for the character in the weeks ahead on NCIS: Tony & Ziva:

In order to not tip Max off that Nicole had been having an affair, Tony and Ziva pretended to be married and attributed their presence at the cabin to a mixup of schedules. The funny thing was, when Max eventually did learn the truth, he wasn’t so much mad about the infidelity, but that he hadn’t been “included.” Yes, apparently Nicole and Max had that kind of marriage going, and he’d definitely taken a shine to Tony.

It was ultimately all moot though, and not just because Tony wasn’t down with the swinger lifestyle. It turns out Max was a police officer working in border enforcement, and when he learned about Tony and Ziva being wanted in connection with the explosion at Reigning Fire Peacekeeping Solutions, he tried to apprehend them, and all while being nearly nude. But our intrepid protagonists thwarted his efforts and locked him and Nicole in one of the rooms so they couldn’t alert the authorities.

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So yeah, that relationship has been torpedoed, but as John McNamara explained, this is going to be a good thing for Tony DiNozzo in the long run. We still have yet to learn what happened between him and Ziva David that led to their romantic relationship collapsing, though it’s good that they at least get along well enough to effectively co-parent their daughter, Tali. But looking ahead, it sounds like this realization over what he’d been doing with Nicole, plus the hectic events that have forced him and Ziva to go on the run in Europe, will push him towards trying to reignite what they once had.

Remember, Cote de Pablo said that she wouldn’t agree to sign onto NCIS: Tony & Ziva unless there was a “happy something” for these two by the end of the season. So presumably we can rest easy knowing that something positive is on the way for these two crazy kids, whatever form that may come in. New episodes of the spinoff drop Thursdays on Paramount+, and NCIS, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney will kick off their new seasons on CBS Tuesday, October 14.