Spoilers ahead for the second episode of NCIS Season 17, called "Into the Light."
Ziva's big return to NCIS in the Season 17 premiere proved that she was not the same woman she'd been when she departed, and her second episode back saw her officially returning to the land of the living as she reunited with some of her old friends, visited her old office at NCIS, and began to walk the streets openly. So, the big question on everybody's minds was: how much does Tony know as he raises their daughter?
Ziva's #1 mission in her first two episodes back has been to get rid of her enemies and get back to Tony and Tali, as fans rejoiced to learn. The action was a little too intense last week for Ziva to take a break and answer some questions about what they do or do not know about her continued survival; that wasn't the case this week. So, read on for the updates on what's happening with Ziva and Tony on NCIS!
The Less Tony Knows, The Better
When Ziva went back to Gibbs' basement to lurk and wait for Gibbs to return, she reunited fondly with Ducky (who will soon be back in action). They were happy to see each other, even if Ducky did see her about to take one of her pills for anxiety. After saying hello, Ducky came right out and asked if Tony knows that she's alive. Ziva's cryptic response was that "It's complicated" and "The less Tony knows, the better." That wasn't a straight answer, but it seems to suggest that Ziva has kept Tony in the dark.
Ziva Watches Tali From Afar
While Ziva was cryptic and stony when Ducky asked about whether Tony knows she's alive, she was soft and warm when she told Ducky she hasn't been alone because she has Tali, even if they can't be together. She pulled out a photo of a little girl in the far distance, seemingly at school, taken from "as close as I dared to get." Smiling, she told Ducky that she thinks that was "ice cream day," and she liked to think Tali "was quite excited that day." I'm not crying, you're crying!
Palmer And Tony Play Fortnite
Not everything about this episode was grim and angsty on the Tony/Ziva front, thanks to Jimmy Palmer! When Gibbs went down to the lab to get some info, Palmer was disappointed that Ziva wasn't with him. Palmer revealed that he has a whole lot of questions for Ziva, starting with "what the heck am I supposed to say to Tony" when he calls for their monthly Fortnite session. Tony may be gone from NCIS while Michael Weatherly stars on Bull, but he's not forgotten by his friends.
Ziva Makes Sacrifices For Tali
Another big reunion happened when McGee took Ziva by surprise at a diner, and they had a few minutes to catch up. Naturally, McGee asked about Tony and when was the last time she saw Tali. Ziva's answer? "We must all make sacrifices for our children." She then artfully changed the subject by asking about McGee's kids. Well played, Ziva!
Ziva Flashes Back To Tony In NCIS
After McGee convinced Ziva to return to NCIS, she sat down at her old desk and began flashing back to what she left behind. In fact, she flashed back to a scene that featured Tony smiling warmly, which is pretty clear proof that she doesn't just miss Tony because he's the one taking care of Tali. Is a reunion for them in the works?
Tony Will Hear From Ziva
By the end of the episode, Ziva was preparing to go on the run again, which shouldn't have come as a surprise considering news about Cote de Pablo's appearances in Season 17. Before she could, though, she and Gibbs hashed out why Gibbs never went looking for her after her "death." Then, Gibbs' phone rang, and the caller ID read "DINOZZO."
Gibbs had called Tony and left a message after Ziva disappeared from her allies during the episode, and Gibbs promised Ziva he hadn't told Tony anything in the message because "he should hear it from" her. Ziva's response: "And he will." Unfortunately, Ziva didn't clarify when Tony would hear from her, and there was no on-screen reunion. At this point, there's not even a guarantee that Ziva and Tony will meet again in an episode.
Michael Weatherly had some promising comments, but Cote de Pablo's subsequent statements were a little more discouraging. Only time will tell if Tony and Ziva reunite, and Ziva gets to see her daughter again. It may depend on Michael Weatherly's availability; whether or not we get Weatherly and de Pablo back together on-screen, my money is on at least a Ziva/Tali reunion.
See what happens next on NCIS with new episodes Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
