Arguably, the most iconic romance in the NCIS franchise is that between Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), enough so that they now have their very own spin-off together, NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Ironically, the most disappointing part of their relationship was that they were technically never in one, maintaining their will-they-won’t-they tension. As such, coming into the spin-off, the one thing fans desperately want to see is a concrete answer to where their romance will be heading, whether that be a loving romance (preferably) or officially parting ways. While the spin-off, only four episodes in, hasn’t answered this question yet, it has already improved their relationship.
‘NCIS’ Stunted Tony and Ziva’s Potential Romance
There is no denying that Tony and Ziva’s romance in the flagship show was tantalizing. As soon as Ziva entered in season 3, Tony pulled out his charm to flirt incessantly with her, and she dished it right back. As their relationship progressed, mutual respect and love started growing between them, giving gravity to their more light-hearted flirty banter. But the relationship never bore any fruit, as the two argued as much as they flirted and never made their relationship official.
Because of this, their romance somewhat felt stunted, as it was limited to light flirtations. Sure, their relationship as agents and friends grew, but they never really addressed their romantic emotions. In fact, the most significant relationship milestone their arc reached was the final time they shared the screen in NCIS: their goodbye kiss. When Ziva exited the show in Season 11, Episode 2, she shared a gut-wrenching kiss with Tony before staying in Israel. It was essentially the peak of their relationship until Episode 4 of the spin-off aired.
The ‘NCIS’ Spin-off Has Already Improved Tony & Ziva’s Romance
Only four episodes in and Tony & Ziva has managed to do something 11 seasons of NCIS never did: give the couple a genuine relationship milestone. The only milestones NCIS created were their meet-cute and their goodbye kiss (just goodbye, not a break-up one), and both are kind of a given in any arc anyway. Of course, there was also their child together, but that storyline was off-screen. But in Tony & Ziva Episode 4, we get an accepted proposal and a recognition of their romantic feelings for each other — all in one episode, too! It’s already leaps and bounds further than what the flagship show managed to achieve.
In the present timeline, Tony and Ziva end the episode with a wordless acceptance of their feelings through a scorching kiss, distinguishing itself from the iconic NCIS one because it is not goodbye, but the promise of something new. Officially. In the past timeline during the episode, we also have the delight of seeing Tony propose to Ziva and her accepting it. Even though we know the engagement doesn’t last, it’s still the ultimate fan service to watch the events unfold and partake in their joy. If anything, we get to delude ourselves into thinking they have a happy engagement for a week before the next episode airs. It may not be a concrete answer to where their romance will end up, but it’s a huge improvement to the ambiguity in NCIS.
‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Episode 4 Does Their Romance Justice
Not only does the NCIS spin-off surpass the flagship in regard to what happens in their romance, but it also does justice to it. They are not forced in for the sake of being there and instead are woven into the show’s storytelling while honoring the characters’ arcs. The past proposal occurs directly after a scene where Ziva is bemoaning her absence from their daughters’ lives and wishing she could be around more often, so she wouldn’t miss major milestones. It is also after they had already gone on a date in the previous episode, proving the attraction and affection was still present between them. As such, the proposal signified a moment where they agreed to fix their past while acting on their feelings, something they never really did before.
It was also an incredibly profound moment for Ziva, who surprisingly accepted Tony’s hand. Throughout the spin-off’s premiere, she had been dealing with PTSD from her past, and one of the reasons she didn’t want to date Tony straight away was because she wanted to sort out her mental state first. As such, Ziva accepting the proposal may not have meant she had fully resolved her trauma, but at that point in time, she felt confident and comfortable enough to envision a future with him. So, as mentioned, even though the engagement didn’t last, it was still a meaningful and powerful gesture that did the characters and their love for each other justice.
The kiss in the present timeline has entirely different conditions around it. Tali (Isla Gie) was a major factor in how the proposal was framed, but here, miles away from their daughter and as fugitives on the run, their kiss was really just about them. The couple has always had issues with communicating their feelings, so when Claudette (Amita Suman) reminds Tony that actions are louder than words, he channels all his emotions, whether that be love or confusion, into a kiss with Ziva. It’s such a “them” way to communicate their feelings.
Alongside all this cohesive, thoughtful, and delicate writing are Weatherly’s and Pablo’s performances to cinch everything together. That is one thing that hasn’t really changed from the flagship show, as they share impeccable on-screen chemistry and always add an authenticity to their characters. Tony & Ziva Episode 4 gave fans of Tiva the best fan service in 22 years, imbuing their relationship with stakes, drama, and romance like never before.
New episodes of NCIS: Tony & Ziva come out Wednesdays on Paramount+ in the U.S.
