Aside from the return of the two title characters, NCIS: Tony & Ziva looks most promising due to one opportunity provided by its release window that could facilitate a first-ever storytelling feat for the franchise. It’s difficult to say very much about the upcoming spinoff’s storyline ahead of release, as even details regarding most of the NCIS: Tony & Ziva cast involve characters of whom fans have no prior knowledge. Fortunately, if it’s anything like all NCIS franchise spinoffs, it won’t take long for viewers to start feeling connected with the newer characters.
Between the return of two beloved characters and a storyline that intriguingly covers both past and present, NCIS: Tony & Ziva doesn’t face as many hurdles to its success as spinoffs that change little more than location. The show’s biggest risk as of now is simply that NCIS: Tony & Ziva streams on Paramount+, requiring fans who watch NCIS exclusively on CBS to decide whether it’s worth a subscription. But the bigger question is whether the new show will embrace its full potential to deliver a bigger story than the franchise ever has before.
The Biggest NCIS Franchise Event Was A 3-Way Crossover With Los Angeles And Hawai’i In 2023
NCIS Largely Crosses Over With One Spinoff At A Time
It wasn’t long after the new spinoff was announced that fans began to ponder the possibility of an NCIS and Tony & Ziva crossover, although it’s uncertain what that would entail. There hasn’t been a shortage of crossovers in the NCIS franchise. Most only cross over two shows, or have multiple characters appear in a single episode (as was the case with the 1000th episode of NCIS). But NCIS season 20, episode 10 kicked off a three-part crossover between the flagship and its Los Angeles and Hawai’i spinoffs.
The backdrop for the crossover event made sense as an excuse to bring the three teams together. Having already planned on attending a retirement party for FLETC professor Dale Harding (Robert Picardo), the teams join forces when Harding’s death unearths cryptic files that lead to multiple kidnappings and exposed agents. The stakes rise significantly with each episode, to the point that it’s understandable the franchise hasn’t staged a substantial number of similar events. However, NCIS: Tony & Ziva sets up what might be considered an even bigger crossover opportunity.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva’s Release Window Could Set Up The Franchise’s First 4-Way Crossover
All Four NCIS Series Will Be Airing At The Same Time
Before getting carried away, it should be noted that a four-way NCIS crossover wouldn’t necessarily air in as many parts. The crossover wouldn’t be grander than the aforementioned three-parter in terms of size, but rather in scope. And it’s made possible for the first time now that NCIS: Tony & Ziva’s release schedule confirms the first season’s 10 episodes will air from Sept. 4 to Oct. 30. This means that, to at least a partial extent, all four current NCIS series (the flagship, Tony & Ziva, Sydney, and Origins) will air within the same timeframe.
Since NCIS: Origins is a prequel while NCIS: Tony & Ziva won’t be airing on the network, the simplest way to achieve a crossover of this magnitude would be for Ziva (Cote de Pablo) and DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) to appear in a two-part crossover between NCIS and NCIS: Sydney. As for how to factor in Origins, it could be as easy as bringing Mark Harmon back as Gibbs alongside the future version of a character unique to NCIS: Origins. And while this might sound like a lot to balance, the franchise is currently in a unique position to pull it off successfully.
Why An NCIS: Tony & Ziva 4-Way Crossover Makes Perfect Sense Right Now
There’s No Better Time To Unify The NCIS Franchise
The NCIS: Sydney team has yet to cross paths with Parker’s (Gary Cole) crew. It’s more advantageous for that to happen now that both series are airing on the same night, and introducing the DiNozzo family into the action could help promote NCIS: Tony & Ziva for the sake of killing two birds with one stone. While reuniting Tony and Ziva with Jimmy (Brian Dietzen) and McGee (Sean Murray) would obviously be the bigger selling point, Tony would also likely have enough chemistry with JD (Todd Lasance) to sway those not yet watching Sydney from their current spot on the fence.
It’s naturally harder to produce any type of NCIS: Origins crossover, but Tony and Ziva could play a major role in making that possible. Gibbs’ narration in Origins suggests he’s currently guilt-wracked and looking backward. Were a major player from his past to resurface at the same time as an NCIS: Tony & Ziva crossover, it would establish a theme of Gibbs confronting his past while running into old friends. It wouldn’t be the easiest crossover to write, but it would make great strides toward unifying the franchise’s current installments.
