Ahead of Season 1’s finale on Oct. 23, lead stars Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly talked to CBR’s Grae Drake at the New York Comic Con, and addressed their relationship. Both actors are longtime franchise veterans, and they detailed why pairing Tony and Ziva together works.
“She’s like gum on my shoe,” Weatherly joked when asked about why he and de Pablo always end up working together.
“It’s sexy gum,” de Pablo jokingly added. About their ongoing relationship, she continued, “It’s something that Michael and I don’t really talk about,” when asked about what the “special sauce” of their relationship is that makes their collaboration stand out. De Pablo admitted she doesn’t exactly know why they get along so well.
Continuing the streak of funny jokes, Weatherly continued to his co-star, “You know what you are? You’re like a fantastic fungi,” ended up saying that she’s like a “magic mushroom, and that’s the outchemical thing we’re searching for.”
He added, “What is it that makes Tony and Ziva tick? It’s the spaceship they’re on.”
The duo had a lot of time to cultivate their close, easygoing relationship. The duo appeared together in 128 episodes of NCIS. Weatherly was a series regular on the original series for the first 13 seasons before departing in the Season 13 finale, “Family First.”
He later appeared in several spinoffs, before headlining his own with his former partner, Special Agent Ziva David. The latter joined the show in Season 3. She left the show in Season 11, and returned briefly until she was apparently killed off-screen in Season 13, which also led to Weatherly’s departure. However, Ziva was later confirmed to still be alive in Season 16.
What’s NCIS: Tony & Ziva About?
The new show marked the first time Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo worked together in 12 years. However, as per their fun at NYCC, it looks like the chemistry and easy friendship is still there. The spinoff brings them back together as they raise their daughter, Tali.
The show’s official logline reads, “After Ziva’s apparent death, Tony raises their daughter Tali. Years later, Ziva returns and reunites with Tony. Tony’s company is attacked, and the family travels to Europe to learn who’s after them and how to trust each other again.”
The new NCIS spinoff debuted to encouraging scores. It features an exciting 80% rating from the critics, and a similar 84% score from the audience ahead of its Season 1 finale. So far, it’s unclear whether the show will return for Season 2, but both actors are willing to continue playing their characters.
