Will Ziva Return To NCIS? Why Cote De Pablo Quit And What She's Doing Now

Ziva Davi Cote De Pablo NCIS CBS

NCIS dropped a huge bombshell recently when one of its characters believed to be long gone suddenly resurfaced in a recent storyline. Ziva David was confirmed to be alive and, while she didn't appear on-screen, showed she was capable of returning to the United States. Now folks are freaking out and wondering if it's possible Cote De Pablo's character will return. CinemaBlend spoke to actor Sean Murray, who shared if he knew what the odds are of Ziva's return.

No, I'm not in those conversations. Those are above my pay grade. So, smarter people than me are in charge of that stuff.

The mystery behind the surprise Ziva revelation continues as it's a valid question why the CBS series decided to add another chapter to the life of a character that seemed to be gone forever. Was it to slowly work Cote De Pablo back into the series for a guest spot or recurring run, or just a way of satisfying fans by resolving a long-running storyline?

The latter is certainly a possibility, as NCIS has left some mystery behind Ziva's death ever since it was announced. The character was supposedly killed off a few seasons back, but the fact that a body was never found presented some ambiguity as to whether or not Ziva was actually gone. Season 16's episode "She" may have merely just resolved that storyline, and confirmed that fans who believed Ziva survived the mortar attack on her farmhouse were correct.

Then there's the question of whether Cote De Pablo would return to the role, as the reasoning behind her exit years ago was due to the lack of respect given to Ziva's character and the exit NCIS originally planned for her. The actress requested to leave and stated she would not return "until someone can write something really fantastic" for Ziva. Three years later "She" could be the beginning of that "something," and setting the stage for Ziva's grand return.

With that said, NCIS already somewhat hinted that a Ziva return would be very difficult. The brief note Ziva left Ellie instructed her not to tell anyone about the fact she's alive, as the safety of her family is at stake otherwise. The door is certainly open to continue the adventure, although doing so may end up in getting Ziva killed for real this time.

That may be ideal for Cote De Pablo, who has been working as an executive producer on an in-development CBS project with a former NCIS co-star, Michael Weatherly. She's also a part of a film called Seneca, which is due out sometime this year. She's certainly busy, but perhaps not so busy a guest spot on NCIS is out of the question.

NCIS airs on CBS Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. CinemaBlend will keep an ear to the ground for Ziva updates in the meantime and continue to keep readers abreast of all other relevant entertainment news. Keep track of what new and returning television is coming in 2019 by visiting our handy midseason premiere guide.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.