NCIS Delivered A Tony And Ziva Update, But Not How We Were Expecting

Tony and Ziva NCIS

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the NCIS episode "Ephemera." Read at your own risk.

NCIS has been busy lately teasing audiences with an steady amount of "will they or won't they" plots for Bishop and Torres, so it was surprising to see an episode start off with a mention of Ziva. Not only did "Ephemera" reference the character, it mentioned Tony as well! Fans got an update on what's happening with the couple, although not in a way that many were expecting.

The moment came early in the episode when Jimmy was delivering and recapping letters sent to the NCIS team. The letters were penned by Tony DiNozzo Sr., who was thrilled that his son and granddaughter were finally reunited with Ziva. They were all hanging out in Paris, and apparently having a good time, all thanks to the NCIS team for making it safe for Ziva to return to her family.

It wasn't quite as great as Michael Weatherly returning to share a scene with Cote de Pablo on NCIS, but there was a humorous upside. Tony Sr. requested that Jimmy give each and every member of the NCIS team a hug on his behalf, which was obviously awkward. Jimmy insisted on making it happen, however, as he told the team he's a terrible liar and that Tony Sr. would know he didn't fulfill the promise. Hey, at least we learned that Gibbs is a guy who gives "warm" hugs!

So, on the chance that NCIS is never able to convince Cote de Pablo or Michael Weatherly back to the franchise, Ziva and Tony got the happy ending fans have hoped they'd get for a long time. It just goes to show it's never too late for characters to get a satisfying payoff, and that NCIS is willing to wait a long time to make that happen. Bad news for current Bishop and Torres shippers, who have had to watch the show toy with their emotions and have the two continually flirt with no progress forward.

Let's focus on the positive, though. Ziva is now able to live happily ever after. She's with her longtime love interest, her daughter, and apparently her father-in-law in Paris, and all is well with the world. That's quite a conclusion to an arc that revealed the character had been lying low and went through hell and back in her mission. Sure, NCIS didn't give us an on-screen Tiva reunion, but at least it gave us a note on where the characters are and may have left a door open for them to return someday when the time is right.

NCIS airs on CBS Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tell us what you thought of the Ziva and Tony update in the comments, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend for news happening in television and movies in 2020 and beyond.

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.