‘NCIS’ Season 17: New Ziva, Gibbs Details Emerge

NCIS fans have been dying to know more about the return of Cote de Pablo‘s Ziva to the show in the upcoming season, and some more details have popped up in the press. TV Line recently teased part of their soon-to-be-published interview with NCIS’ co-showrunner Frank Cardea and spoiled a bit about her big comeback.

Spoilers ahead for NCIS Seasons 16 and 17.

At the end of Season 16, Ziva emerges as Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is digging into a pharmaceutical crime.

“Hello Gibbs. No time for pleasantries. You’re in danger,” Ziva said as she emerged.

Gibbs does not say anything, as he is stunned. This leads Ziva to ask, “Well, aren’t you going to say something?,” to which Gibbs simply replies “Ziva.”

Fans may have thought that this “danger” Ziva, who was presumed to be dead, warned about tied into the drug scandal, but TV Line’s Matt Webb Mitovich says that’s not the case.

“If you perhaps speculated that the ‘jeopardy’ Ziva said Gibbs is in ties into the Canadian drug pipeline Boss discovered in the May finale… well, you’d be wrong,” Mitovich wrote. “Rather, the threat that compelled her to reveal herself, ‘harkens back to Ziva’s death and why she went into hiding,’co-showrunner Frank Cardea shared as part of our Fall Preview Q&A.”

He then clarified that Ziva is actually alive and back, as opposed to a hallucination or ghost. He also teased that Gibbs may have some secrets of his own up his sleeve.

“Oh and yes, Ziva is very much alive/not a hallucination, but what Gibbs knew and when he knew it… will be touched on in the Season 17 premiere,” Mitovich wrote.

Cote de Pablo’s initial exit from the hit CBS drama was one the actress’ decision, as she was not happy with the story material in front of her. Presumably, this comeback will solve that issue.

“Look, I love this character,” de Pablo said in a 2016 Q&A, referring to Ziva. “I worked eight years crafting this character and loving her. And so when I felt or I perceived that the character was not being treated with the respect that she deserved, all the money in the world couldn’t buy (her return).

“They were going to send her back to Israel and make her an unfortunate, miserable woman. I said, ‘What do I leave all the women that have watched and followed the show for so long?’ And I didn’t think it was fair. So I said, ‘Unless someone can really write something fantastic for her, I won’t go back.’”

NCIS’s new season will premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Photo Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS