Before appearing in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Cote De Pablo had left NCIS in Season 11: Here’s why

NCIS, the longest-running police procedural, has seen many cast exits and additions throughout its multi-season run. Cote De Pablo's Ziva David's exit in season 11 was certainly shocking for fans.

De Pablo debuted in season 2 and was brought in as a replacement for Sasha Alexander's Kate Todd, who was killed in the season 2 finale by Ziva's half-brother Ari Haswari.

While Ziva struggled to find acceptance in the team, she eventually became a liaison officer between her father, the director of Mossad, and Director Jenny Shepard. However, after her capture in Somalia, she left Mossad and became a probationary NCIS agent.

In season 11, Ziva, McGee, and Tony resigned from their jobs to protect Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. While both Tony and McGee returned to the team, Ziva left the show and was later killed off-screen.

Cote De Pablo left NCIS in Season 11 because she was dissatisfied with her character's development. As she said during a 2016 Q&A,

"They were going to send [Ziva] back to Israel and assemble her an unfortunate, miserable woman. I said, 'What do I leave all the women that are watching and following the show?' And I didn't think it was fair. So, I said, 'Unless someone can really write something fantastic for [Ziva], I won't go back.'"

More on this in our story.

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Why did Cote De Pablo leave NCIS?

While Ziva eventually became an important character and supported diversity in the show through her Jewish-Israeli roots, Cote De Pablo exited the show in Season 11.

For fans wondering why Cote De Pablo left NCIS in season 11, it was because she was unhappy with the upcoming storyline of her character, Ziva. In a 2016 Q&A with the actress, she explained that she had 'no choice' but to exit the show as she was unhappy with her character's fate in the show.

Since Cote De Pablo worked hard to mold her character into a strong figure and a voice for Israeli-Jewish women around the globe, she was unhappy with this particular storyline and left in season 11.

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Why did Cote De Pablo return in season 17?

While Ziva was killed off-screen in NCIS Season 13 (during an attack on her father's farmhouse), the producers kept the gate open for Cote De Pablo's return. After it was revealed that Ziva was alive all this time, she was brought back in Season 17.

Since Cote De Pablo had revealed that she would return in the procedural only with a strong and believable storyline, executive producers Frank Cardea and Steven Binder started brainstorming on ideas about the actress' return.

De Pablo finally returned in NCIS Season 17 with an intriguing storyline, namely to warn Gibbs about an impending threat. After defeating Sahar, a Hamas splinter group member, Ziva reunited with Tony and their daughter in Paris. While Cote De Pablo's return in Season 17 was also short-lived, it was a satisfying wrap of her storyline, paving the way for her upcoming spin-off series.

Discussing her return in season 17, the actress said:

"It really felt like just slipping back into a really comfortable slipper.''

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Cote De Pablo is finally returning to the NCIS universe as Ziva David

While Cote De Pablo has had a tumultuous run in the universe, she is finally returning in a spin-off show with co-star Michael Weatherly. NCIS: Tony & Ziva will follow the couple in Paris, where they are living with their daughter Tali.

However, after Tony is accused of money embezzlement and his security company comes under a cyberattack, the couple is forced to go on the run across Europe. In addition to International espionage and a high-stakes mission like the parent series, Tony & Ziva will also explore familial themes as the couple will cross every limit to protect Tali from the dangers of their past profession.

Tony & Ziva will have a three-episode premiere on Paramount+ on September 4, 2025.

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