Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly opened up about their NCIS spinoff, Tony & Ziva, during New York Comic Con on Thursday, October 9, 2025 – and fans can’t stop talking about it.
De Pablo called returning to the roles “very healing,” saying both she and Weatherly felt the reunion allowed them to “explore things the original run never could.” Weatherly teased that the Season 1 finale, directed by longtime NCIS veteran Dennis Smith, will give viewers “some of the original recipe” while also “going deeper than ever before.”
What the Stars Said
De Pablo reflected on the emotional experience of reuniting with Weatherly and the new cast:
“You start having moments that make you laugh, and before you know it, you become a family.”
She also recalled leaving NCIS in 2013 as “a really sad day,” calling Weatherly “a great partner” and “teacher.”
Weatherly contrasted the spinoff with the original series, explaining:
“In a procedural, there’s only so much time to solve the cr1me. Here, we wanted to investigate the emotions – and amp up the action a bit, too.”
Finale Details
- Episode 10 (“Full Circle”) drops Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 3:00 a.m. ET / 12:00 a.m. PT on Paramount+.
- The finale pits Tony, Ziva, and their daughter Tali against villain Jonah (Julian Ovenden).
- New photos also feature Max Osinski (Boris), Amita Suman (Claudette), Lara Rossi (Sophie), and James D’Arcy (Henry).
Episode 9: The Long-Awaited “Tiva” Moment
Episode 9 finally tackled Tony’s unresolved feelings about Ziva’s faked death and the birth of their daughter, Tali. Collider praised the emotional payoff, calling Weatherly’s performance “resonant and overdue.” This sets up the finale with the couple more united – and emotionally open – than ever.
Flashback Wedding Guest List
Episode 8 (“Fire Sale”) revealed Tony and Ziva’s 2020 wedding plans, featuring cameos and callbacks for fans. The guest list included Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Jimmy Palmer, Leon Vance, Fornell, Bishop, and Torres – plus Tony’s father and their daughter Tali.
Dream Cameo: Mark Harmon’s Gibbs
In an October 15 Instagram video, Weatherly named Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs as his dream guest star, joking:
“I’d love for Gibbs to walk by, give Tony a head slap, and Tony just says, ‘Thank you, boss… We used to work together.’”
The Bottom Line
The Tony & Ziva spinoff – launched September 4, 2025 on Paramount+ – has given fans long-awaited emotional closure. With Episode 9 mending the past and the finale promising “classic NCIS” energy, October 23 marks the date fans won’t want to miss.
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