Summary

  • Cote de Pablo’s character, Ziva David, was written back into NCIS after 6 years, which initially received reservation from fans but was ultimately met with praise.
  • Ziva’s portrayal as a strong Israeli woman had a major cultural impact and brought attention to fair representation in media, which influenced de Pablo’s decision to leave when her character’s direction no longer served her impact.
  • Producers convinced de Pablo to return for NCIS season 17, allowing for a more satisfying closure to Ziva’s story and her pursuit of reuniting with Tony and their daughter.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
The successful naval/police procedural NCIS said goodbye to Cote de Pablo in 2013 but wrote her back into the show 6 years later. NCIS has said goodbye to a number of cast members over its 20 seasons, such as Sasha Alexander (who played Kate Todd in season 1 and 2). Alexander’s exit from the show is what led to de Pablo’s addition to it, a choice initially met with reservation by fans since Kate quickly became a beloved character.