For the longest time, NCIS fans wanted to see Cote de Pablo return as Ziva David. Nobody really believed that Ziva was dead, and we got that confirmation in Season 17.
Ziva made her return to save Gibbs. It turned out that Ziva had faked her death and gone on the run. The people who were after her were now after Gibbs, and she returned to save his life. This led to Ziva finally being able to return to Tali, which gave her and Tony a chance to reconcile and rebuild their trust.
Ziva didn’t return for Ducky’s funeral, at least not on-screen. There was always a possibility that she attended off-screen. We know that Tony and Ziva are still together, and there are opportunities to bring de Pablo back into the series.
Cote de Pablo Could Appear in NCIS Season 22 to Kick Off the Spin-off Series
Cote de Pablo is set to return to the NCIS universe. She and Michael Weatherly will star in the spin-off series NCIS: Tony & Ziva. This series will follow the couple and their daughter Tali as they go on the run in Europe, pursued by an unknown threat.
One effective way to launch a spin-off series is through a backdoor pilot. This strategy helps gauge interest in the new series by capturing the attention of current fans and drawing back former fans curious about their favorite characters’ new adventures.
While NCIS: Tony & Ziva doesn’t need a backdoor pilot to be picked up, it could still serve as a great way to kick off the storyline. We could see both DiNozzo and Ziva back on NCIS to discover that they are in danger. They might even return later in the season after their spin-off to reveal who was behind the attack.
Even if we don’t get a backdoor pilot, it’s confirmed that Cote de Pablo is returning as Ziva David. Though her return may not be in the flagship series, she will be back in NCIS: Tony & Ziva.