Ziva David Deserved So Much More! Why ‘NCIS’ Failed to Give Her the Ending She Deserved

In the realm of crime procedurals, ex-spies are a familiar trope. However, NCIS distinguished itself by introducing an exceptional character in Ziva David, played by Cote de Pablo. Debuting in Season 3, Ziva quickly became one of the show’s most beloved characters. As a Mossad spy and assassin, she evolved into a formidable federal agent under the mentorship of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the show’s iconic lead agent.

Ziva remained a central figure on NCIS until Season 10, when de Pablo decided to leave the series (with a brief return in a single episode of Season 11). Despite her significant screen presence, the show offered relatively few episodes focused solely on Ziva, and those that did often featured her alongside fellow agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly). This scarcity of substantial storylines dedicated to Ziva may have contributed to de Pablo’s decision to exit NCIS, leaving fans longing for more exploration of her complex character.