CBS Officially Seals Ziva’s NCIS Season 24 Return Fate

Published Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM EDT Ana Dumaraog is a Writer and Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings, among other things She has spearheaded the effort to make the site an authority on broadcast shows, initially starting with The Big Bang Theory franchise, NCIS, and One Chicago before taking on the specialization in general. Ana has also covered a wide-spread of topics in the past — from franchises like, the MCU and Star Wars, to classic TV favorites, such as Frasier and MASH. Ana brings clarity and enthusiasm to every story she tackles—whether reporting on new releases or offering deep dives into fan-favorite franchises. Her coverage translates complex entertainment developments into engaging, audience-focused content. Ziva David’s NCIS season 24 return finally gets a definitive answer. When it was announced that Michael Weatherly was coming back Tony Dinozzo Jr. in CBS’s flagship procedural after the 2025-2026 cycle, the immediate follow-up question revolved around the chances of Cote de Pablo’s own homecoming. The pair, who was part of NCIS’s golden years led by Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs, was vital to the show’s success, that even now, a decade later after their respective exits, they remain fan-favorites. More recently, Weatherly and de Pablo re-teamed on-screen in NCIS: Tony & Ziva on Paramount+. Unfortunately, despite the fanfare around their partnership, the groundbreaking offshoot was cancelled after just one season. For what it’s worth, the streaming project left the couple in the best place, but, understandably, there are hopes to to see them continue their narrative. Weatherly’s confirmed return in NCIS season 24 is exciting, but with no word on de Pablo’s involvement, some are still holding out hope that her comeback only has a delayed announcement. Now, however, that matter is finally resolved. In an interview with TVLine, NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder officially confirms that Ziva won’t be in season 24. This doesn’t mean, however, that she will be totally ignored. The CBS project will explain that her separation from Tony has something to do with Tali starting boarding school in the US, explaining why the family is back in North America after spending the majority of the last decade in Europe. Like her mother, Tali won’t also be seen in NCIS season 24. Read his full quote below: “…we won't see Cote de Pablo as Ziva or Isla Gie as Tali on "NCIS" this season. "They're off a couple hours away," Binder reveals: "The way we address it is Ziva's hanging out in the town where her daughter is, doing a little helicopter parenting, and Tony's helicopter parenting in D.C.” Paramount+ For context, both Ziva and Tony have returned to NCIS since their respective departures from MCRT, albeit separately. Unlike Weather’s original comeback during Ducky’s send-off in NCIS season 21, de Pablo had a full arc when she was revealed to be alive after years of being believed to be dead. So, understandably, there’s interest in seeing them back together, especially since this will be the first time that they will step foot in the iconic Navy Yard office as a couple. In the grand scheme of things, it makes sense that Ziva would want to be closer to her daughter while Tony attempts to set up his security firm in Washington DC. In addition to that, being both in North America makes it easier to bring Tali and her mother when NCIS eventually decides to finally feature them. That said, it would be remiss not to acknowledge how these changes seem to contradict their long-term plans in NCIS: Tony & Ziva. For what it’s worth, Tali could have easily attended school in Europe. As disappointing as it is to learn that de Pablo won’t be in NCIS season 24, at least it isn’t because she and Tony separated again. Sure, some of the details of their upcoming set-up is quite dubious, but knowing that they are still together is better than splitting them up. Finally, if Tony’s NCIS return is done well, it will only be a matter of time before Ziva joins him in Washington DC. NCIS 6/10 Release Date September 23, 2003 Network CBS Cast Sean Murray Timothy McGee David McCallum Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard Showrunner Donald P. Bellisario