Why Cote De Pablo’s Ziva David Left NCIS

The hour-long procedural has long been one of network television’s go-to genres. When done effectively (in the eyes of viewers, at least), they can last for decades and launch multiple spin-offs that make a gazillion dollars for creatives and suits alike. What’s the secret to the crafting of a long-running procedural? In the case of the broadcast war horse known as “Law & Order,” it’s to hit on a unique narrative format (i.e. the criminal justice system viewed from the street and court levels), and hit big on every casting choice. For shows as unabashedly formulaic as CBS’ “NCIS,” it’s good enough to hit big-ish on every casting choice, and get slotted into a favorable spot on the broadcast schedule (in this case, Tuesday night at 8 PM for 18 straight seasons).

Initially, Mark Harmon’s Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was the anchor of the series. The sun-kissed California hunk with sandy hair and blue eyes got his start on television as Dr. Robert Caldwell on “St. Elsewhere” before flirting with movie stardom in films like “Summer School,” “The Presidio” and “Worth Winning.” Ultimately, he circled back to television with a 95-episode run on “Chicago Hope,” which established his broadcast bona-fides and made him perfect casting for “NCIS.”

But while the now-gray-haired Harmon’s TV stature was the draw, his familiar presence alone wouldn’t be enough to get the show past one season. To snare a loyal audience, the series needed its supporting ensemble to win over viewers. Clearly, the crackling chemistry of folks like Sarah Alexander, Michael Weatherly, the now-retired Pauley Perrette, and David McCallum did the trick and then some. But “NCIS,” like the same-but-different “Bones” wasn’t done building out its ensemble in its first season. The producers and writers continued to expand their law enforcement universe by introducing intriguing new characters who were brought to life by appealing actors. One of the most popular of these secondary characters was Ziva David played by Cote de Pablo. Written into the series during season 3, Ziva played a pivotal role in many an episode until she surprised fans by departing the show after season 11. What caused her to walk away (and what eventually brought her back)?

For those who skipped James Yoshimura, Tom Fontana, and Barry Levinson’s short-lived legal system procedural “The Jury,” Cote de Pablo was a fresh face when she turned up on “NCIS” as the skilled and quite deadly Mossad agent Ziva David. She filled a void left after the shocking killing of Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander) at the end of season 2, and became popular enough with fans that the writers plucked her out of Mossad and made her a full-fledged special agent of NCIS.

From the very start of her run on the series, Ziva was written as a love interest for Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo, and the actors more than delivered the romantic heat. Their “will they or won’t they” tension waxed and waned for a variety of reasons (they both had commitment issues and entered into relationships with others), but this all came to a screeching halt when de Pablo announced she was leaving “NCIS” after the conclusion of season 11.

At the time, she told TV Guide that her “terrifying” choice was “a personal thing,” and left it at that. But a few years later, she got specific about why she parted ways with the show that kicked her career into overdrive.

At a Q&A in 2016, de Pablo shared the following about her difficult decision to leave “NCIS”:

“Look, I love this character. I worked eight years crafting this character and loving her. And so when I felt or I perceived the character was not being treated with the respect she deserved, all the money in the world couldn’t buy [me]. They were going to send her back to Israel and make her an unfortunate, miserable woman. I said, ‘What do I leave all the women that have watched and followed the show for so long?’ And I didn’t think it was fair. So I said, ‘Until someone can really write something fantastic for her, I won’t go back.'”

The “NCIS” writers clearly took de Pablo’s comments to heart because, at the start of season 16, Ziva was back in badass action after being presumed dead by her former colleagues. De Pablo quit the show again after season 17, but there were obviously no hard feelings this time because she is set to return this year in “NCIS: Tony & Ziva.” This will be the series’ sixth spinoff, and the franchise would’ve never gotten there had they not taken their characters’ development seriously (nor would it have been able to survive Harmon’s departure after season 19).