Summary
The
NCIS
universe expands with new spinoffs and reunions, including the
Tony & Ziva
project streaming on Paramount+.
Ahead of their spinoff, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo talk to
NCIS
original cast member, Sasha Alexander, for the new rewatch podcast.
Despite Kate Todd’s death on
NCIS
, Alexander could return as a hallucination or vision in future episodes.
Ahead of their NCIS spinoff, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo reunite with an original franchise actor, Sasha Alexander. After more than two decades on the air, NCIS is showing no signs of slowing down. Aside from the controversial cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i, the universe as a whole is still going strong, with a couple of spinoffs on the way. That includes a reunion project with Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo as they reprise their roles as Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David for the NCIS: Tony & Ziva offshoot, which will stream on Paramount+ instead of airing on CBS.
Before their small screen return, however, Weatherly and de Pablo host an NCIS rewatch podcast, which recently guest-starred Alexander. Check out their adorable reunion images from Alexander’s Instagram below:
The photos were taken during Alexander’s recent appearance on the newly-launched NCIS rewatch podcast. Titled Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch on Spotify, the new endeavor sees Weatherly and de Pablo talk to various people who were once or are still involved in the franchise.
Can Alexander’s Kate Todd Still Appear In The NCIS Universe?
Todd Was Killed By Ziva David’s Half-Brother
It has been almost two decades since Kate Todd was unexpectedly killed in the NCIS season 2 finale. The events of the CBS police procedural were kicked off by her arrival at the agency. She was expected to stay with the Major Case Response Team for a while, so it was truly shocking when she was brutally murdered. Her death was recently re-examined during NCIS’ 1000th episode. Despite hopes that Alexander would return to film new scenes despite her character’s death, the show only used archival footage. That said, it doesn’t mean that a comeback is off the table.
NCIS
has already set a precedent in terms of bringing her back after Kate’s death.
NCIS has already set a precedent in terms of bringing her back after Kate’s death. On the heels of Ari’s brutal murder of her 19 years ago, Alexander returned for the first two episodes of season 3 as the team grappled with the unexpected loss of her. Instead of flashbacks, her scenes were projections of her. This was major proof of her drama-less exit from the police procedural, which hasn’t always been the case in terms of these long-running shows. Beyond that, Alexander can reprise Kate as a hallucination if NCIS season 22 attempts to bring her back.
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Besides reprising Kate in the show, NCIS can also tap Alexander to be involved in other ways. For starters, she could helm one of the upcoming episodes of NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Alexander previously directed an episode of Weatherly’s Bull, and she clearly has a great relationship with de Pablo, so it shouldn’t be an issue to pull this off. Assuming that she actually returns to spearhead at least one of the upcoming episodes of the Paramount+ series, it will mark her first official involvement with NCIS since leaving the show almost two decades ago.
Why Alexander Left NCIS After Only Two Seasons
NCIS Is No Stranger To Character Exits, But Kate’s Death Remains Its Most Brutal
In light of the death of David McCallum’s Ducky, NCIS season 21 no longer had an original character as an active member of MCRT. Through the years, each of the five inaugural members of the main team left the agency for different reasons. Because of this, NCIS has become used to rotating ensembles, which is the norm for long-running TV shows. While it may not be the biggest, Kate’s death was the most unexpected, not to mention brutal, especially with the way Ari’s assassination played out. Her death was seemingly pre-determined when Ziva’s half-brother was introduced.
There was no behind-the-scenes drama that led to her choice to leave the series, which hasn’t always been the case, considering the way Pauley Perrette departed the long-running police procedural.
Despite the brutal way she was written out of NCIS, the decision to end Kate’s arc was Alexander’s decision. She cited grueling hours filming full 24-episode seasons that heavily featured her and the show’s core cast. There was no behind-the-scenes drama that led to her choice to leave the series, which hasn’t always been the case, considering the way Pauley Perrette departed the long-running police procedural. Alexander’s enduring friendship with Weatherly is proof of this. In any case, even Harmon cited the long filming hours that played a part in his decision to retire Gibbs.
How NCIS Would Be Different If Alexander Stayed As Kate Todd
Kate’s Death Led To Ziva’s Introduction
It’s difficult to say how NCIS would be different if Alexander stayed as Kate. Based on the changes that her death kickstarted, however, the biggest one would be de Pablo not joining the show as Ziva. That, in itself, would snowball into a series of minor and major changes, including the erasure of perhaps the best romance in the police procedural. Maybe NCIS would have tried to develop a romantic storyline between Tony and Kate down the road, but while they were quite flirty, their dynamic was more reminiscent of a sibling relationship.
Ziva’s arrival also paved the way for the birth of NCIS’ best team iteration. As confirmed in season 21, the group also included Gibbs, DiNozzo, Tim McGee, Ducky, and Abby, with Director Leon Vance and Jimmy Palmer. Kate could have easily fit into that roster since she worked with the majority of those characters. That said, some cases wouldn’t have been as dramatic or intense without Ziva’s complicated background.
NCIS
will return as part of CBS’ 2024-2025 TV schedule.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva
will stream on Paramount+.
Source: Sasha Alexander/Instagram
NCIS
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Special Agent Alden Parker, a quirky former FBI agent who solves his cases with calm professionalism and sharp, sarcastic charm, leads the NCIS team, which includes NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate with a knack for computers who has now graduated to senior field agent; the charismatic, unpredictable and resilient NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres, who has spent most of his career on solo undercover assignments; and sharp, athletic and tough NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight, a formidable REACT agent who specializes in hostage negotiations and high-risk operations. The naïve Jimmy Palmer is assisting the team, who graduated from assistant to fully licensed medical examiner and now runs the morgue; and forensic scientist Kasie Hines, Ducky’s former graduate assistant. Overseeing operations is NCIS Director Leon Vance, an intelligent, highly trained agent who can always be counted on to shake up the status quo. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.
Cast sean murray , Wilmer Valderrama , Katrina Law , Brian Dietzen , david mccallum , Mark Harmon , Rocky Carroll , Gary Cole , Joe Spano
Release Date September 23, 2003
Seasons 22
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