The confirmed NCIS season 24 cast change offers the best explanation for why Ziva David isn’t coming back. On the heels of a transformative 2025-2026 TV cycle, CBS’s premier procedural is starting a brand new era when it returns with fresh episodes. NCIS season 23 was the first time in a while that the show felt like its old self. It’s no secret that after losing Mark Harmon in 2021 following Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ retirement, it felt like the show was having an identity crisis. A few years later, it is coming out of that evolution that could guarantee its run for the next few years.
For starters, NCIS season 23 came close to balancing the show’s personal and professional stories. In the past, it seemed like it became too goofy, and while humor has always been a vital part of the show’s success, it wasn’t countered with more thoughtful storylines. Secondly, it failed to take advantage of the show’s rich history. Having been on the air for over two decades, the procedural doesn’t have any scarcity of narratives to call back to. Luckily, NCIS season 23 learned this lesson, as evidenced by the returns of Vera Strickland and Ellie Bishop. Coming into season 24, CBS is dialing up nostalgia with the return of Michael Weatherly as Tony Dinozzo Jr, and his role could best justify why Ziva isn’t with him.
Tony Dinozzo’s MCRT Return Role Could Be As NCIS’s New Director
As seen in NCIS season 24’s official promo, Weatherly is back on set, sporting his signature suit and tie — something that he inherited from his dad. While he originally wore more casual clothes on the job, he started dressing up more formally in latter years. He maintained this in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, as he was decked in a full suit for work and then more relaxed garb when he’s off the clock. The fact that Dinozzo is wearing a suit and tie in NCIS season 24 suggests that he will be heavily involved in MCRT’s operations, potentially even becoming the new director of the agency, as he can’t really just reclaim his old spot as a Senior Field Agent.
NCIS season 23 ended with Gabriel LaRoche making it known that he was vying for the role, and he was clear about stopping at nothing to get the post. Naturally, Alden Parker and his people would come up with ways to block that, and calling in Dinozzo — one of the best agents that the agency produced and personally-trained by Gibbs himself, seems like the perfect counter move. Considering his recorded dedication to NCIS, it shouldn’t be difficult to push for this. From a storytelling perspective, this would also explain Weatherly’s season-long stint in NCIS season 24 without derailing the show’s ongoing narratives.
How Dinozzo Replacing Vance Best Explains Ziva’s Absence In NCIS Season 24
Assuming that Dinozzo’s return has something to do with MCRT reaching out to him for help, it’s very difficult to imagine him turning it down, especially if he’s briefed on Director Leon Vance’s death and what’s at stake with LaRoche involved. The ending of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which saw Tali’s parents finally get back together, Weatherly’s character would be more willing to leave his family in Paris. Considering Ziva’s own history with MCRT, it’s highly unlikely that she would object to the plan, because the future of her old team, not to mention Gibbs and Vance’s legacy is at stake. Going this route effectively honors the events of NCIS: Tony & Ziva while seamlessly connecting it to what’s happening in the mothership.
This also keeps the door open for Ziva and Tali’s appearance. Whatever happened behind the scenes that Dinozzo’s return didn’t automatically include his partner and daughter, the fact of the matter is, there’s clamor to see both of them back in the mothership. By making this comeback about the agency and not their predicament, CBS is keeping the focus on NCIS season 24’s storyline. Perhaps the cycle could even end with the long-delayed wedding between Dinozzo and Ziva — something that their spinoff teased but was unable to deliver on.
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NCIS
6/10
- Release Date
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September 23, 2003
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Sean Murray
Timothy McGee
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David McCallum
Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard
