NCIS: Tony & Ziva's Title Makes No Sense After The Spinoff's Disappointing Cast Update

Summary NCIS: Tony & Ziva has a new cast and no actual NCIS agents, despite the misleading title.

The spinoff features a diverse international cast, including Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo.

Fans suggest Tiva & Tali as a more fitting title, reflecting the focus on the beloved characters.

I'm excited about the NCIS Tony and Ziva spinoff, but the title for NCIS: Tony & Ziva doesn't make sense following a disappointing cast update. Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo will reprise their roles as the titular characters, Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David. The title characters hail from the original NCIS series, which has been on television for 21 years and is preparing for NCIS season 22. Since the spinoff was announced, I've wondered who would be chosen to support the former agents. A cast update has finally brought clarity to that question.

While I'm also excited about the flagship series returning, part of me is anticipating seeing how they will develop Tony and Ziva's NCIS storylines even more. Main characters like Tony and Ziva are what makes NCIS great. I would bet the series could attribute much of its success to the storylines surrounding the pair. It would have been cool to see Tony and Ziva's lives intersect with their NCIS past, but a casting update made me pretty confident that won't happen. It was a little disappointing, if not also misleading.

Related 15 Essential Tony & Ziva NCIS Episodes To Watch While Waiting For Their Spinoff Here's 15 essential Tony & Ziva NCIS episodes to watch while waiting for the spinoff for Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly's characters.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva Does Not Feature Any Actual NCIS Agents (Despite Its Title)

The Tony And Ziva Spinoff Features A Robust International Cast Of Characters

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The casting for NCIS: Tony & Ziva was released, and the series doesn't return any regular NCIS characters or guest stars other than the titular characters. I'm excited that Tali has officially been cast in the spinoff. The cast update also includes Tony and Ziva's support team. Their team will consist of a Russian ex-pat, a former French intelligence agent, a former computer programmer for the NSA, the CTO at Tony's private security firm, and "a deeply experienced therapist." As such, the new series doesn't plan to introduce any NCIS agents into the mix.

Noteworthy names within the NCIS: Tony & Ziva cast include Claudette, Boris, Martine, Jonah, Dr. Lang, Sophie, and Henry.

With both having retired from the agency, there will be no actual NCIS agents in Tony & Ziva. As such, the title doesn't make any sense. I'm okay with the show not revolving around NCIS, but I don't understand why they would use the acronym in the title then. Still, I'm intrigued by the Tony & Ziva characters, regardless. NCIS: Tony & Ziva will also introduce someone with a background in the Special Air Service (SAS) as Tali's caretaker and a high-ranking official at Interpol. It sounds like a fascinating group of individuals.

Why It's Odd That The Tony & Ziva Spinoff Is Missing NCIS Connections

It Has NCIS In The Title

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The "NCIS" in the Tony and Ziva spinoff title is odd because the series lacks any current ties to NCIS. At least on the show's surface, they won't work with any NCIS agents or be connected to their former office. So, while the spinoff used "NCIS" to brand the Tony and Ziva series as part of the franchise, it was a misleading choice. I understand the branding element, but a spinoff title doesn't have to resemble the original to make it a spinoff. Consider the title of Young Sheldon as a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva will air on Paramount+.

I understand that both agents started at NCIS and have that lasting connection to the flagship series. Maybe the franchise wanted to carry the branding element throughout, but the "NCIS:" title formatting is best reserved for the franchise's location-based spinoffs, in my opinion. It makes sense to brand NCIS: Sydney or NCIS: Hawai'i as satellite NCIS offices, and I like the cohesion the four-letter acronym provides for the series based around different locations. That said, it wasn't needed in the Tony and Ziva spinoff title for it to be considered part of the shared NCIS universe.

What NCIS: Tony & Ziva Could Be Called Instead

Tiva & Tali

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In a video that Michael Weatherly posted to Instagram, the leading actors also shared suggestions from viewers for alternate title ideas for the NCIS spinoff. The list included NCIS: Europe and NCIS: Trust No One as potential options, but honestly, the series can do better than that. The series could reach for something more original, as did Young Sheldon, and I think something like Tiva & Tali would have been short but pronounced. (And for the record, I expect credit if they use that.)

"Tiva" is how fans collectively referred to Tony and Ziva as a couple when they starred in NCIS.

Michael Weatherly reckoned with the title again at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in June 2024. The Anthony DiNozzo actor said the title should include their tween daughter, who is at the center of their universe: "The series should really be called 'NCIS: Tony, Ziva, and Tali,' because their child is at the center of their preoccupations." (via La Gazette de Monaco) Weatherly's right; I would have included Tali in the title if she's going to be brought on as a main character.

The NCIS title makes sense in one significant way.

The NCIS title makes sense in one significant way. It lays out precisely what you can expect from the series: your favorite former NCIS agents are at the center of it all. That said, the Tony and Ziva series title could have been more evocative if it had been creatively crafted to stand alone.

Source: Deadline, Instagram, La Gazette de Monac