Sam and Diane. Ross and Rachel. Scully and Mulder. The question of “Will they or won’t they?” has driven some of TV’s greatest relationships and kept hopeful fans glued to their screens. But few pairs have been shipped harder (or longer, for that matter) than NCIS’s Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). Since their first meeting at the start of the third season, the chemistry between “Tiva,” as fans dubbed the duo, was obvious.
Tony’s relentless energy and freewheeling charm meshed effortlessly with Ziva’s flirtatious teasing and aloof detachment. They kept each other on their toes with playful banter but also maintained the emotional distance required of those who regularly deal with tragedy. Behind all of their bluster and despite their very different backgrounds, there was always a mutual respect. And behind that was something more.
Tony and Ziva’s opposites-attract, love-hate dynamic was actually rooted in the real-life bond of the actors. “Michael and I clicked immediately,” de Pablo has said. “We sort of hated each other immediately, and loved each other immediately…. We realized we’re so drastically different and so much alike that there was an immediate attraction.”
Of course, unrequited feelings between partners was nothing new in the world of police procedurals, even back in 2005 (take Brennan and Booth in Bones, for instance), and today’s most prominent example is Benson and Stabler in the Law & Order universe (Bensler!). It was the (extremely) slow burn of Ziva and Tony’s relationship that helped create viewers’ own passion for the pairing over the years. So much so that, in 2010, TV Guide Magazine concluded that “many fans have become obsessed with the romantic tension.” Did Tiva shippers finally get what they were looking for before Weatherly and de Pablo left the show? Let’s roll back the tape on some of Tony and Ziva’s greatest moments so far to find out as viewers prepare to dive into NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Series Premiere, Thursday, September 4 (three episodes), Paramount+
For a deep-dive into all things Tony, Ziva, and NCIS, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s NCIS: Tony & Ziva special issue, available for purchase online at TIVA.tvgm2025.com and on newsstands August 22.
