Is Cote de Pablo returning to NCIS Season 16?

Caption : Cote de Pablo as Ziva David

Cote de Pablo played the famous role as Ziva David on the CBS show, NCIS. She bade goodbye to her viewers in October 2013 after playing the role for more than 8 years. Fans are really excited at present as rumors of her return are swirling around. Read on find out if she is really returning to NCIS Season 16 in 2019.

Why did Cote de Pablo leave NCIS? Where is she now?

On July 10, 2013, CBS announced that Pablo would be leaving the crime procedural during Season 11. The news sent her fans into a frenzy and ultimately on October 1, 2013, the actress made her last appearance on the show. 

Cote did not offer any explanation at the time she left but nearly three years later, she opened up about her departure. In April 2016, during an interview at Babson College, the actress finally disclosed why she decided to move on from her most famous TV role. 

"Unfortunately, because of political things and the scripts not being good enough, I chose not to continue," de Pablo said to the interviewer, admitting that she won’t reprise her role on NCIS for co-star Michael Weatherly’s final episode in Season 13.

Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly

"I love this character. I worked eight years in crafting this character and loving her, so when I felt or I perceived the character was not being treated with the respect that she deserved, all the money in the world couldn't make me stay," she added.

The star revealed that she was not at all satisfied with the show writing her character’s story. She revealed, “They were going to send her back to Israel and make her an unfortunate, miserable woman. I didn't think it was fair. So I said, 'Until someone can really write something fantastic for her, I won't come back.'"

After exiting NCIS, Pablo appeared in a few projects like The 33, The Dovekeepers, and Prototype. In August 2018, it was reported that she is once again returning to CBS for a brand new show called MIA. The news was intriguing as her former co-star Michael Weatherly would also join her in the show. According to reports, de Pablo and Weatherly would be co-executive producing the show.

Is Cote de Pablo (Ziva David) returning to NCIS Season 16?

Recent spoiler of NCIS reported that a familiar face is set to return to the show this season. Fans have been speculating that the ‘familiar face’ would be of their favorite Cote de Pablo.

NCIS is on a brief break as CBS has decided to telecast reality competition series, Celebrity Big Brother, in place of NCIS for quite some time. While CBB premiered on CBS on Jan 21, the next episode of NCIS is scheduled to air straight in February. 

NCIS alum Cote de Pablo

The upcoming episode, which would be this season’s 13th episode, is entitled SHE and the episode is scheduled to air on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. The episode will see the NCIS team investigate a case relating to Ziva David. According to the official synopsis, the team re-opens an old missing person’s case that Ziva had a personal interest in.

This has fans wondering if they will get to see their favorite on the screen once again. Ziva is presumed dead after a farmhouse she was living in was destroyed in a mortar attack. But since her remains were not discovered, there are still chances that she’s not actually dead. NCIS Season 16’s official cast list does not include de Pablo but that does not mean she can’t make a surprise return. Presumably, Ziva David will return although in flashback. 

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