Ziva David
Encyclopedia
Ziva David is a fiction
al character from the NCIS
television series by CBS Television
, portrayed by Chilean actress Coté de Pablo
.
David was introduced in the Season 3 premiere episode "Kill Ari (Part 1)" and became a regular cast member from the episode "Silver War" as a replacement of Caitlin "Kate" Todd
, portrayed by Sasha Alexander
during the first two seasons.
Ziva was an agent of the Israel
i Mossad
, originally assigned to NCIS as a liaison officer
until she resigned in Season 7 and became a probationary NCIS agent.
Upon passing her citizenship exam, Ziva was sworn in as a U.S. citizen with McGee, Ducky, Abby and Palmer being present at her ceremony.
In the Season 9
premiere episode "Nature of the Beast", after being a Probie for nearly two or three years, Ziva finally earned her status as an NCIS Special Agent.
Ziva's mother, Rivka, is first mentioned in the Season 6 episode "Silent Night", and Ziva described her as a woman who preferred Ziva playing with dolls instead of "boy games" like Battleship
and G.I. Joe
. By 1991, Ziva's mother took her children and left Eli because she could no longer tolerate the nature of his work. In Season 9 episode "Safe Harbor" it was confirmed that she is deceased, presumably as a result of the conflict in Israel, as Ziva describes her as having been killed.
As a child Ziva took ballet
, though her father never came to any of her performances. Since her early childhood, Eli trained her in combat tactics and espionage (according to Ziva, one of her earliest memories of childhood was her father leading her and her sister into a forest, blindfolded, then leaving them there to find their way out again). In Season 6 episode "Roadkill", she said to Tony, "You and I come from two totally different places. In my world, you grow up fast. You have no choice." Contrary to speculation, she claims she volunteered to join Mossad as soon as she was eligible, and was not motivated by the desire to avenge the death of her sister.
She has at least one aunt and uncle, though from how many families has not been specified.
Directly after high school, before joining Mossad, Ziva was in the Israeli army (Tzahal being an Israel Defense Force
) for two years as is compulsory for all Israeli women. During her time at Mossad, Ziva was part of a special operations
unit known as Kidon
, which is part of the Metsada (which is now code-named Komemiute). This unit specialized in assassination
s, paramilitary operations, sabotage
, and psychological warfare
. Ziva's position was control officer.
In Season 3 episode "Head Case" she stated that one of her friends from Mossad had been beheaded after infiltrating a Hamas cell in Ramallah
, and that Hamas terrorists had sent his head back on the overnight express. She then swore never to be captured alive although she eventually was at the end of Season 6.
Ziva has been involved in operations in Cairo
, Egypt
(where she met Jenny Shepard, who later became Director of NCIS), in Iraq
before its occupation, in Paris
where she worked with partner Namir Eschel, and in Eastern Europe alongside Jenny Shepard, which was followed by six months in the United Kingdom
on counter-terrorist operations directly prior to working with NCIS.
When she returned to Mossad between seasons five and six she went undercover
as a singer in Morocco
but was left injured in a bomb blast at the bar she was in. Ziva is very skilled in hand-to-hand combat and shooting. Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs
even asked her to teach a class on knife throwing
in season four. In the episode "Jetlag", Ziva states that she has killed a man with a credit card
.
Ziva also had a half-brother, Ari Haswari, who was also a Mossad operative. He later turned rogue, killing Special Agent Caitlin Todd
and almost shooting Gibbs in the head before Ziva responded by killing him, thus saving Gibbs' life.
Her appearance and eventual assignment to Gibbs' team drew fierce resentment from team members Anthony DiNozzo
, Timothy McGee
and even from Gibbs himself when he learned that Director Shepard had signed Ziva to his team without his knowledge; they were all still grieving for Todd, who had been murdered hours before Ziva's arrival.
She later proved her worth in the episode, "Silver War" by using her training to save herself and Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard from Dr. Burns, a rogue member of the Smithsonian Anthropology
Lab. This in turn caused the team to develop a new-found respect for her and Ziva also formed a strong friendship with Ducky as a result.
During the episode "Kill Ari (Part 2)", NCIS Special Agent Gibbs found himself cornered by an armed Ari, but Ziva emerged at the last minute and killed Ari with a single gunshot wound to the forehead, similarly to the way Ari had shot Agent Kate Todd in the Season 2 finale, "Twilight". After Ari's death, she asked to be assigned as a liaison for Mossad at NCIS, where she subsequently joined Special Agent Gibbs' team.
In "Judgment Day (Part 2)", Ziva's liaison position was terminated under the orders of newly appointed Director Vance following the death of Director Shepard. She later returned in "Last Man Standing".
In "Last Man Standing", Ziva was working undercover in Morocco after her liaison position with NCIS was terminated by Director Leon Vance. After Gibbs noticed an unconscious Ziva on the news following an explosion where she was working, it was soon revealed that Vance had deliberately sent Ziva back to Israel in order to help uncover a mole
within NCIS itself.
At the end of season six she chose to return to Israel and was sent on a mission to take down a terrorist in Somalia named Saleem Ulman. However, after one member of her team was killed and the other two injured, leaving her the only agent able to continue, she sent the remaining two back to Israel and went to the terrorist camp alone. She was subsequently captured and tortured for several months.
Believed to be dead in the first episode of season seven "Truth or Consequences", Ziva was nonetheless found alive later in the episode, rescued by DiNozzo and McGee, and with Gibbs killing her captor himself.
In season 7, she became a probationary NCIS agent pending US citizenship. At season's end, she ended up becoming a United States citizen having successfully passed her exams.
In season 9, it is revealed that she is no longer a probationary NCIS agent, but a full-time agent of NCIS.
and Anthony DiNozzo
. Michael Bashan (a senior Mossad officer) accused Ziva of sleeping with DiNozzo in "Shalom", saying: “Did you or did you not sleep with him?”, but she did not answer the question. There is a great deal of sexual tension between Tony and Ziva, which is a recurring theme in many episodes, from her first appearance and on. In McGee's book, the characters based on Tony and Ziva are engaged in a relationship.
During season four, she developed a short but intense friendship with Lt. Roy Sanders (Matthew Marsden
), who had been intentionally exposed to radiation
by a co-worker, in "Dead Man Walking". Ziva knew him from her daily run, during which he always passes her at a high rate of speed.
As he got progressively sicker, it became clear that he was dying from radiation poisoning. He asked if she would have noticed him if he had just stopped running. She replied that eventually she might have forgotten him, but that she will never forget him now.
In this episode, Tony showed both his concern and his support for Ziva. He expressed concern that she might be hurt if Sanders dies, and he showed his support for her by distracting Sanders' doctor so Ziva and Lt. Sanders can have some alone time. The orange beanie
that Ziva wore in subsequent episodes was the same one that Lt. Sanders used to wear when he went running.
During season five, she had a relationship with a suspect while undercover.
During season six, her relationship with Officer Michael Rivkin was revealed. He was later killed by Senior Special Agent DiNozzo. This had serious repercussions for Tony and Ziva's relationship, and eventually proved to be the main reason for Ziva to remain in Israel and resume working for Mossad.
In Season 7, Tony believed that Ziva was dead and went to avenge her murder along with McGee. Finally, Ziva was brought to talk to him. She was shown to be badly beaten and very weak, and unsure of how to react at Tony's presence. She then told him he should not have come, but Tony explained that he "couldn't live without [her]". Eventually, Gibbs killed their captor, a terrorist named Saleem Ulman, with a long range head shot and Ziva, Tony, and McGee were finally able to escape to safety. Even after they return home, there seemed to be a great degree of awkwardness between them, which was only resolved when Ziva confronted Tony in the men's room and thanked him, saying he would "always have her back" before kissing him on the cheek. Since then, their relationship has been as it was before.
In the episode "Semper Fidelis", Ziva was shown to live at 3558 Volta Place NW, Washington, D.C.
before the apartment was destroyed in an explosion engineered by Mossad.
In the episode "Untouchable", Ziva stated that she is a "screamer".
Ziva drives a red Mini Cooper
, which was shown in "Shalom" and "Aliyah".
Ziva's favorite drink is Berry Mango Madness and she has been known to pick up falafel
for lunch when she has to drive the van somewhere.
Ziva loves to read but does not watch much television. Her favorite movie is The Sound of Music
.
Ziva plays the piano
and has Jimmy Palmer come over to tune it in Season 3.
In Season 4, Ziva reveals that she is a Scorpio
which is Cote de Pablo's real life sign.
In episode Deception, 3.13 Ziva reveals she hates clowns when talking to a suspect.
Ziva appears to like music by Israeli hip-hop/funk band Hadag Nahash
. At the beginning of "Ex-File", she arrives for work listening to their song "Bella Bellissima" on a new iPod
, one of a set that Abby bought for the team with her tax refund.
In season 8 of NCIS, Ziva returns home from Miami where she has met a man named Ray, although she doesn't confirm that the relationship is romantic, Tony still displays some jealousy
. Ziva introduces Ray to her teammates in the season 8 episode, "Two-Faced". In the season 8 finale, Ray gives Ziva an empty box as a promise that he is committed to her, but he needs to take care of something work related. It is revealed to the audience that he had received a text message that said Trent Kort was in Tel Aviv
, and that Ray had to deal with that.
pendant, until her capture in Somalia
where her captor ripped it off her neck. In "Faith", a gold chain appears on her neck and in "Flesh and Blood" she is shown wearing a silver Star of David pendant; it's unclear who gave it to her or whether she bought it herself.
In "Tribes", she states that she is Jewish during an investigation of a Marine
's death. She does not appear to follow Orthodox Jewish strictures, dating men who are not Jewish, but does mention celebrating some Jewish holidays.
Despite having lost friends and family to radical Islamic terrorist groups like Hamas, she appears to bear no resentment towards Muslims in general. She commented in "Tribes" that her childhood best friend was a Muslim, but he was killed in a retaliatory Israeli air-strike when she was twelve.
After she has to shoot her half-brother, Ari, to keep him from killing Gibbs, Ziva quietly sings in Hebrew over Ari's body.
De Pablo describes the character as someone who is "completely different from anyone else on the show" and that because "she's been around men all her life; she's used to men in authority. She's not afraid of men." Ziva is often portrayed as calmly aggressive and does not shy away from physical altercations with suspects. She is not easily intimidated or rattled. She approaches her job with zeal, appearing to truly believe in what she does. She is very committed to the ideals of the US, in particular the bounds that law places on all citizens including the government.
In "Faith", Ziva said that she speaks ten languages (including the "language of love"). Seven of the languages are: English
, Hebrew, Spanish
, Arabic, Turkish
, French
and Pashto
, and she knows how to swear in the majority of those languages. She is also able to speak basic German
, Italian
and Russian
.
A running gag
in the series is Ziva frequently misusing, misunderstanding or just completely mangling American slang
, cultural references, colloquialism
s and idiom
s. For example: In "Silver War", she said she felt like a "donkey's butt" when she meant "horse's ass". In "Friends and Lovers", she said during an interview with a junkie that it was "like shooting fish in a pond". When the DC Metro detective corrected her, she remarked, "Why would there be fish in a barrel?"
The episode "Dagger" showed Ziva's empathetic side towards children. When Agent Lee's sister was left an orphan at the end of the episode, she and Tony looked after her in the NCIS building. Ziva was shown taking care of Amanda at her desk, watching over as she drew pictures. As Gibbs explained to Amanda that her sister would not be coming back, Ziva was shown to be emotionally affected by it. This side was further seen in the season 7 episode "Outlaws and In-Laws" when she immediately reached out to play with Gibbs' two-year-old goddaughter while on security detail.
Ziva is an extremely skilled assassin and is able to take life without hesitation or remorse when the situation requires, something that has not changed with her new affiliation with NCIS; despite this, Ziva is capable of displaying playfulness, nearly childishness at times, such as in "Heartland" when she gleefully races McGee to be the first to tell Tony and Abby about meeting Gibbs' father.
" which he learned on an undercover assignment as married assassins in the episode "Under Covers".
In the episode "Shalom", it is revealed that Tony has been visiting Ziva at her apartment at least once a week for the past three months. His reasons for visiting are left unexplained. When Ziva was asked the question "Did you or did you not sleep with him?", she did not give an answer.
During Season 5, Ziva continues to bait Tony with her loaded comments, talking about soulmates in the episode "Designated Target". Ziva seems jealous at times of the women Tony is with, even going so far as to confront him when she sees that he is attracted to an FBI agent or mutter about him sharing a room with another NCIS agent in Baghdad
. Tony's feelings, however, are unclear: he displays both normal-working-partnership-feelings and some signs of jealousy.
Season 6 focuses more on Ziva and Tony, but leaves their relationship undefined. When Ziva accompanies Gibbs onto the USS Seahawk as part of an investigation, she notices Tony has three pictures of her in a bikini pinned up in his room. In "Nine Lives", Tony finds a picture of a man on her desk, not knowing that the man in the picture was Ziva's Mossad
partner. Tony also tells her to have a good trip ("Nisiya Tova") in Hebrew demonstrating that he had at least made some effort to learn that phrase. In "Cloak" Ziva disobeys Gibbs' orders, attacking the guards to defend Tony. Later they both say that they are "tired of pretending": Tony about the politics in the hunt for the mole within the team, which required the team to withhold information from each other, Ziva for reasons undisclosed. In the following episode, "Dagger", it is revealed Tony knows the location of her tattoo
, he says, "then I shouldn't know about that tattoo on the inside of your..." Ziva then cuts him off.
During the episode "Truth or Consequences", Tony initiates a mission of revenge against the men team NCIS believes has killed Ziva. Tony, McGee and Gibbs travel to Somalia to kill Ziva's killer, and find that Ziva is alive. Ziva asks why Tony is in Somalia. Tony, under truth serum
, first deflects. When Ziva asks again, he replies, "I couldn't live without you, I guess."
In the episode "Jet Lag", Ziva tells a witness that she and Tony shared a hotel room, and that she took the couch so she wouldn't have to hear Tony whine about his back. Tony then tells McGee that he took the couch. Ziva asks Tony why he lied and Tony returns the question. Then, Tony tells Ziva his favorite picture of Paris was the only one with a person in it. When he gives the photo to Ziva, the audience sees that she is the person in the photograph. There was much speculation on the part of fans about whether the characters might have shared more than was divulged, but Michael Weatherly said in response, “The truth of what happened is probably something that can be discovered inside the episode itself,” he says. “If you really listen to what they say, I think it is pretty clear what happened: Nothing.”
In the episode "Masquerade", Ziva mentions her time in Somalia, but refuses to give Tony much more than a few terse statements about it, though he was obviously willing to listen to her. In the final episode of season 7, "Rule Fifty-One", Tony misses Ziva's citizenship ceremony due to an unexpected assignment from Director Vance, despite his personal promises to her that he would be there.
Recently, in season 8, Tony and Ziva both have become jealous of each others relationship. Tony has gone so far as to attempt to hack into Ziva's email to see what the name of her boyfriend is, which is later revealed to be Ray Cruz. In the episode, Two-Faced, Tony was rather cold towards Ray and did not like him at all. Ziva has shown definite curiosity as to Tony and EJ's relationship.
In the episode "Swan Song", Ziva turns to Tony for comfort while the team are greiving over the death of former NCIS agent Mike Franks. Tony comforts Ziva by hugging her and stroking her cheek telling her that "we are going to get him... {the Port to Port Killer}" In the season 8 finale, Ziva was kidnapped by the Serial killer and Tony showed great concern. While talking to EJ, EJ tells him that they will find Ziva and Tony replies saying how "it's just different for some of us", adding further implications that he may have feelings for Ziva.
she had as a Mossad control officer.
She had a close relationship with deceased NCIS director Jenny Shepard, occasionally calling on her to obtain key information in a case without going through regular channels (as seen in the Season 3 episode "Head Case"). This relationship gave rise to complications between Ziva and Gibbs, primarily stemming from Shepard's decision to add Ziva to the team without consulting him. Ziva seems to be more willing to show her vulnerability with Gibbs than with the other team members, with the exception of DiNozzo.
Of all her relationships with the team, Ziva and Gibbs' has undergone the most growth. Initially, Gibbs distrusted Ziva as she was Ari Haswari's control agent. Ziva also bore the brunt of Gibbs' anger after Caitlin Todd was murdered. After Ziva killed her own half brother Ari in order to save Gibbs' life, they shared a secret; Gibbs and Ziva are the only two who know that she killed Haswari. There is still tension, however, that continued up until the conclusion of the third season episode "Silver War" when Ziva saved Ducky's life.
Season 3's "Hiatus" shows how much Ziva is affected when Gibbs is critically injured in an explosion and awakes with memory loss. In "Hiatus Part 1", Ducky unintentionally chastises Ziva for not asking which hospital Gibbs was taken to after the explosion; upsetting her when he implies that Ziva does not care for Gibbs like the rest of the team does. She also finds herself being slapped by Abby when she comments about Gibbs' possible death scenario. Ziva is shown in the bathroom following this, extremely upset by the fact that they think that she does not care. In the second part of this episode, Ziva visits Gibbs at the hospital in the night and begs him to remember. When he becomes angry, Ziva uses his hand to slap the back of her head, causing Gibbs to remember himself within his team. He remembers that Ziva saved his life and that she had killed her brother to do it while Ziva breaks down and cries into his arms. He remarks that he owes her later on in the episode, something that would become true when he returns to the US during Shalom to help Ziva find out who's framed her for murder.
Ziva looks up to Gibbs as a leader and often restrains herself from resorting to her assassin background in situations where Gibbs would not approve. Gibbs often uses this background to their advantage, however, by choosing Ziva to interrogate certain suspects.
In Episode 7.02 "Reunion", Ziva admitted to Gibbs that she was under orders from Director David to gain his trust and kill Ari in the process. Ziva confided in Gibbs, making it known that she volunteered for the mission in order to protect Ari. Gibbs replied, "You killed Ari, your own brother, and you lied to me, Ziva." Ziva, having revealed this long held secret, confided to Gibbs her feelings on the subject of Ari's death and her family. She said, “I would have lied to you, he was my brother. You were nothing. You were right about Ari. He is gone. Eli is all but dead to me and the closest thing I have to a father is accusing me….”. Ziva reveals that when she finally killed Ari, it was truly to save Gibbs and she was not following her orders, re-earning Gibbs' trust. In the seventh season episode "Good Cop, Bad Cop", the bodies aboard the Damocles were recovered and Mossad attempted to make Ziva the scapegoat for the death of Staff Sergeant Daniel Cryer, USMC, one of the passengers. After he heard the rest of Ziva's story, Gibbs whispered something to her that is still unknown and kissed her on the forehead. The scene ended with her crying, but smiling. Following investigation into Ziva's role in the events aboard the Damocles Director Vance reconsidered, and approved an exonerated Ziva's application to join NCIS after initially rejecting it. Director Vance handed the approved application to Agent Gibbs who in turn transmitted it to Ziva, whom he called "Probie."
In season 7's final episode Gibbs missed Ziva's citizenship ceremony due to a visit from Alison Hart. She seems to have forgiven this, however, and in the season 8
episode "Dead Air", she asks him to play "catch" with her. In the season 8 episode "Baltimore", after learning that her partner Tony DiNozzo arrested Gibbs when he first met their boss, Ziva comments that she would rather arrest her own father than Gibbs. In the season 9 episode "Safe Harbor", Ziva asks Gibbs if he is lonely and he replies that he couldn't be lonely when he has kids. He then kisses her on the forehead and says "Good night, kid."
McGee lives near Ziva, in Silver Spring
(a Maryland
suburb of DC). When Ziva was in Israel between seasons 5 and 6, she and McGee e-mailed each other once a week. McGee has been to Ziva's house at least once, he was invited to her dinner party in season 3. McGee was also the one to show Ziva some ways to work from the area they live, and in return she gave him an apple - which Tony immediately stole before McGee was aware of the gift. Throughout season 7 as Ziva prepares to become an American citizen McGee supports her, even testing her. In season 7 he is with her as she becomes an American citizen.
s.
At the end of season 3 everything comes to a head and Abby tells Ziva she has no emotions, prompting both women to slap each other. They later apologize after Tony goads them into it, and both women punch him in the arm when he suggests that they should tongue-kiss one another. By season 4, their relationship has grown. Abby is only too willing to help Ziva by giving her Gibbs' telephone number when she needs to contact him and also keeps her secret that she phoned. Abby also tells Ziva that she is always there for her to talk to after Ziva's love interest Roy Sanders dies.
By seasons 5 and 6, Abby and Ziva are firm friends. When Ziva and Tony go to L.A. with the Director, Abby makes a pretend Ziva to keep her company. Abby tells Ziva that she (Ziva) "kicks butt and manages to look great at the same time." In Season 6, Abby misses Ziva while she's in Israel and has Ziva's picture up in her lab so she can still see her every day. When Ziva's house gets fumigated, Abby is only too happy to let Ziva stay at her place, and Ziva buys Abby a special expensive chocolate cupcake to say thank you. The cupcake is then stolen, and Abby sets up an investigation of her own to find out who took it (the culprit turning out to be McGee). At the beginning of season 7, when Ziva returns to NCIS after being rescued from capture in Somalia, Abby is the first one to hug her, but only after Abby tore into Ziva about her mistrust of Tony, which was the first of many actions which led to her being captured in Somalia initially. This causes Ziva to confront Tony, during which she apologizes to him for ever doubting him, and thus repairs the strains in their relationship. In "Faith", the season 7 Christmas episode, Abby makes gingerbread Abby cookies but when she offers one to Ziva, Ziva replies that "[she] could never eat [Abby]".
When Ziva first appeared, she would flinch whenever Abby would hug her, given that she didn't understand why Abby hugged everyone all the time (this stems from Abby's considering the NCIS team her family, and her distress when she senses that any of them are in serious danger); but however, by season 6, Ziva overcame her discomfort of Abby's hugging, and now accepts the hugs with no discomfort and even gives Abby hugs, too.
In the Season 7 finale, Abby is present at Ziva's swearing in ceremony, and supports her as she becomes an American citizen
.
In the episode "Aliyah", Ziva is called home to Israel where her father Eli David, the head of Mossad, says that he does not know if he can trust her and wants her to remain in Israel. She stays in Tel Aviv with her father and Mossad. The episode ends with a cliffhanger
in which Ziva is being physically interrogated at a terrorist camp in Somalia
by Saleem. It is later revealed her father sent her on this mission despite knowing the risks made it a suicide mission. Following her return to the US, Ziva mentioned her father twice: "Eli is all but dead to me", implying that she no longer wants to be a part of his life, and again when she commented that he taught her to play baseball.
As of Season 8, "Enemies Foreign", Eli David seems to resent his daughter and the choice she made to become a US citizen. Her ordeal in the desert is dismissed as "you are not dead." Gibbs is annoyed that Eli refers to Ziva as "her" and points out "she has a name. Ziva. She has a name," to which he replies, "I know. I gave it to her." Later Ziva questioned his apathy towards the prospect of his own death, saying that a human man would at least feel something, he told her that while he did not have the luxury of expressing his feelings, as he had to constantly put the safety of the nation before everything else, there was once a time when things were different, "when my house was filled with the sound of children laughing." In the following episode he reveals that his wife had left him because she could no longer deal with what he did. Before Eli's departure back to Israel, his relationship with Ziva appears to have somewhat improved, as he is shown to have kissed her goodbye, saying that he would miss her.
, Ziva flew to America to help him. Their plan was to meet each other in Paris. Eventually Ziva makes the difficult decision to save Gibbs' life when it becomes clear that Ari indeed killed Agent Todd and shoots Ari before he can kill an unarmed Gibbs. However, in the episode "Aliyah", it was revealed that Ziva's father, Eli David, ordered her to kill Ari so she would earn Gibbs' trust. Though Ziva seems to feel that killing Ari was justified, she still expresses a great deal of sadness at his death.
."
On the subject of female characters on live action television shows, one commentator said of the portrayal "With her incredible combination (by prime-time standards) of physical domination and quiet cool, Ziva David is one of the most appealing of a growing group of female action heroes who are infiltrating cop shows, spy shows, science-fiction shows and other genres where men once did the lion's share of the enforcing."
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character from the NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
television series by CBS Television
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, portrayed by Chilean actress Coté de Pablo
Cote de Pablo
María José de Pablo Fernández, better known as Coté de Pablo , is a Chilean-American actress and recording artist. De Pablo has won an ALMA Award for her role as NCIS Special Agent Ziva David in the television series NCIS...
.
David was introduced in the Season 3 premiere episode "Kill Ari (Part 1)" and became a regular cast member from the episode "Silver War" as a replacement of Caitlin "Kate" Todd
Caitlin Todd
Special Agent Caitlin "Kate" Todd is a fictional character in the CBS drama NCIS, and was portrayed by actress Sasha Alexander.The character was introduced in the show's first episode "Yankee White" replacing Robyn Lively's character Vivian Blackadder which had appeared in the JAG Season 8 episodes...
, portrayed by Sasha Alexander
Sasha Alexander
Sasha Alexander is an American actress. She is best known for several roles, including Gretchen Witter, the sister of Pacey Witter on Dawson's Creek; NCIS Special Agent Kate Todd in the first two seasons of NCIS; as Lucy in Yes Man ; and as Catherine in He's Just Not That Into You .She currently...
during the first two seasons.
Ziva was an agent of the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
, originally assigned to NCIS as a liaison officer
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
until she resigned in Season 7 and became a probationary NCIS agent.
Upon passing her citizenship exam, Ziva was sworn in as a U.S. citizen with McGee, Ducky, Abby and Palmer being present at her ceremony.
In the Season 9
NCIS (season 9)
This is a list of episodes for the ninth season of the police procedural drama NCIS. The ninth season of NCIS premiered on September 20, 2011 in the same time slot as the previous season and the third season of NCIS: Los Angeles premiered afterwards....
premiere episode "Nature of the Beast", after being a Probie for nearly two or three years, Ziva finally earned her status as an NCIS Special Agent.
Childhood and early years in Mossad
Ziva's father, Eli David, was a Mossad operative for most of his life, and is currently the Mossad director, having previously been at the position of Deputy Director. Ziva had a younger sister, Tali, who was killed in a Hamas suicide bombing when she was sixteen years old.Ziva's mother, Rivka, is first mentioned in the Season 6 episode "Silent Night", and Ziva described her as a woman who preferred Ziva playing with dolls instead of "boy games" like Battleship
Battleship (game)
The game Battleship is a guessing game played by two people. It is known throughout the world as a pencil and paper game which predates World War I. It was published by Milton Bradley Company in 1931 as the pad-and-pencil game "Broadsides, the Game of Naval Strategy".-Description:The game is...
and G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
. By 1991, Ziva's mother took her children and left Eli because she could no longer tolerate the nature of his work. In Season 9 episode "Safe Harbor" it was confirmed that she is deceased, presumably as a result of the conflict in Israel, as Ziva describes her as having been killed.
As a child Ziva took ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, though her father never came to any of her performances. Since her early childhood, Eli trained her in combat tactics and espionage (according to Ziva, one of her earliest memories of childhood was her father leading her and her sister into a forest, blindfolded, then leaving them there to find their way out again). In Season 6 episode "Roadkill", she said to Tony, "You and I come from two totally different places. In my world, you grow up fast. You have no choice." Contrary to speculation, she claims she volunteered to join Mossad as soon as she was eligible, and was not motivated by the desire to avenge the death of her sister.
She has at least one aunt and uncle, though from how many families has not been specified.
Directly after high school, before joining Mossad, Ziva was in the Israeli army (Tzahal being an Israel Defense Force
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
) for two years as is compulsory for all Israeli women. During her time at Mossad, Ziva was part of a special operations
Special operations
Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
unit known as Kidon
Kidon
Kidon is the name of a department within Israel's Mossad that is allegedly responsible for assassination and kidnapping. Kidon is suspected of being behind a number of assassinations in the Operation Wrath of God campaign carried out by Israel after the 1972 Munich massacre...
, which is part of the Metsada (which is now code-named Komemiute). This unit specialized in assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
s, paramilitary operations, sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
, and psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
. Ziva's position was control officer.
In Season 3 episode "Head Case" she stated that one of her friends from Mossad had been beheaded after infiltrating a Hamas cell in Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
, and that Hamas terrorists had sent his head back on the overnight express. She then swore never to be captured alive although she eventually was at the end of Season 6.
Ziva has been involved in operations in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
(where she met Jenny Shepard, who later became Director of NCIS), in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
before its occupation, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where she worked with partner Namir Eschel, and in Eastern Europe alongside Jenny Shepard, which was followed by six months in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on counter-terrorist operations directly prior to working with NCIS.
When she returned to Mossad between seasons five and six she went undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
as a singer in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
but was left injured in a bomb blast at the bar she was in. Ziva is very skilled in hand-to-hand combat and shooting. Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Mark Harmon.-Background:...
even asked her to teach a class on knife throwing
Knife throwing
Knife throwing is an art, sport, combat skill, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target.-A throwing knife:...
in season four. In the episode "Jetlag", Ziva states that she has killed a man with a credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
.
Ziva also had a half-brother, Ari Haswari, who was also a Mossad operative. He later turned rogue, killing Special Agent Caitlin Todd
Caitlin Todd
Special Agent Caitlin "Kate" Todd is a fictional character in the CBS drama NCIS, and was portrayed by actress Sasha Alexander.The character was introduced in the show's first episode "Yankee White" replacing Robyn Lively's character Vivian Blackadder which had appeared in the JAG Season 8 episodes...
and almost shooting Gibbs in the head before Ziva responded by killing him, thus saving Gibbs' life.
NCIS
Officer David was sent to NCIS following the murder of Special Agent Todd by Ari. She was Ari's control officer and half-sister due to the fact that they both shared the same father, Mossad's then Deputy Director, Eli David. Eli David is later described as Director of Mossad.Her appearance and eventual assignment to Gibbs' team drew fierce resentment from team members Anthony DiNozzo
Anthony DiNozzo
Anthony "Tony" D. DiNozzo Jr. is a fictional character from the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Michael Weatherly.-Background:Tony comes from a wealthy family from Long Island, New York. He is an only child, but has been cut off from his family's fortune. His mother, maiden name Paddington,...
, Timothy McGee
Timothy McGee
Timothy "Tim" McGee is a fictional character from the CBS television series NCIS. He is portrayed by Sean Murray. Timothy McGee is a special agent investigating crime in this police procedural show...
and even from Gibbs himself when he learned that Director Shepard had signed Ziva to his team without his knowledge; they were all still grieving for Todd, who had been murdered hours before Ziva's arrival.
She later proved her worth in the episode, "Silver War" by using her training to save herself and Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard from Dr. Burns, a rogue member of the Smithsonian Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
Lab. This in turn caused the team to develop a new-found respect for her and Ziva also formed a strong friendship with Ducky as a result.
During the episode "Kill Ari (Part 2)", NCIS Special Agent Gibbs found himself cornered by an armed Ari, but Ziva emerged at the last minute and killed Ari with a single gunshot wound to the forehead, similarly to the way Ari had shot Agent Kate Todd in the Season 2 finale, "Twilight". After Ari's death, she asked to be assigned as a liaison for Mossad at NCIS, where she subsequently joined Special Agent Gibbs' team.
In "Judgment Day (Part 2)", Ziva's liaison position was terminated under the orders of newly appointed Director Vance following the death of Director Shepard. She later returned in "Last Man Standing".
In "Last Man Standing", Ziva was working undercover in Morocco after her liaison position with NCIS was terminated by Director Leon Vance. After Gibbs noticed an unconscious Ziva on the news following an explosion where she was working, it was soon revealed that Vance had deliberately sent Ziva back to Israel in order to help uncover a mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
within NCIS itself.
At the end of season six she chose to return to Israel and was sent on a mission to take down a terrorist in Somalia named Saleem Ulman. However, after one member of her team was killed and the other two injured, leaving her the only agent able to continue, she sent the remaining two back to Israel and went to the terrorist camp alone. She was subsequently captured and tortured for several months.
Believed to be dead in the first episode of season seven "Truth or Consequences", Ziva was nonetheless found alive later in the episode, rescued by DiNozzo and McGee, and with Gibbs killing her captor himself.
In season 7, she became a probationary NCIS agent pending US citizenship. At season's end, she ended up becoming a United States citizen having successfully passed her exams.
In season 9, it is revealed that she is no longer a probationary NCIS agent, but a full-time agent of NCIS.
Personal life
While little is revealed about Ziva’s personal life, it is known that, while she is on close terms with all the members of the NCIS team, she is especially close with Leroy Jethro GibbsLeroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Mark Harmon.-Background:...
and Anthony DiNozzo
Anthony DiNozzo
Anthony "Tony" D. DiNozzo Jr. is a fictional character from the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Michael Weatherly.-Background:Tony comes from a wealthy family from Long Island, New York. He is an only child, but has been cut off from his family's fortune. His mother, maiden name Paddington,...
. Michael Bashan (a senior Mossad officer) accused Ziva of sleeping with DiNozzo in "Shalom", saying: “Did you or did you not sleep with him?”, but she did not answer the question. There is a great deal of sexual tension between Tony and Ziva, which is a recurring theme in many episodes, from her first appearance and on. In McGee's book, the characters based on Tony and Ziva are engaged in a relationship.
During season four, she developed a short but intense friendship with Lt. Roy Sanders (Matthew Marsden
Matthew Marsden
Matthew Marsden is an English actor and singer. In the United Kingdom he is widely remembered for playing the character Chris Collins in the popular soap opera, Coronation Street. However, he is best known in the USA as a film actor. He has played the roles of Paris in Helen of Troy, Dr...
), who had been intentionally exposed to radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
by a co-worker, in "Dead Man Walking". Ziva knew him from her daily run, during which he always passes her at a high rate of speed.
As he got progressively sicker, it became clear that he was dying from radiation poisoning. He asked if she would have noticed him if he had just stopped running. She replied that eventually she might have forgotten him, but that she will never forget him now.
In this episode, Tony showed both his concern and his support for Ziva. He expressed concern that she might be hurt if Sanders dies, and he showed his support for her by distracting Sanders' doctor so Ziva and Lt. Sanders can have some alone time. The orange beanie
Beanie
A beanie is a head-hugging brimless cap with or without a visor that was once popular among school boys.-Description:In the United States of America, beanies are made by triangular sections of cloth joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides.They can also be made from...
that Ziva wore in subsequent episodes was the same one that Lt. Sanders used to wear when he went running.
During season five, she had a relationship with a suspect while undercover.
During season six, her relationship with Officer Michael Rivkin was revealed. He was later killed by Senior Special Agent DiNozzo. This had serious repercussions for Tony and Ziva's relationship, and eventually proved to be the main reason for Ziva to remain in Israel and resume working for Mossad.
In Season 7, Tony believed that Ziva was dead and went to avenge her murder along with McGee. Finally, Ziva was brought to talk to him. She was shown to be badly beaten and very weak, and unsure of how to react at Tony's presence. She then told him he should not have come, but Tony explained that he "couldn't live without [her]". Eventually, Gibbs killed their captor, a terrorist named Saleem Ulman, with a long range head shot and Ziva, Tony, and McGee were finally able to escape to safety. Even after they return home, there seemed to be a great degree of awkwardness between them, which was only resolved when Ziva confronted Tony in the men's room and thanked him, saying he would "always have her back" before kissing him on the cheek. Since then, their relationship has been as it was before.
In the episode "Semper Fidelis", Ziva was shown to live at 3558 Volta Place NW, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
before the apartment was destroyed in an explosion engineered by Mossad.
In the episode "Untouchable", Ziva stated that she is a "screamer".
Ziva drives a red Mini Cooper
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
, which was shown in "Shalom" and "Aliyah".
Ziva's favorite drink is Berry Mango Madness and she has been known to pick up falafel
Falafel
Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces...
for lunch when she has to drive the van somewhere.
Ziva loves to read but does not watch much television. Her favorite movie is The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
.
Ziva plays the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and has Jimmy Palmer come over to tune it in Season 3.
In Season 4, Ziva reveals that she is a Scorpio
Scorpio (astrology)
|Infobox align="right" style="border:3px solid white;"||style="text-align: center;"|Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 210th and 239th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between 24 October and...
which is Cote de Pablo's real life sign.
In episode Deception, 3.13 Ziva reveals she hates clowns when talking to a suspect.
Ziva appears to like music by Israeli hip-hop/funk band Hadag Nahash
Hadag Nahash
Hadag Nahash is an Israeli hip hop/funk band, founded in 1996 in Jerusalem. The band is known for its leftist political statements in many of its songs.- Name and symbols :...
. At the beginning of "Ex-File", she arrives for work listening to their song "Bella Bellissima" on a new iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
, one of a set that Abby bought for the team with her tax refund.
In season 8 of NCIS, Ziva returns home from Miami where she has met a man named Ray, although she doesn't confirm that the relationship is romantic, Tony still displays some jealousy
Jealousy
Jealousy is a second emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of presenting emotions...
. Ziva introduces Ray to her teammates in the season 8 episode, "Two-Faced". In the season 8 finale, Ray gives Ziva an empty box as a promise that he is committed to her, but he needs to take care of something work related. It is revealed to the audience that he had received a text message that said Trent Kort was in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, and that Ray had to deal with that.
Personality
Ziva is an Israeli Jew, and was always seen wearing a Star of DavidStar of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
pendant, until her capture in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
where her captor ripped it off her neck. In "Faith", a gold chain appears on her neck and in "Flesh and Blood" she is shown wearing a silver Star of David pendant; it's unclear who gave it to her or whether she bought it herself.
In "Tribes", she states that she is Jewish during an investigation of a Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
's death. She does not appear to follow Orthodox Jewish strictures, dating men who are not Jewish, but does mention celebrating some Jewish holidays.
Despite having lost friends and family to radical Islamic terrorist groups like Hamas, she appears to bear no resentment towards Muslims in general. She commented in "Tribes" that her childhood best friend was a Muslim, but he was killed in a retaliatory Israeli air-strike when she was twelve.
After she has to shoot her half-brother, Ari, to keep him from killing Gibbs, Ziva quietly sings in Hebrew over Ari's body.
De Pablo describes the character as someone who is "completely different from anyone else on the show" and that because "she's been around men all her life; she's used to men in authority. She's not afraid of men." Ziva is often portrayed as calmly aggressive and does not shy away from physical altercations with suspects. She is not easily intimidated or rattled. She approaches her job with zeal, appearing to truly believe in what she does. She is very committed to the ideals of the US, in particular the bounds that law places on all citizens including the government.
In "Faith", Ziva said that she speaks ten languages (including the "language of love"). Seven of the languages are: English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Hebrew, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Arabic, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Pashto
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
, and she knows how to swear in the majority of those languages. She is also able to speak basic German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
.
A running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in the series is Ziva frequently misusing, misunderstanding or just completely mangling American slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
, cultural references, colloquialism
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
s and idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
s. For example: In "Silver War", she said she felt like a "donkey's butt" when she meant "horse's ass". In "Friends and Lovers", she said during an interview with a junkie that it was "like shooting fish in a pond". When the DC Metro detective corrected her, she remarked, "Why would there be fish in a barrel?"
The episode "Dagger" showed Ziva's empathetic side towards children. When Agent Lee's sister was left an orphan at the end of the episode, she and Tony looked after her in the NCIS building. Ziva was shown taking care of Amanda at her desk, watching over as she drew pictures. As Gibbs explained to Amanda that her sister would not be coming back, Ziva was shown to be emotionally affected by it. This side was further seen in the season 7 episode "Outlaws and In-Laws" when she immediately reached out to play with Gibbs' two-year-old goddaughter while on security detail.
Ziva is an extremely skilled assassin and is able to take life without hesitation or remorse when the situation requires, something that has not changed with her new affiliation with NCIS; despite this, Ziva is capable of displaying playfulness, nearly childishness at times, such as in "Heartland" when she gleefully races McGee to be the first to tell Tony and Abby about meeting Gibbs' father.
Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo
During Ziva and Tony’s first meeting, she taunted Tony in much the same way Caitlin Todd did before she was killed. Some aspects of Ziva's personality disturb him, such as the fact that she sleeps with a gun in her hand and snores "like a drunken sailor with emphysemaEmphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
" which he learned on an undercover assignment as married assassins in the episode "Under Covers".
In the episode "Shalom", it is revealed that Tony has been visiting Ziva at her apartment at least once a week for the past three months. His reasons for visiting are left unexplained. When Ziva was asked the question "Did you or did you not sleep with him?", she did not give an answer.
During Season 5, Ziva continues to bait Tony with her loaded comments, talking about soulmates in the episode "Designated Target". Ziva seems jealous at times of the women Tony is with, even going so far as to confront him when she sees that he is attracted to an FBI agent or mutter about him sharing a room with another NCIS agent in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Tony's feelings, however, are unclear: he displays both normal-working-partnership-feelings and some signs of jealousy.
Season 6 focuses more on Ziva and Tony, but leaves their relationship undefined. When Ziva accompanies Gibbs onto the USS Seahawk as part of an investigation, she notices Tony has three pictures of her in a bikini pinned up in his room. In "Nine Lives", Tony finds a picture of a man on her desk, not knowing that the man in the picture was Ziva's Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
partner. Tony also tells her to have a good trip ("Nisiya Tova") in Hebrew demonstrating that he had at least made some effort to learn that phrase. In "Cloak" Ziva disobeys Gibbs' orders, attacking the guards to defend Tony. Later they both say that they are "tired of pretending": Tony about the politics in the hunt for the mole within the team, which required the team to withhold information from each other, Ziva for reasons undisclosed. In the following episode, "Dagger", it is revealed Tony knows the location of her tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
, he says, "then I shouldn't know about that tattoo on the inside of your..." Ziva then cuts him off.
During the episode "Truth or Consequences", Tony initiates a mission of revenge against the men team NCIS believes has killed Ziva. Tony, McGee and Gibbs travel to Somalia to kill Ziva's killer, and find that Ziva is alive. Ziva asks why Tony is in Somalia. Tony, under truth serum
Truth Serum
Truth Serum is an independent comic book series created, written and drawn by author Jon Adams.-Overview:Originally published as a mini comic in 2001 and given away for free, it appeared as a three-issue mini series published by Slave Labor Graphics in 2002...
, first deflects. When Ziva asks again, he replies, "I couldn't live without you, I guess."
In the episode "Jet Lag", Ziva tells a witness that she and Tony shared a hotel room, and that she took the couch so she wouldn't have to hear Tony whine about his back. Tony then tells McGee that he took the couch. Ziva asks Tony why he lied and Tony returns the question. Then, Tony tells Ziva his favorite picture of Paris was the only one with a person in it. When he gives the photo to Ziva, the audience sees that she is the person in the photograph. There was much speculation on the part of fans about whether the characters might have shared more than was divulged, but Michael Weatherly said in response, “The truth of what happened is probably something that can be discovered inside the episode itself,” he says. “If you really listen to what they say, I think it is pretty clear what happened: Nothing.”
In the episode "Masquerade", Ziva mentions her time in Somalia, but refuses to give Tony much more than a few terse statements about it, though he was obviously willing to listen to her. In the final episode of season 7, "Rule Fifty-One", Tony misses Ziva's citizenship ceremony due to an unexpected assignment from Director Vance, despite his personal promises to her that he would be there.
Recently, in season 8, Tony and Ziva both have become jealous of each others relationship. Tony has gone so far as to attempt to hack into Ziva's email to see what the name of her boyfriend is, which is later revealed to be Ray Cruz. In the episode, Two-Faced, Tony was rather cold towards Ray and did not like him at all. Ziva has shown definite curiosity as to Tony and EJ's relationship.
In the episode "Swan Song", Ziva turns to Tony for comfort while the team are greiving over the death of former NCIS agent Mike Franks. Tony comforts Ziva by hugging her and stroking her cheek telling her that "we are going to get him... {the Port to Port Killer}" In the season 8 finale, Ziva was kidnapped by the Serial killer and Tony showed great concern. While talking to EJ, EJ tells him that they will find Ziva and Tony replies saying how "it's just different for some of us", adding further implications that he may have feelings for Ziva.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Gibbs has been a surrogate father figure for Ziva since around the middle of season three and the tendency intensified after she severed contact with Eli David following her return from Somalia. Ziva referred to Gibbs once as 'the closest thing I have to a father' after her return to the US in season 7. In "Shalom" Ziva requests Gibbs help in clearing her name after being framed for a terrorist bombing by Iranian Intelligence. Ziva and Gibbs share several characteristics: they both rarely show emotion, speak Russian, and are extremely skilled at what they do. Ziva often finds it difficult to follow Gibbs' orders due to the autonomyAutonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
she had as a Mossad control officer.
She had a close relationship with deceased NCIS director Jenny Shepard, occasionally calling on her to obtain key information in a case without going through regular channels (as seen in the Season 3 episode "Head Case"). This relationship gave rise to complications between Ziva and Gibbs, primarily stemming from Shepard's decision to add Ziva to the team without consulting him. Ziva seems to be more willing to show her vulnerability with Gibbs than with the other team members, with the exception of DiNozzo.
Of all her relationships with the team, Ziva and Gibbs' has undergone the most growth. Initially, Gibbs distrusted Ziva as she was Ari Haswari's control agent. Ziva also bore the brunt of Gibbs' anger after Caitlin Todd was murdered. After Ziva killed her own half brother Ari in order to save Gibbs' life, they shared a secret; Gibbs and Ziva are the only two who know that she killed Haswari. There is still tension, however, that continued up until the conclusion of the third season episode "Silver War" when Ziva saved Ducky's life.
Season 3's "Hiatus" shows how much Ziva is affected when Gibbs is critically injured in an explosion and awakes with memory loss. In "Hiatus Part 1", Ducky unintentionally chastises Ziva for not asking which hospital Gibbs was taken to after the explosion; upsetting her when he implies that Ziva does not care for Gibbs like the rest of the team does. She also finds herself being slapped by Abby when she comments about Gibbs' possible death scenario. Ziva is shown in the bathroom following this, extremely upset by the fact that they think that she does not care. In the second part of this episode, Ziva visits Gibbs at the hospital in the night and begs him to remember. When he becomes angry, Ziva uses his hand to slap the back of her head, causing Gibbs to remember himself within his team. He remembers that Ziva saved his life and that she had killed her brother to do it while Ziva breaks down and cries into his arms. He remarks that he owes her later on in the episode, something that would become true when he returns to the US during Shalom to help Ziva find out who's framed her for murder.
Ziva looks up to Gibbs as a leader and often restrains herself from resorting to her assassin background in situations where Gibbs would not approve. Gibbs often uses this background to their advantage, however, by choosing Ziva to interrogate certain suspects.
In Episode 7.02 "Reunion", Ziva admitted to Gibbs that she was under orders from Director David to gain his trust and kill Ari in the process. Ziva confided in Gibbs, making it known that she volunteered for the mission in order to protect Ari. Gibbs replied, "You killed Ari, your own brother, and you lied to me, Ziva." Ziva, having revealed this long held secret, confided to Gibbs her feelings on the subject of Ari's death and her family. She said, “I would have lied to you, he was my brother. You were nothing. You were right about Ari. He is gone. Eli is all but dead to me and the closest thing I have to a father is accusing me….”. Ziva reveals that when she finally killed Ari, it was truly to save Gibbs and she was not following her orders, re-earning Gibbs' trust. In the seventh season episode "Good Cop, Bad Cop", the bodies aboard the Damocles were recovered and Mossad attempted to make Ziva the scapegoat for the death of Staff Sergeant Daniel Cryer, USMC, one of the passengers. After he heard the rest of Ziva's story, Gibbs whispered something to her that is still unknown and kissed her on the forehead. The scene ended with her crying, but smiling. Following investigation into Ziva's role in the events aboard the Damocles Director Vance reconsidered, and approved an exonerated Ziva's application to join NCIS after initially rejecting it. Director Vance handed the approved application to Agent Gibbs who in turn transmitted it to Ziva, whom he called "Probie."
In season 7's final episode Gibbs missed Ziva's citizenship ceremony due to a visit from Alison Hart. She seems to have forgiven this, however, and in the season 8
NCIS (season 8)
This is a list of episodes for the eighth season of the police procedural drama NCIS. The eighth season of NCIS premiered on September 21, 2010 in the same time slot as the previous season and the second season of NCIS: Los Angeles premiered afterwards...
episode "Dead Air", she asks him to play "catch" with her. In the season 8 episode "Baltimore", after learning that her partner Tony DiNozzo arrested Gibbs when he first met their boss, Ziva comments that she would rather arrest her own father than Gibbs. In the season 9 episode "Safe Harbor", Ziva asks Gibbs if he is lonely and he replies that he couldn't be lonely when he has kids. He then kisses her on the forehead and says "Good night, kid."
Timothy McGee
Ziva has had a friendly relationship with McGee since her start at NCIS. It resembles one of brother and sister. While Ziva teases McGee a great deal, often with Tony, they remain on friendly terms (Ziva's teasing is far more playful than Tony's, who takes a much more sadistic approach to the pranks he pulls on McGee). McGee was the first person to point out that Ziva was avoiding Tony at the start of season 7 and that sooner or later she would have to straighten out that relationship.McGee lives near Ziva, in Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
(a Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
suburb of DC). When Ziva was in Israel between seasons 5 and 6, she and McGee e-mailed each other once a week. McGee has been to Ziva's house at least once, he was invited to her dinner party in season 3. McGee was also the one to show Ziva some ways to work from the area they live, and in return she gave him an apple - which Tony immediately stole before McGee was aware of the gift. Throughout season 7 as Ziva prepares to become an American citizen McGee supports her, even testing her. In season 7 he is with her as she becomes an American citizen.
Abby Sciuto
Originally, Abby hated Ziva. She believed that Ziva was taking the place of her good friend, Special Agent Kate Todd. During the course of her hate, Abby was known to draw on pictures of Ziva, mispronounce her surname and get annoyed when Ziva was being praised. She particularly resented McGee's fascination and admiration for Ziva. Throughout season 3, Abby and Ziva seem to become closer. Ziva helps Abby out putting a bomb back together to find out information from it and Abby is worried about Ziva when she is lost because she and Tony are stuck in a shipping container together. Abby is also invited to Ziva's dinner party before the episode 'Boxed In', and Abby thinks Ziva is an excellent cook. Ziva also remembers Abby's birthday and buys her black roseBlack Rose
Black Rose may refer to:* Black rose , analogy of something exceptionally rare and beautiful including someone exceptionally rare and beautiful* Black Rose , a contemporary BDSM organization based in Washington, DC...
s.
At the end of season 3 everything comes to a head and Abby tells Ziva she has no emotions, prompting both women to slap each other. They later apologize after Tony goads them into it, and both women punch him in the arm when he suggests that they should tongue-kiss one another. By season 4, their relationship has grown. Abby is only too willing to help Ziva by giving her Gibbs' telephone number when she needs to contact him and also keeps her secret that she phoned. Abby also tells Ziva that she is always there for her to talk to after Ziva's love interest Roy Sanders dies.
By seasons 5 and 6, Abby and Ziva are firm friends. When Ziva and Tony go to L.A. with the Director, Abby makes a pretend Ziva to keep her company. Abby tells Ziva that she (Ziva) "kicks butt and manages to look great at the same time." In Season 6, Abby misses Ziva while she's in Israel and has Ziva's picture up in her lab so she can still see her every day. When Ziva's house gets fumigated, Abby is only too happy to let Ziva stay at her place, and Ziva buys Abby a special expensive chocolate cupcake to say thank you. The cupcake is then stolen, and Abby sets up an investigation of her own to find out who took it (the culprit turning out to be McGee). At the beginning of season 7, when Ziva returns to NCIS after being rescued from capture in Somalia, Abby is the first one to hug her, but only after Abby tore into Ziva about her mistrust of Tony, which was the first of many actions which led to her being captured in Somalia initially. This causes Ziva to confront Tony, during which she apologizes to him for ever doubting him, and thus repairs the strains in their relationship. In "Faith", the season 7 Christmas episode, Abby makes gingerbread Abby cookies but when she offers one to Ziva, Ziva replies that "[she] could never eat [Abby]".
When Ziva first appeared, she would flinch whenever Abby would hug her, given that she didn't understand why Abby hugged everyone all the time (this stems from Abby's considering the NCIS team her family, and her distress when she senses that any of them are in serious danger); but however, by season 6, Ziva overcame her discomfort of Abby's hugging, and now accepts the hugs with no discomfort and even gives Abby hugs, too.
In the Season 7 finale, Abby is present at Ziva's swearing in ceremony, and supports her as she becomes an American citizen
Citizenship in the United States
Citizenship in the United States is a status given to individuals that entails specific rights, duties, privileges, and benefits between the United States and the individual...
.
Eli David
Ziva and her father often have a somewhat strained relationship, especially following the death of her half-brother Ari. Ziva calls him Papa or Abba. He was promoted to Director at the end of Season 3. Ziva recalls him taking his children into the forest for 'fun' blindfolded and making them find their own way back.In the episode "Aliyah", Ziva is called home to Israel where her father Eli David, the head of Mossad, says that he does not know if he can trust her and wants her to remain in Israel. She stays in Tel Aviv with her father and Mossad. The episode ends with a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
in which Ziva is being physically interrogated at a terrorist camp in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
by Saleem. It is later revealed her father sent her on this mission despite knowing the risks made it a suicide mission. Following her return to the US, Ziva mentioned her father twice: "Eli is all but dead to me", implying that she no longer wants to be a part of his life, and again when she commented that he taught her to play baseball.
As of Season 8, "Enemies Foreign", Eli David seems to resent his daughter and the choice she made to become a US citizen. Her ordeal in the desert is dismissed as "you are not dead." Gibbs is annoyed that Eli refers to Ziva as "her" and points out "she has a name. Ziva. She has a name," to which he replies, "I know. I gave it to her." Later Ziva questioned his apathy towards the prospect of his own death, saying that a human man would at least feel something, he told her that while he did not have the luxury of expressing his feelings, as he had to constantly put the safety of the nation before everything else, there was once a time when things were different, "when my house was filled with the sound of children laughing." In the following episode he reveals that his wife had left him because she could no longer deal with what he did. Before Eli's departure back to Israel, his relationship with Ziva appears to have somewhat improved, as he is shown to have kissed her goodbye, saying that he would miss her.
Ari Haswari
Ari Haswari is Ziva's older half brother, by her father. At Mossad she was Ari's control officer and when he was accused of shooting Special Agent Caitlin ToddCaitlin Todd
Special Agent Caitlin "Kate" Todd is a fictional character in the CBS drama NCIS, and was portrayed by actress Sasha Alexander.The character was introduced in the show's first episode "Yankee White" replacing Robyn Lively's character Vivian Blackadder which had appeared in the JAG Season 8 episodes...
, Ziva flew to America to help him. Their plan was to meet each other in Paris. Eventually Ziva makes the difficult decision to save Gibbs' life when it becomes clear that Ari indeed killed Agent Todd and shoots Ari before he can kill an unarmed Gibbs. However, in the episode "Aliyah", it was revealed that Ziva's father, Eli David, ordered her to kill Ari so she would earn Gibbs' trust. Though Ziva seems to feel that killing Ari was justified, she still expresses a great deal of sadness at his death.
Donald "Ducky" Mallard
Ziva seems to have a good relationship with Ducky. When she came back to NCIS with Tony and McGee, Ducky was the only one who really had faith in her. In Silver War, their friendship became more permanent when Ziva saved both of them from death at the hands of a murderer. Ducky is often seen sticking up for her when she has quarrels with Tony. She has also been seen going to him for advice and sharing a cup of tea with him. Overall they value each other a lot. When Ziva is sworn in as an American citizen, Ducky is seen there and supporting her, along with McGee and Abby.Director Leon Vance
In the beginning, like the rest of her colleagues Ziva resents Vance for breaking up Gibbs' team. However he reveals that he has a good reason and she doesn't seem to hold a grudge against her boss. Vance and Ziva went Christmas shopping together at the beginning of 'Silent Night' and seemed to enjoy each other's company. They also share a love for the board game 'Battle Ship.' It is insinuated that he bought something for her during their shopping trip as she says "I enjoy shopping, especially when it's not my money." Vance also sees Ziva as an attractive woman; in season 5, when he caught McGee looking at pictures of Ziva in a bikini, he said, "Makes me miss California already." Vance is also close to Ziva's father and seems to have a more friendly relationship with Director David than Jenny did.Cultural significance
One critic discussed the significance of Ziva as an Israeli character on American/Western television: "NCIS...has the rare distinction of being the only mainstream network show (we are aware of) with an Israeli as one of the main characters...In a network television landscape where it is difficult to find many unashamedly Jewish characters (let alone an Israeli) we have a soft spot for Ziva David." The same critic also claimed that her character is more reminiscent of a classic character in an early Israeli kibbutz drama, rather than a typical Israeli of the current day: "In early kibbutz dramas, Ziva's character would have been a Zionist heroine." Another wrote that the character appeals to conservative Americans: "David represents those aspects of the Israeli character that most appeal to middle America: She’s disciplined, self-reliant, good with guns, and skilled in hand-to-hand combat." Another reviewer commented that she was "a surprisingly convincing Israeli agent, given that she is played by a Chilean-born singer from a Catholic family, Cote de PabloCote de Pablo
María José de Pablo Fernández, better known as Coté de Pablo , is a Chilean-American actress and recording artist. De Pablo has won an ALMA Award for her role as NCIS Special Agent Ziva David in the television series NCIS...
."
On the subject of female characters on live action television shows, one commentator said of the portrayal "With her incredible combination (by prime-time standards) of physical domination and quiet cool, Ziva David is one of the most appealing of a growing group of female action heroes who are infiltrating cop shows, spy shows, science-fiction shows and other genres where men once did the lion's share of the enforcing."
External links
- Ziva David—CBS's Official NCIS Wiki