NCIS May Have Already Set Up Tony & Ziva’s Spinoff Story (& You Missed It)

NCIS may have already set up Tony and Ziva’s spinoff story, and it might have been overlooked. Due to the writer’s strike, NCIS season 21 was a brief 10-episode season, but it still managed to pack a punch. It delivered a tribute episode to David McCallum’s Ducky and the 1000th episode of NCIS. With such epic milestones, one tiny detail was easy to overlook, but it could lead to another epic installment of the franchise, making NCIS season 21 all the more significant.

There was a moment in NCIS season 21 that suggested there could be a promising connection between the flagship series and Paramount+’s NCIS: Tony & Ziva. The Tony and Ziva pilot could even cross over to NCIS, returning the franchise’s fan-favorite characters to where it all began while closing a critical unsolved NCIS case. The opportunity for a connection between the series barely announced itself, especially considering it occurred in one of the most bizarre NCIS episodes ever. The confusing elements could have been a way to distract viewers while the episode subtly set up Tony and Ziva’s spinoff story.