Ahead of their NCIS spinoff, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo reunite with original franchise actor Sasha Alexander. After more than two decades on the air, NCIS is showing no signs of slowing down. Aside from the controversial cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i, the universe as a whole is still going strong, with a couple of spinoffs on the way. That includes a reunion project with Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo as they reprise their roles as Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David for the NCIS: Tony & Ziva offshoot, which will stream on Paramount+ instead of airing on CBS.
Before their small screen return, however, Weatherly and de Pablo are hosting an NCIS rewatch podcast, which recently guest-starred Alexander. Check out their adorable reunion images from Alexander‘s Instagram below:
The photos were taken during Alexander’s recent appearance on the newly-launched NCIS rewatch podcast. Titled Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, the new endeavor sees Weatherly and de Pablo talk to various people who were once or are still involved in the franchise.
Can Alexander’s Kate Todd Still Appear In The NCIS Universe?
Todd Was Killed By Ziva David’s Half-Brother
It has been almost two decades since Kate Todd was unexpectedly killed in the NCIS season 2 finale. The events of the CBS police procedural were kicked off by her arrival at the agency, and she was expected to stay with the Major Case Response Team for a while, so it was truly shocking when she was brutally murdered. Her death was recently re-examined during NCIS‘ 1000th episode. Despite hopes that Alexander would return to film new scenes despite her character’s death, the show only used archival footage, but that doesn’t mean that a comeback is off the table.
NCIS has already set a precedent in terms of bringing [Sasha Alexander] back after Kate’s death.
NCIS has already set a precedent in terms of bringing Alexander back after Kate’s death. On the heels of Ari’s brutal murder of Kate 19 years ago, Alexander returned for the first two episodes of season 3 as the team grappled with the unexpected loss. Instead of flashbacks, her scenes were projections of her. Beyond that, Alexander could reprise her role as Kate as a hallucination if NCIS season 22 wants to bring her back.
Besides reprising Kate in the show, NCIS can also tap Alexander to be involved in other ways. For starters, she could helm one of the upcoming episodes of NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Alexander previously directed an episode of Weatherly’s Bull, and she clearly has a great relationship with de Pablo. Assuming that she actually returns to spearhead at least one of the upcoming episodes of the Paramount+ series, it will mark her first official involvement with NCIS since leaving the show almost two decades ago.
Why Alexander Left NCIS After Only Two Seasons
NCIS Is No Stranger To Character Exits, But Kate’s Death Remains Its Most Brutal
In light of the death of David McCallum’s Ducky, NCIS season 21 no longer had an original character as an active member of MCRT. Through the years, each of the five inaugural members of the main team left the agency for different reasons. Because of this, NCIS has become used to rotating ensembles, which is the norm for long-running TV shows. While it may not be the biggest, Kate’s death was the most unexpected and brutal, especially with the way Ari’s assassination played out. Her death was seemingly pre-determined when Ziva’s half-brother was introduced.
There was no behind-the-scenes drama that led to her choice to leave the series, which hasn’t always been the case considering the way Pauley Perrette departed the long-running police procedural.
Despite the brutal way she was written out of NCIS, the decision to end Kate’s arc was Alexander’s decision. She cited grueling hours filming full 24-episode seasons that heavily featured her and the show’s core cast. There was no behind-the-scenes drama that led to her choice to leave the series, which hasn’t always been the case with NCIS, considering the way Pauley Perrette departed the long-running police procedural. Alexander’s enduring friendship with Weatherly is proof of this. In any case, even Harmon cited the long filming hours that played a part in his decision to retire Gibbs.
How NCIS Would Be Different If Alexander Stayed As Kate Todd
Kate’s Death Led To Ziva’s Introduction
It’s difficult to say how NCIS would be different if Alexander stayed on as Kate. Based on the changes that her death kick-started, however, the biggest one would be de Pablo not joining the show as Ziva. That, in itself, would snowball into a series of minor and major changes, including the erasure of perhaps the best romance in the police procedural. Maybe NCIS would have tried to develop a romantic storyline between Tony and Kate down the road, but while they were quite flirty, their dynamic was more reminiscent of a sibling relationship.
Ziva’s arrival also paved the way for the birth of NCIS‘ best team iteration. As confirmed in season 21, the group also included Gibbs, DiNozzo, Tim McGee, Ducky, and Abby, with Director Leon Vance and Jimmy Palmer. Kate could have easily fit into that roster since she worked with the majority of those characters. That said, some cases wouldn’t have been as dramatic or intense without Ziva’s complicated background.
