Ziva David: Difference between revisions

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Ziva is introduced to the show as an Israeli citizen, an agent of the [[Kidon|Kidon unit]] of the [[Mossad]], a daughter of [[List of NCIS characters#Eli David|Mossad Director Eli David]], and a friend of [[List of NCIS characters#Jenny Shepard|NCIS Director Jenny Shepard]]. She was assigned to NCIS as a [[liaison officer]] in an arrangement between Eli and Jenny, a position she held for four years until she returned to Mossad in the season 6 finale, "[[Aliyah (NCIS)|Aliyah]]". After being captured by terrorists in Somalia while on assignment for [[Mossad]] and presumed dead, she was eventually saved by [[Leroy Jethro Gibbs|Gibbs]], [[Anthony DiNozzo|Tony]], and [[Timothy McGee|McGee]], who brought her back to America.<ref name="Yahoo"/> These events led to her resigning from Mossad, applying to become an NCIS agent, and being sworn in as a U.S. citizen.<ref name="Yahoo"/>

On July 10, 2013, CBS television studios announced that Cote de Pablo would be leaving ''NCIS'' during season 11.<ref name="CoteLeaving">{{cite web |title=Cote de Pablo to leave 'NCIS' |author=Bill Keveney |date=July 11, 2013 |access-date=July 12, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2013/07/10/cote-de-pablo-to-leave-ncis/2507223/}}</ref> That fall, De Pablo appeared in two episodes as a series regular to wrap up her character's storyline. In season 13, Ziva was apparently killed off screen,<ref name="Ziva is dead">{{cite episode|title=Family First|episode-link=NCIS (season 13)#ep306|series=NCIS|series-link=NCIS (TV series)|network=[[CBS]]|date=May 17, 2016|season=13|number=24|time=09:41|quote='''DiNozzo''': "What do we know? What are the facts? 'Cause we don't assume, we verify. Do we know she's dead? 'Cause if we know she's dead, we're gonna get him." '''Gibbs''': "Yeah, she's dead, and we will get Kort."}}</ref> though executive producer and show runner [[Gary Glasberg]] suggested that she might still be alive.<ref name=Evans>{{cite journal |last= Evans |first= Greg |date= May 18, 2016 |title= 'NCIS' Showrunner Gary Glasberg On A Future Without Michael Weatherly – And Whether Ziva Is Really Dead |url= https://deadline.com/2016/05/ncis-finale-gary-glasberg-michael-weatherly-cote-de-pablo-1201758944/|journal= [[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date= May 19, 2016 }}</ref> In season 16, Ziva was confirmed to still be alive, and De Pablo returned in season 17 as a guest star for several episodes.

Outside of fiction, the cultural impact of Ziva became a subject of discussion among various critics, with academics and rabbis weighing in on the matter. Newspapers such as ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'' cited her as the only full-time Israeli character on an American mainstream network television show,<ref name="Jerusalem Post"/> and [[Harvard]] preceptor Eitan Kensky identified her as the "most prominent televisual Israeli" in the United States.<ref name=Kensky>{{cite web|last=Kensky|first=Eitan|title=On NCIS, the 'New Jew' Is Much Like the Old|url=http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/135566/on-ncis-the-new-jew-is-much-like-the-old/|work=[[The Jewish Daily Forward]]|date=February 22, 2011|access-date=August 5, 2013}}</ref> Her depiction was generally praised for exposing the Western public to Israeli society and culture,<ref>Tamir, Ariel (January 31, 2013). [http://voices.yahoo.com/israeli-spy-characters-infiltrate-popular-american-11995480.html?cat=39 Israeli Spy Characters Infiltrate Popular American Television Shows] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104104650/http://voices.yahoo.com/israeli-spy-characters-infiltrate-popular-american-11995480.html?cat=39 |date=January 4, 2014 }}. Yahoo! Retrieved February 10, 2013.</ref> its positive portrayal of an Israeli, and its "cheerleading for American ties to Israel".<ref>Smith, Kyle (May 12, 2012). [http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_ncis_is_tv_most_popular_show_eQuFx0nsG6lG3em25wHYgO/1 Why 'NCIS' is TV's most popular show] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630020926/http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_ncis_is_tv_most_popular_show_eQuFx0nsG6lG3em25wHYgO/1 |date=June 30, 2013 }}. ''New York Post.'' Retrieved February 10, 2013.</ref> The role made de Pablo the second most popular actress on U.S. primetime television in 2013, according to [[Q Score]],<ref>{{cite web|title='NCIS' Star Pauley Perrette Named Most Popular Primetime TV Star|url=http://www.aoltv.com/2011/08/04/ncis-star-pauley-perrette-is-named-the-most-popular-primetime/|work=HuffPost|access-date=February 20, 2013}}</ref> and a 2013 study by E-Poll Market Research listed her among the top 10 most appealing celebrities in America.<ref>{{cite web|title=Actress Betty White named America's most appealing celebrity|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-celebrities-idUSBRE9390WM20130410|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=April 11, 2013|date=April 10, 2013}}</ref>

 

==Character creation and casting==