In Michael Weatherly‘s final NCIS episode, Special Agent Tony DiNozzo followed his heart, and then his head, setting the stage for the original cast member’s exit.
No sooner had the news broken about the bombing of the Davids’ farmhouse in Israel, Tony was making tracks for the airport when Abby and McGee intercepted him at his home, to relay the very bad news from Vance: Ziva indeed was killed in the attack. (Sorry, 84 percent of TVLine poll respondents.) “Life rarely ends the way we imagine,” Ducky observes as the rest of the team mourns their former colleague back at the office.
Tony returns to HQ in an angry spiral, lambasting Gibbs for the seeming lack of “all hands on deck” to confirm facts and exact vengeance. “She’s more than an agent to you,” Boss affirms, before ordering his agent to get home and cool his jets. Later, McGee reminds Gibbs of something he once said, about agents united in a cause always getting a job done — and when it comes to doing right by critically injured Fornell and now dearly departed Ziva, “We’ll get it done.”
DiNozzo returns to work the next day, and it’s a good thing he did, because a pint-sized bombshell awaited him, introduced by Mossad director Orli Elbaz: Tali, the daughter Ziva gave birth to years ago, with Tony the “only biological possibility” as dad. (Bravo to the 29 percent who almost got that whopper right!) And soon enough, during a casual chat with Palmer over strained peas or some such, Tony is prompted to give some thought to his new title, of Dad, being an “agent in the line of fire” and all. When DiNozzo shrugs off the notion of any life detour, Palmer unwittingly paints a not-so-rosy picture of 10 years into the future, where Tony has Gibbs’ job and is “happy.” Hmmm.
Later, a question on DiNozzo’s mind is unexpectedly answered, when Sr. comes across a framed photo of Ziva with Tony — whom Tali points to and IDs as “Imah” and “Abba,” exploding literally every ovary in the continental United States (and some abroad). So the little one had been told about her pappy!
When the team — Tony included — finally tracks down Kort, the turncoat claims, “I had no idea she’d be in the farmhouse. It was nothing personal” — to which Tony countered, “She was my family.” Kort then goes for his gun, inviting a hail of bullets from every nearby agent’s gun. As we at home clapped.
Toward episode’s end, Tony visits Gibbs’ basement to relay a decision he’s made. “Seems to me you’ve known a while,” Gibbs responds. “Only now you’ve got a daughter to think of.” Indeed, Tony shares that upon hearing they’d found Kort, “All I wanted was to take care of Tali…. I’m everything to that little girl now, and I’ve never been anybody’s everything before.
“That’s it,” he adds. “I’m done now.” To which Gibbs replies, “You gotta do whatcha gotta do,” before delivering a rare, big hug. DiNozzo says his next stop is Israel, to get some answers, and then a visit to the Paris that “Ziva loves.” But first, one final tour through the office, where he dubs his neighbor “Very Special Agent Timothy McGee” and shares kinds words for Bishop as well, while Abby makes clear that Tony knows just how much Ziva loved him.
Previewing how the finale might leave fans feeling, Weatherly recently offered, “I’m sure that out of the tens of millions who watch the show around the world, certainly there will be some different points of view. But if people share my feelings about it, I think [the reaction] is going to be overwhelmingly positive.” NCIS boss Gary Glasberg meanwhile advised having tissues handy, saying, “People should absolutely be planning on some really serious, heart-wrenching moments…. I’m very proud of the emotional resonance of what this is.”
So what say you, NCIS fans? Emotional resonance or what?
