For the crime procedural NCIS, romance is not the focal point. The show examines criminal cases associated with the military. Because the team at the center of the story works so closely together, however, romance can bloom between members.

Though very little of the romantic relationship between Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) is actually shown on screen in NCIS, there is no denying their bond. When Ziva joins the series in season 3, they immediately have a connection.

Over the course of eight seasons in which they appear together, their bond grows, and it becomes clear that there are more than friendly, or even simply coworkerly, feelings between the two of them. Tony and Ziva’s most romantic moments highlight their connection.

10

Tony And Ziva Kiss While Undercover

“Under Covers” Season 3, Episode 8

When Ziva was first introduced in NCIS, there was a little bit of animosity between her new teammates and her. They had just lost a teammate and were not sure if they could trust Ziva. Despite that, Ziva and Tony grew to have a playful banter pretty quickly.

It requires them to, quite literally, get under the covers together…

Part of that growth can be attributed to the season 3 episode “Under Covers.” The episode sees Ziva and Tony go undercover as a couple who happen to be assassins. It requires them to, quite literally, get under the covers together while they are spied on.

While maintaining their cover personas, the two share a kiss. It’s that kiss that helped many members of the audience see the potential for the two of them to be more than bantering coworkers. The kiss was not necessary for the pairing, but happened anyway.

In fact, Cote de Pablo was quoted in TV Guide as saying Ziva and Tony “weren’t faking anything” at that point:

In our minds, we thought the characters weren’t faking anything. They just got carried away. Then all of a sudden after that, they saw each other in a different light.

9

Tony And Ziva Are Tired Of Pretending

“Cloak” Season 6, Episode 8

Little exchanges of dialogue, or one character making a small gesture for the other, could be just as romantic as a dramatic declaration.

In the case of a pairing like Tony and Ziva, the smaller moments between them can be very romantic since they were never officially a couple during their time on NCIS. Little exchanges of dialogue, or one character making a small gesture for the other, could be just as romantic as a dramatic declaration.

That is the case with this season 6 moment between the two. In the episode “Cloak,” the NCIS team participates in a war game to assess how the agents would react in various situations. Gibbs specifically orders Ziva not to go after other players who have got to Tony.

Ziva disobeys that order to “save” Tony in the game. While Tony tells her that he is “tired of pretending” in reference to the war game itself, there’s a deeper subtext to Ziva’s agreement with him.

At this point in the show, both characters clearly have feelings for one another that go beyond a harmless flirtation, but neither of them is willing to act on them. It’s never explicitly stated that Ziva is tired of pretending she does not care about Tony, but it’s clear that’s what she means.

It is a very small step toward the two of them eventually admitting their feelings, and a bittersweet one at that.

8

Tony Defends Ziva’s Innocence To Anyone Who Will Listen

“Shalom” Season 4, Episode 1

In season 4, Ziva had only been attached to the NCIS team for a season. Despite that, she was fairly ingrained with the other agents and had proven she was trustworthy to Gibbs, Tony, and McGee.

When Ziva passes a café in which two FBI agents and a Syrian military official are killed via bomb, the FBI immediately suspect her because she has ties to a foreign government. As a Mossad agent on loan to the United States, they believe she could have been a traitor.

Tony, however, would not hear a word against her. This is not so much one moment as it is several moments within the episode. Any time an FBI or NCIS agent questions Ziva’s loyalty, Tony is ready to defend her.

Tony has no qualms about defending Ziva to any agent, no matter their status. It’s not just sweet but a sign of how deep their trust goes by this point in the show.

7

Tony And Ziva Dance In Berlin

“Berlin” Season 10, Episode 21

The NCIS season 10 episode takes Tony and Ziva to the titular Berlin. Ziva spends a good chunk of the season investigating who is responsible for her father’s death, and Tony accompanies her to Berlin in this chapter of that investigation.

Tony and Ziva go undercover here while following a lead. Their undercover operation leads them to share a slow dance in the middle of a bar.

That dance is one of their most romantic moments in the entire series because it’s something that, despite happening while working, is completely outside of their usual NCIS banter, still showcasing their chemistry, and allows them to be vulnerable with one another.

Rarely do Tony and Ziva simply stop and enjoy one another’s company. The nature of a crime procedural prevents that. Here, they get lost in one another, even if it’s just for a moment. It demonstrates the depth of emotion for both of them.

6

Tony And Ziva Hold Hands In Berlin

“Berlin” Season 10, Episode 21

Another one of Tony and Ziva’s most romantic moments comes courtesy of the NCIS episode “Berlin.” The episode is one of the best for Tony and Ziva fans because it’s one of the few that allows them plenty of one-on-one time together.

At the end of the episode, when the duo is getting ready to leave Berlin, Ziva gets vulnerable with Tony. She admits to him that she wonders if she would be different if the current Mossad director had not broken up the marriage of her parents.

While Ziva is concerned as the two sit in the car they’ve rented, Tony takes her hand to tell her he should thank the new director for how she turned out. The two might have even taken the conversation further if they did not then get hit by another car.

The moment builds on the dance they shared earlier in the episode, and it’s a clear indication that the two are slowly moving toward becoming more than friends.

5

Tony Gives Ziva An Opera CD

“Shell Shock (Part II)” Season 10, Episode 7

Season 10 is a great season for development for Ziva, not just for Ziva and Tony’s relationship. Bits of her past beyond her time as a Mossad agent are revealed throughout the season, like pieces of her relationship with her late younger sister Tali.

The episode sees Ziva frustrated that she is unable to get tickets to attend an opera. While Tony initially thinks she is trying to get tickets for a date, it’s revealed the show is an annual one for Ziva. She goes in memory of her sister, who loved opera.

A small gesture that is geared toward something so specific shows how much Tony really cares.

When Tony realizes how important it is to Ziva, he cannot get her tickets, but he offers up what he believes is the next best thing – a CD of opera music. Tony gifts the CD as a way for Ziva to honor her sister.

In the grand scheme of things, a CD is a small gift. For two people who put their lives on the line for one another, grand gestures happen on a regular basis. A small gesture that is geared toward something so specific shows how much Tony really cares.

4

Tony Leaves To Raise Tali In Paris

“Family First” Season 13, Episode 24

It might be hard for some fans to see planning to raise his daughter alone after everyone believes Ziva is dead as a romantic moment for Tony. Tony’s plan, however, has its root in romance and is the perfect response to how much Ziva means to him.

This episode sees Tony find out that Ziva never told him the two had a daughter together after she left NCIS. He only finds out after their daughter Tali is alive after an explosion everyone believes killed Ziva.

Tony makes the decision to drop everything in his life, leave his NCIS job, and raise Tali in Paris. He makes that decision because Paris is a city he knows Ziva loves. It’s also a city where they spent plenty of time together.

One running fan theory even suggests that Paris is where Tony and Ziva first slept together – even if they did not actually end up in a relationship at that point. In the season 7 episode “Jet Lag,” Tony and Ziva both lie to different people about where they slept the night before.

They were forced to share a hotel room after there was a mixup while they were on a case, and Tony told one person he slept on the room’s couch, while Ziva told someone else she slept on the couch. When they confront one another about that, it is revealed they both lied, implying they shared the bed.

It has never been confirmed on NCIS that anything other than sleeping happened between them, but if it did, it helps to explain why Tony and Ziva both think of Paris fondly. It also then makes sense that Tony would want to raise their daughter in the city where they first got together.

3

Tony And Ziva Kiss On The Tarmac

“Past, Present, And Future” Season 11, Episode 2

The only onscreen kiss that Tony and Ziva share as themselves instead of as undercover agents happens when Ziva is leaving NCIS.

When Ziva is missing in Israel, Tony travels there to locate her. Once he does, however, the two have a heart-to-heart, and Ziva decides she is not returning to NCIS. Though Cote de Pablo would return for more appearances later in the series, this is the last episode in which Tony and Ziva appear together.

Tony accepts Ziva’s decision and returns to NCIS. Before he leaves, however, the two say goodbye with a heated kiss on the tarmac outside of his plane.

It’s a more bitter than sweet moment for the characters because it’s them saying goodbye. It is a testament to how much they have grown, however, that they are able to kiss goodbye and live the lives that are meant for each of them instead of fighting about all of the possibilities.

The moment is a sad one for their romance, but an important one to help the audience believe that Tony would drop everything for their daughter two years later. Clearly, more happened between them off-camera during their last days together as they said goodbye.

2

Tony Tells Ziva He Couldn’t Live Without Her

“Truth Or Consequences” Season 7, Episode 1

It’s one of the most romantic moments for the pairing in NCIS because it is quintessential Ziva and Tony.

Though Ziva is an incredibly capable fighter, she finds herself stuck in tense situations multiple times. Kicking off season 7, Ziva has spent the hiatus since season 6 kidnapped and tortured.

Tony and McGee set out to find her, and along the way, they end up kidnapped by Mossad as part of the mission to retrieve her. While everything eventually turns out okay for all three of them, Ziva is shocked to find herself faced with Tony, who has also been tortured.

When Ziva asks Tony what he’s doing there and admonishes him for coming to look for her, Tony gives her a sarcastic response of “guess I couldn’t live without you.” Despite the sarcasm, it’s heartfelt and the truth of his feelings for her.

That’s because the episode sees Tony embodying the action genre trope of an agent spilling their guts after being pumped full of truth serum. Tony has no choice but to voice his feelings for Ziva, but he manages to do it in his own way.

It’s one of the most romantic moments for the pairing in NCIS because it is quintessential Ziva and Tony. They end up in dangerous situations, banter, deliver some sarcasm, but reveal their true feelings all in one fell swoop.

1

Tony Tells Ziva She Is Not Alone In Hebrew

“Shiva” Season 10, Episode 12

The most romantic moment for Tony and Ziva in NCIS actually comes from Tony and is the result of one of the most heartbreaking events in Ziva’s life.

Season 10 sees Ziva’s father murdered. At the time, her father is the last of her living relatives. Ziva lost her mother and sister when she was younger, she killed her own brother while helping NCIS get justice for the death of an agent, and then, she lost her father to an assassin.

When Ziva is taking her father’s body back to Israel, Tony takes time to speak with her. He knows that Ziva feels completely alone in the world, and he has been the one with a front-row seat to Ziva’s sadness and frustration at not being able to investigate.

That’s because Tony has Ziva stay with him when they believe her life might be in danger as well. So, before she gets on the plane, Tony makes sure to tell her, in Hebrew, “you are not alone.”

Tony wants Ziva to know that despite the sadness and loneliness she is feeling, he is there for her. Even though neither of them will admit it just yet, Tony wants Ziva to know how much he cares and that he will be there.

It is not lost on fans that so many of the most meaningful or romantic moments in Tony and Ziva’s time on NCIS happen following tragedy, but with Tony and Ziva starring in their own spin-off, there are more opportunities for more romance.

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