Ziva in NCISCBS (via MoviesStillsDb)
By
Ana Dumaraog
Published 23 minutes ago
Ana Dumaraog is an Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings. She has spearheaded the effort to make the site an authority on broadcast shows, initially starting with The Big Bang Theory franchise, NCIS, and One Chicago before taking on the specialization in general. Ana has also covered a wide-spread of topics in the past — from franchises like, the MCU and Star Wars, to classic TV favorites, such as Frasier and MASH.
Ana brings clarity and enthusiasm to every story she tackles—whether reporting on new releases or offering deep dives into fan-favorite franchises. Her coverage translates complex entertainment developments into engaging, audience-focused content.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapOn the heels of her return in NCIS, Roma Maffia wants to come back as Vera more regularly moving forward. When Cote de Pablo left as Ziva David in NCIS season 11, it left a massive void in the show. Besides being the beginning of the end of an era for the project, losing her also posed a major storytelling problem for the show, as CBS knew that it would be very difficult to fill the shoes that she left.
NCIS took its time finding the next permanent female detective in Leroy Jethro Gibbs' team, which eventually became Ellie Bishop. Before Emily Wickersham joined the show as a series regular, however, it introduced Maffia's Vera as Ziva's temporary but original replacement. 12 years after her initial debut, Maffia returned as Vera in NCIS season 23 as part of its crossover with NCIS: Origins. Beyond that, however, her fate in the present day is unknown.
When asked about her future, Maffia told TVInsider that she's actually eager to see Vera be part of the flagship on a more regular basis. Citing how “they write her so beautifully,” the actor highlights how NCIS can benefit from having Mike Franks' last partner as a prominent presence. Read her full comment below:
“I told them, she needs to be back on a regular basis.
I think it’s going to take two minutes to Vera to feel like, ‘Oh, no, I’m back now. What am I doing? Making another cup of tea.’ I think that she’s very motivated. I think she got a little taste. I mean, she’s not what she used to be. She’s not going to be running around chasing [suspects], but her brain and her street smarts, I think, are very advantageous for the team. In that way she has a lot to offer.
I think she very well could be waiting for her phone [to ring] or another knock at the door or an arrest or a warrant or anything they have to offer.
“There’s a level of humor that she brings that I find, the way they write it, very attractive, very real. I’d watch it."
When Vera was first introduced, she was mere days away from retiring. NCIS season 23 has confirmed that she eventually did, although the cold case from her time with Franks' NIS brought her back to the field. Interestingly, however, Vera made it clear that while she enjoyed solving the case, she preferred the slower pace of life as a retiree. This makes it trickier to bring her back the way Maffia suggested, although not entirely impossible.
Roma Maffia as Vera Strickland and Mark Harmon as Gibbs in NCIS
There are few ways to bring Maffia's Vera, given the current state of MCRT. Firstly, Director Leon Vance can tap her as a consultant, which means that the team reaches out to her if there's a particularly sensitive case. This keeps the door open for her appearance without the need to set up a whole explanation to justify it. Secondly, she could be the bridge that connects MCRT and Gibbs in Alaska. After all, she hinted that they have been in communication during her latest Navy Yard visit.
Arguably the biggest selling point to seeing Vera more regularly moving forward is how she can function as the connective tissue between the flagship and NCIS: Origins. With Gibbs retired and Franks dead, she's the only remaining character from the main cast of the prequel who can be part of NCIS' present-day storytelling without spoiling any of the twists in the period show. This is a good way to set up NCIS: Origins for long-term success, considering how popular its parent series continues to be.
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Like Follow Followed NCIS TV-14 Crime Drama Action
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8.8/10
Release Date
September 23, 2003
Network
CBS
Showrunner
Donald P. Bellisario
Directors
Dennis Smith, Terrence O'Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright
Cast
See All-
Sean Murray
Timothy McGee
-
David McCallum
Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard
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NCIS
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