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NCIS: Tony and Ziva: Action-packed, Romantic and Charmingly Persuasive.

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So, it’s officially been over a week since NCIS: Tony and Ziva premiered, and truth be told, I’m still processing. I’ve had every single episode on repeat multiple times since 4th September, so much so that I have almost every single scene fully etched into my brain. I’ve watched all four episodes at least six or seven times already because I just can’t get enough – give me a few weeks or so and I’ll very likely be able to recite them all from memory.

As a long time Tiva fan, I had high hopes for this show, as I am sure most of us did, and it’s safe to say that it has already surpassed every expectation. It is far more than I could have ever wanted and wished for, and there are still six episodes to go. Four episodes in and this show is knocking my socks off in ways I couldn’t have imagined. There’s plenty of romance, epic action sequences – car chases, fights and even self-driving killer automobiles (no, I’m not kidding!), and the humour is absolutely spot-on with some of the best one-liners I have ever heard in a show. With quotes like “Does a babushka wear a headscarf?” and “We have friends and family at this wedding. They’re pathetic and fragile,” I have lost count of how many times I’ve cackled out loud, and I find myself grinning ear-to-ear with every episode.

Before the show premiered, I was unsure as to what to expect going into it. With Tony and Ziva being transported into an entirely new setting, it was easy to worry that the chemistry and magic that made them so brilliant on the mothership wouldn’t be the same. But there’s no reason to fear. Their chemistry is undeniable and better in a million and one ways. Everything that made them exciting to watch on the mothership is ever present and in full force, and their spark is sizzling hotter than ever.

I absolutely adore the fact that this show has broken the classic NCIS formula of episodic procedural, and instead allows for a deeper exploration into the relationship between these two characters; something which fans were pleading to have for decades. The flashbacks execute the ‘filling in the gaps’ perfectly – allowing us to see their life as a couple after Ziva reunites with Tony and Tali in Paris, and they slowly reveal what happened with their relationship (and the reason why it broke down), until we find them where they are today: on the run.

You’re probably asking: well, just how different is it to the mothership? The answer: very. The ghastly tangerine walls of the Navy Yard squad room have been replaced with the most beautiful European backdrops, which only serve to enhance the beautiful storytelling and exceptional writing. It’s true, the show is more romantic spy thriller than crime drama, but it is in the best of ways. There is something in this show for absolutely everyone, whether you’re a long time fan or a newcomer being introduced to these characters for the very first time (and if you are brand new, don’t worry – there’s an incredible montage at the beginning of episode 1 to bring you up to speed with the intricate history of these characters.)

If you’re a lifelong ‘Tiva’ lover as they are so eloquently named and the original show stopped feeling like your NCIS after they left (as I read in one review), then this show is without a doubt, 100% for you. Tony and Ziva are still Tony and Ziva, but are supported by a wonderful ensemble of new characters that are so easy to fall in love with. It’s action-packed, romantic and charmingly persuasive, and it truly feels like they’ve captured lightning in a bottle.

[I’ll also be breaking down every individual episode with my thoughts – as when I my brain starts functioning again!]

Entertainment, Films and Television

Tiva Spin-Off: NCIS’ OG Ship Are Getting Their Own Show!

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Yes! That’s right – you heard me! Tony and Ziva are getting their own spinoff and I am practically vibrating with excitement! I know that if you’re reading this, the news has been out for a while – almost two months, but truthfully, it has taken me this long to process it; to gather my words into coherent sentences to explain exactly how I feel about this… and even then, I feel like the words that I write here cannot do justice to how overwhelmingly elated I am.

If you read my post back in January about my preliminary thoughts on NCIS: Origins, you’ll know that I have been a long time lover of the mothership for almost as long as it has been airing. For a large portion of my adolescence and teens, it was my favourite show, and I would sit down religiously every single week to witness my favourite crime-fighting, ass-kicking team in action. That was, until, the departure of Ziva David (Cote De Pablo), in season 11.

When Cote left NCIS, I was heartbroken. I had never been so deeply devastated by something before in my entire life, and I can only describe the depth of the despair and sadness I felt as something akin to grief. It’s hard when you build a sentimental and emotional attachment to a character, to have them suddenly ripped from your grasp, because it genuinely feels as though you’re saying goodbye to a friend or family member for the last time. You invite these characters into your homes for years, and the moment they are not there anymore, you certainly notice their absence. And this was the hardest television goodbye I had ever had to go through.

But, it wasn’t just Ziva David I was saying goodbye to. It also meant saying a very heavy farewell to the ‘ship’ called “Tiva” [Tony + Ziva]. If you’ve been a long-time fan of NCIS, then you’re probably very familiar with this duo and their magnetic energy, the sexual tension, longing looks from across the bullpen, jealousy, fights, and the two of them constantly teetering on the line of being just friends and something more. It’s a ship that I hopped on board with before I even knew that the term ‘shipping’ meant, and it’s one that I sailed, through hell and high water, for almost a decade. And the heartbreak of letting them go was equally as devastating.

As fans, all we ever wanted throughout the course of their run on the show together was for Tiva to be together, and by season 10 we were incredibly close to finally having our dreams come true. But, as anybody in the Tiva fandom will tell you: it felt like the writers hated us, and hated this ship. They couldn’t even consider the possibility of the two of them actually being together, and so just as they dangled the carrot, it was brutally ripped from our grasp. We were teased time and time again with these small moments of Tiva being in love but never truly admitting their feelings for one another… and just when we thought they would and the writers would finally allow them to cross that line, they did a complete 180.

[Note: The writers have claimed in the past that if Cote had stayed, Tiva would have happened eventually and that we ‘were not that far off from having it happen’, but truthfully, as a fandom, we found (and still find) this very hard to believe in. Our trauma and trust issues with these writers run deep.]

Then, of course, our dreams seemed entirely impossible. Because how can these two characters even get together when Ziva is no longer there? They gave us some heartbreakingly beautiful moments in “Past, Present, and Future,” and yet, after having waited eight years for this to happen, it just didn’t feel like enough. There was no true love confession. There was simply a kiss in the poorest lighting, to commemorate this moment.

Skip forward two years later, to the end of season 13. Michael Weatherly is leaving the show. The ‘Tony’ of Tiva was going for good… but of course, being Tiva fans, we held onto the small inch of hope that our dreams could still come true. And in some ways, they did. Tony and Ziva ended up with a daughter, Tali – confirmation that what we had always wanted to happen, happened! But, remember when I said that the writers hated us and hated the ship? Of course they had to add in a big screw you, by killing the character of Ziva (off-screen), to make the event of a reunion between Tony and Ziva virtually impossible. (But even impossible things come true sometimes…)

But still, though it seemed like the ship had sunk to the very bottom of the ocean, we held out the tiny wavering thread of possibility that someday, somehow, it might still happen. We dived deep into the plot holes, pulling apart everything that could possibly signal that they hadn’t completely betrayed us and the character. ‘Ziva loves Paris.’ (Emphasis on the present tense). No body, no crime. And most of all: Ziva would not have been that reckless. (If you’re a Ziva or Tiva fan, you know…)

And while this was somewhat remedied during Ziva’s return arc in season 17 – as it turns out she was in fact alive and in hiding, and not dead like most people had previously believed (everyone except us Tiva fans!), and ended with her reuniting off screen with Tony and Tali in Paris, we just wish there had been so much more. Because knowing is one thing. But seeing it with your own eyes, is another.

This yet-to-be-titled show is all we, as Tiva fans, have ever wanted and more. It has been eleven years since we last saw them on screen together, and we have ached for this moment ever since. Even in January’s post, I mentioned how if I had things my way, Tiva would get a spinoff of their own! (I’m actually sitting here cackling with laughter, because little did I know what was going to be announced just over two months later… am I clairvoyant? Was it my Gibbs’ gut?)

To outsiders, this spinoff may seem unnecessary, or as though we are overly invested in it, but when two characters and their (at times, tragic), love story have been a part of you and shaped your life for nearly two decades, is there any other way to be? The purpose of this spinoff is not about the money. It’s not about being ‘relevant’ (but, for us Tiva fans, they always are…). It’s for the fans who have spent their lives loving and adoring this couple from the moment they appeared on screen, yearning for them to be together. (And the fact that it will be airing on Paramount+ rather than on prime time television also bodes extremely well for us, because of the greater possibilities they now have content-wise… spicy scenes and swearing? Is that on the horizon?!)

It doesn’t matter if others don’t understand how monumental of a moment this is for us. We know.

But, the thing that makes me vibrate with excitement even more than the idea of the spinoff, is the fact that it will be run by the captains of the ship – Michael Weatherly and Cote De Pablo. They are at the helm of the boat, steering Tiva’s journey out of the harbour. And, unlike the mothership writers, we have complete faith and trust in them and in the voyage upon which we are about to embark. They love the characters of Tony and Ziva as much as we do, and we have never been more certain that Tiva’s love story is in safe hands.

Ship: to take an interest in or hope for a romantic relationship between (fictional characters or famous people), whether or not the romance actually exists.

Photo: Richard Foreman/CBS/Getty Images

film and tv review, Films and Television, Reviews

Adaptation Review: Daisy Jones and the Six | Amazon Prime

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Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

When the news broke that Daisy Jones and the Six was going to be made into a miniseries, I couldn’t wait. While the book was not my favourite, I was excited at the prospect of the adaptation. As the novel is written as an interview with the members after the band’s breakup, documenting their journey from the beginning, to their success, and their downfall, I envisioned that the whole story would be brought to life on screen in the way that a book cannot do. Being able to physically hear the dialogue of these characters if they were being interviewed would make it feel so real that it would be impossible to remember that they’re fictional.

I was expecting to be blown away, and yet, I got two episodes into the series and I found myself not liking it at all.

Often people say that reading a book before watching the film/series can be somewhat of a curse. Readers tend to build up an image of what things look like in their head, and many times what they picture – in terms of characters and settings – never make it onto the big screen. Which, I found was the case with Daisy Jones.

Firstly, I think the casting directors did an excellent job choosing Riley Keough for the role, because she perfectly captures the chaotic mess that is Daisy , and I don’t think I could have selected anybody better for the part. Riley was exactly how I pictured Daisy to look, with her flaming red hair, and exquisite features, even before the adaptation was announced. However, when it comes to other characters – Billy Dunn, Camila, etc. there was just something that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Of course, I have nothing against the actors chosen for these roles – and I think Sam Claflin is a brilliant actor in his own right, but I imagined Billy with a Kurt Cobain look/vibe and he didn’t scream Billy to me. And while I wasn’t disappointed with Suki Waterhouse, she just wasn’t the Karen I had imagined in my head.

But, truthfully, I don’t think the casting was the problem for me, as even if the characters don’t look exactly as I imagine, I can usually get on board with their performances, especially if they’re good ones.

In fact, I think the whole thing was just way too slow. I know from reading the book that it isn’t the most fast-paced narrative, but literally nothing happens in the first two episodes of the series. I kept watching, and waiting, and yet, I got to the end of each and found myself disappointed. In the book, Daisy and the band meet relatively quickly into the story, and yet, at the end of the second installment their paths still hadn’t crossed. While I think background is important with stories set in previous eras as historical context is important, there was just way too much in these episodes and not enough plot pushing the story forward. I wanted more and wanted something to keep me interested, but my intrigue faded rather fast, hence why I finished the second episode and made it no further.

But, I have to admit that the soundtrack is FIRE. “…Regret Me” and “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” are two of my absolute favorites, and I adore the fact that they released an album alongside the adaptation, as it really immerses you in the story. I was surprised by how good Sam Claflin is as a singer, and Riley Keough too, though I wasn’t too surprised considering her grandfather was Elvis Presley… music is basically in her genes. Even if you haven’t seen the series or read the book, I highly recommend listening to ‘Aurora’ on Spotify. If you like 70s alternative indie/rock/folk then you’ll love the songs included on the album!

Perhaps it’s a crazy idea, but I feel like this would have made an excellent adaptation in the form of a radio drama or podcast. The mixture of the band interviews and the music would have been brilliant to listen to, without the constraints or needing to include all of the other information like in an audio book, straight from the page.

I have had many people tell me to stick with it because apparently it gets better, but I feel like unless the story is a thriller with massive twists and turns and an excellent payoff, then each episode up until the ‘good bit’ or the part of Daisy Jones that I’m waiting for, feels wasted until that moment. Maybe I’ll try and revisit this again in the future once I get through my lengthy list of other adaptations waiting for me, but for now, the overall series is only getting 2 and a half stars from me.