When an actor is ready to leave their show, especially if the production is a serialized drama, the writing room might choose to kill off their character. It’s messy and always excessive but it’s fairly common — just ask the folks over at “Grey’s Anatomy” — so it wouldn’t be surprising if someone with only a passing knowledge of “NCIS” would assume that Special Agent Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) is dead as a doornail. But while the character stopped appearing after Season 13, he actually isn’t dead — in fact, he’s now a daddy. While the remaining special agents fought crime, DiNozzo learned how to change diapers.
In Season 13, Episode 24, “Family First,” which is often listed among the best “NCIS” episodes, DiNozzo discovers that he had a daughter with Special Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) and, instead of trying to juggle police work and a newborn child, he opts to focus all of his attention on her. In fairness, his decision is influenced by his belief that David is dead, which would be proven untrue. David was actually undercover, attempting to protect her remaining family. This ensured that their daughter had someone around to protect and parent her, so that’s nice. In Season 17, David rejoins DiNozzo and their daughter, but this is done out of the sight of audience members; as of this writing, Weatherly still has yet to return to “NCIS.”
DiNozzo dipped because Michael Weatherly needed a change of pace
Cote de Pablo’s final episode as Ziva David in Season 17 was actually a brief return for the actor, who also departed the series in Season 13. Had Michael Weatherly not been tied up with CBS’ “Bull” at the time, it seems likely that he would have returned as well so that both of their characters would have enjoyed a little more closure. But Weatherly left “NCIS” because the actor was desperate for a change of pace. What’s more, he’s publicly content with where Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo left things. Speaking at a press event in 2016 (via The Hollywood Reporter), Weatherly said he wanted to move on after 13 years of nonstop filming. “It really felt like a circle that had gone all the way around,” he explained. “And I really felt happy with the resolution of character and my time on the show.”
It is a testament to Weatherly’s popularity that his character continues to happily exist offscreen in the world of “NCIS.” Should he ever wish to reappear, he’s seemingly primed to do so. In addition, fans have spent the last decade clamoring for his return. Recently, Weatherly sparked rumors of more Tony and Ziva content by responding to a fan’s tweets by telling them to “stay tuned.” Nothing concrete has yet to develop, but one should never say never when it comes to the odds of fan-favorite characters returning to long-running shows.