If you look around, you will find it is almost a novelty for a real-life enduring romantic relationship. When it comes to the big screen or even the small screen, that relationship will not last more than a few years.
One romantic relationship I see that will last almost as long as Antony and Cleopatra is the one with Tony and Ziva. It started in 2005 and got renewed in the latest spin-off in the NCIS franchise, titled Tony and Ziva on CBS.
Granted, it has been an on again off again relationship for the viewer and the characters. However, last week we were treated to a romance between two characters who find time while co-parenting a ten-year-old and fight off evil villains that put the couple in impossible situations.
The television show NCIS (short for Naval Criminal Investigative Service) it had been on the air for three years when they introduced an Israeli Mossad agent named Ziva David. Almost immediately, the banter and hints of romance started to fly. The writers, actors, and directors saw that audiences wanted more of this couple’s escapades.
Here we are twenty years later, with audiences craving more of the childlike attitude of Tony NiNozzo (played by Michael Weatherly and kick-ass-ness of Ziva David (played by Cote de Pablo) an Israeli Mossad agent.
Ziva guest role extended for 17 seasons. Even after Cote de Pablo left the show, her character was mentioned periodically. Then, when Michael Weatherly’s character left the show, fans felt the way they were written out opened the door for a spinoff of them elsewhere.
What makes every romance or crime drama or procedural work is the mixture of conflict, humor and chemistry between the actors, directors and writers.
After Ziva and Tony had left NCIS, they were brought back for individual guest shots. Still, fans wanted more. We have got a ten – episode spin-off called Tony and Ziva.
The spin-off places Tony and Ziva in major cities throughout Europe. In the first three episodes, I got to watch, these two iconic characters work through shared parenting of their ten-year-old daughter while evading Interpol finding evidence against the bad guys who are making them look like the bad guys.
I am not going to give away any more about the show, but what they’ve done with this spin-off has ramped up the romance while giving Tony and Ziva insurmountable odds to overcome while protecting and being parents.
