Since it was announced, fans have wondered if we can expect any crossovers in theNCIS: Tony & Zivaspinoff. At the San Diego Comic-Con panel for the upcoming series, whichScreenRant’s Rachel Foertsch attended, showrunner John McNamara teased that that is indeed what theNCIS: Tony & Zivaspinoff, which just dropped a new SDCC trailer, is already setting up.
As he explained regardingNCIS: Tony & Ziva, the spinoff won’t be one of those spinoffs where the characters and story ignore what came before and refuse to acknowledge their flagship series. In fact, it will be quite the opposite, and if fans' excitement atNCISstar Brian Dietzen moderating theTony & Zivapanel in a mini-crossoveris anything to go by, that’s smart. Said McNamara:
“Characters are called out by name several times in a very loving, sometimes very sarcastic way. But as we were filming those scenes, I thought we were almost setting the stage for exactly what you’re talking about.”
What This Means For The NCIS: Tony & Ziva Spinoff
The Spinoff Is Already Setting The Stage
Though it seemed likely, there’s no guarantee thatNCIS: Tony & Zivawould cross over with the originalNCIS. For starters, it’s possible that McNamara and the rest of the creative team behind the new series may want the spinoff to stand on its own for the first season, creating the need to separate itself a bit fromNCISwhile it’s busy establishing itself.
There’s also the issue that theTony & Zivaspinoff is streaming exclusively on Paramount+, not CBS likeNCIS. While that wouldn’t necessarily preclude anyone from watching a crossover if they haven’t watched the spinoff, it certainly makes a crossover story harder – just ask Marvel how it worked out when understanding their movies started requiring audiences to be caught up on the Disney+ shows.
The fact that the spinoff is already thinking ahead for a potential crossover, though, is really promising. Of course, that’s not confirmation of one happening, but the seeds are clearly there. It would be a wasted opportunity not to cross the two shows over, as it would almost certainly be a ratings slam-dunk, with fans tuning in to see their old favorites share the screen once again.
Our Take On A Potential Tony & Ziva & NCIS Crossover
It Finally Gives Us Something The Prequel Series Could Never
It’s really exciting to think about a crossover, even if one already seemed rather inevitable. WhileNCIS' first spinoff,NCIS: Origins,offers something really unique in that audiences get to see Leroy Jethro Gibb’s origin story as a young NIS agent and young versions ofNCIScharacters we’ve grown to love, it’s also limited in that it’s a prequel.
It’s not as thoughOriginscan cross over withNCIS, after all. Unless NCIS suddenly wanted to go off-the-grid and start incorporatingX-Files-like themes of time travel and alternate universes, a crossover is literally impossible.NCIS: Tony & Zivafinally offers us an opportunity for something we’ve been waiting a long time for: a properNCIScrossover with a great story for all the characters.
