‘NCIS’ Season 13 Spoilers: Will Ziva And Tony Reunite? Cote de Pablo Reveals If She’s In Michael Weatherly’s Last Episode

Goodbye episodes can bring back fan favorite characters to big TV shows, but it doesn’t seem like that’ll happen on “NCIS” Season 13. When Tony sings his swan song, his former love interest Ziva will not be there. Actress Cote de Pablo reportedly confirmed her absence Sunday.

During a Q&A session at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, de Pablo spoke about her film “The 33,” but she also took a few questions about her eight years on “NCIS.” The actress called Tony’s portrayer Michael Weatherly a “dear, dear friend,” but hinted that she didn’t get along with everyone else on the CBS drama. De Pablo, who exited the series in Season 11, revealed that creative differences lead to her departure.

“Until someone can really write something fantastic for her, I won’t go back,” she told the audience. Watch more of her comments in the videos below:

Ziva might not be on screen for Tony’s final “NCIS” episode, but she will play a part in it. Showrunner Gary Glasberg teased that Tony can’t say goodbye without at least acknowledging his former love. “The relationship that Tony has with Ziva absolutely has an impact on his reason to depart at the end of the season,” he told the Hollywood Reporter last week. “Ziva is a huge part of who Tony is and at the at the end of the day, that comes into play. You'll have to wait and see how it unfolds but it's a part of the big story.”

Tony’s final episode will air May 17. As previously reported, it will feature a big case that brings NCIS together with the FBI and MI-6 in order to find a British spy who is targeting other agents. Unfortunately, there aren’t many details about why exactly Tony chooses to leave the team after 13 years.

Luckily, Michael Weatherly fans won’t be missing the actor for long. He’ll likely return to CBS next season in “Bull,” a new drama produced by Dr. Phil McGraw.