Line #27 Recap/NCISS13E24


1	'''Season 13, Episode 24''':
2
3	!! Family First
4
5	Directed by Creator/TonyWharmby
6
7	Written by Creator/GaryGlasberg & Creator/ScottWilliams
8
9	NCIS, FBI, and [=MI6=] continue an international manhunt for an escaped British spy who is targeting current and former agents. Trent Kort has revealed his true colors as a traitor and killed many colleagues. His latest apparent victim, Ziva David, has touched off outrage at headquarters, and leaves Tony with the surprising news that there was a big secret she didn't tell him about. Tony seeks justice, and the rest of team plans to make Kort pay up.
10	-----
11	* AscendedFanon: Ziva naming her future daughter Tali after her deceased sister was a popular idea among fans, almost to the point where using it in fanfiction was seen as cliche.
12	* AssholeVictim: Trent Kort, responsible for the murders of [[Recap/NCISS13E21 Tom Morrow]], [[Recap/NCISS13E22 Jessica Terdei, and the attempted murder of Tobias Fornell]], and possibly Ziva David, finally gets killed by NCIS and friends.
13	* BaitAndSwitch: Just as Team Gibbs finds out that Ziva's farmhouse has been ambushed and burned to the ground, there are reports of a survivor. This is assumed to be Ziva, until Orli arrives with Tali.
14	* BearerOfBadNews: Abby and Tim, although they [[FridgeBrilliance probably volunteered]], as Gibbs wasn't too sensitive about it the [[Recap/NCISS07E01 last time,]] and it sent Tony into a [[HeroicBSoD mental tailspin.]]
15	* BilingualBonus: There is some gratuitous Hebrew in the episode; it appears Tali knows little English. Beyond the LukeYouAreMyFather scene listed below, there is also a scene in which Tali asks Tony for her "kelev," causing some distress for both when he doesn't know what that means. "Kelev" is Hebrew for "dog," though Tony has to figure this out by digging through the go-bag.
16	* BittersweetEnding: Tony has found purpose and direction in his life, something he has struggled with all season. But it has come at the expense of Ziva's life, leaving their daughter motherless and Tony raising her alone, as well as him retiring from NCIS.
17	* BusCrash: Apparently Ziva died in the explosion that destroyed the farmhouse. [[spoiler: It turns out she actually survived and went into hiding for three years]].
18	* CallBack:
19	** A photo of [[Recap/NCISS07E13 Tony and Ziva in Paris]] is found in Tali's go-bag.
20	** [[Recap/NCISS11E02 Ziva's scarf]] is also in the bag.
21	** Tony carries [[Recap/NCISS11E02 Ziva's necklace]] with him for the episode, before giving it to Tali.
22	** Gibbs looks at the wall of fallen agents while holding Ziva's badge and ID.
23	* DeadGirlJunior: Ziva and Tony's daughter is named "Tali", after Ziva's deceased sister.
24	* DeathNotification: Tim and Abby are the ones to arrive at Tony's apartment with the news, not unlike a military notification detail. Tony, being GenreSavvy, simply asks if it's been confirmed before they can even begin to tell him.
25	* DidTheyOrDidntThey: The answer is "yes." At least in Israel in season 11.
26	* FandomSpecificPlot: To the amusement and bewilderment of the fandom, the plot of this episode is almost identical to the predominant fanfiction trend post-"Past, Present, Future," right down to the secret child being a daughter, named Tali after Ziva's sister. The reaction from fans was half "Wow, they really went there, didn't they?" and half "Hey, I've read this fic!"
27	* FieryCoverup: The explosion at the farmhouse.
28	* HappyFlashback: Lots of Ziva flashbacks, mostly by Tony, but at least one by Gibbs.
29	* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Tali isn't wary or afraid of Tony in the slightest, even as he worries that he is a stranger to her. She confirms he's not, that she knows he's her ''abba,'' when she points him out in a picture that was presumably once in her and Ziva's home. To be able to recognize Tony from a picture means Ziva would have had to spend quite a bit of time sitting with Tali and pictures of Tony and telling her all about her ''abba'' and how he is a person to be trusted. Also, that picture is framed, implying it was displayed somewhere Tali could regularly see it, which is why she recognizes it.
30	* HeroicBSOD: Tony has one in the bullpen upon hearing of Ziva's death.
31	* ImprobableInfantSurvival: According to Orli, Tali's room wasn't harmed in the fire and she was able to survive. Mortar-fire. That destroyed the ''rest'' of the house and was classified as a terrorist attack. And Tali has no burns or smoke inhalation.
32	** Many viewers also found it strange that Tali's room would be far enough from Ziva's that she would survive while Ziva didn't (Tali being only about two years old).
33	* InferredSurvival: There are a ''lot'' of holes in the plot surrounding Ziva's death, which was pointed out pretty quickly by the fandom. WordOfGod says that the wording and lines for the episode were written very carefully, suggesting that these holes were meant the be there. It's implied at the end of the episode that Tony does not believe she's dead. He tells Gibbs that he is taking Tali to Israel to search for answers, and then to Paris, because "Ziva loves Paris" (present tense).
34	* LanguageBarrier: Tony finds there is one between him and Tali, whose first language appears to be Hebrew.
35	* {{Leitmotif}}/LoveTheme: Tony and Ziva's leitmotif plays in the background during Tony's flashback scene after he finds Ziva's scarf in the go-bag. "Aliyah" plays in the background when Tony gives Ziva's Star of David to Tali. Ventures into SimpleScoreOfSadness territory in both scenes.
36	* LoveConfessor: While strolling Tali with Tim in the Park, Tony tells Tim that he always had a thing for Ziva.
37	---> '''Tony''': I loved her, Tim.
38	** Abby tells Tony that she knew that Ziva loved him.
39	* LukeYouAreMyFather: Mossad Director Elbaz tells Tony that there was a survivor among the ruins of the David farmhouse, a little girl, Ziva's daughter and presumably Tony's. Tali later confirms this while looking at a photo of Tony and Ziva in Paris:
40	---> '''Tali''': ''(points to Ziva)'' Ima. ''(points to Tony)'' Abba.
41	* ManHug: Tony with Gibbs, Palmer, and [=McGee=].
42	* MoreDakka: Kort gets taken out by six guns at once.
43	* NeverFoundTheBody
44	* NewChildLeftBehind: Tony finds out Ziva had been pregnant when he left for the US in "Past, Present, Future."
45	* NothingPersonal: Kort tries to justify to [=DiNozzo=] the death of Ziva.
46	** ItsPersonal: [=McGee=]'s rebuttal to Kort's justification because he was responsible for killing Ziva.
47	* NoYou: When Gibbs says that [=DiNozzo=] can't help with the search for Kort as Ziva "was more than an agent" to Him, an angry Tony shoots back that Ziva was like a daughter to Gibbs, and a sister to [=McGee=] and Abby.
48	* {{Passing the Torch}}: [=DiNozzo=] declares [=McGee=] as "Very Special Agent" as he resigns.
49	---> '''Tony''': I have five words for you, "Very Special Agent Timothy [=McGee=]".
50	* PromotionToParent: Tony finds himself taking custody of Tali, his and Ziva's lovechild, after Ziva dies. It's one of the reasons why he decides to retire from NCIS.
51	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Against Trent Kort.
52	** VengeanceFeelsEmpty: Played with. Tony spends much of the episode seeking revenge for Ziva's death. The rest of the team is happy to help him out. [=McGee=] even calls him once they track Kort down to make sure ''Tony'' is the one who is able to take him in. Tony gets his revenge by killing Kort, but tells Gibbs later that when [=McGee=] called him, he no longer wanted revenge--he wanted to take care of his daughter.
53	* ShipperOnDeck: After years of "Rule 12," it's revealed that Gibbs understands and is accepting of Tony and Ziva's relationship. When the news reports there's a survivor, Tony tells the team he can't stay. Gibbs says he knows and tells [=McGee=] to get Tony a plane to Israel. Later in the episode, he tells Tony during his meltdown in the bullpen that this wasn't an ordinary agent death, as Ziva was more than a fellow agent to Tony.
54	* SinkOrSwimFatherhood: Tony suddenly finds himself the sole parent of a toddler.
55	* SuddenlyShouting: Tony gets flippant towards Gibbs for not doing enough to track down Kort, who ordered the hit on Ziva.
56	---> '''Tony''': We've lost agents before, haven't we, and when we do, it's [[PunctuatedPounding ALL! HANDS! ON! DECK!]]
57	* StrongFamilyResemblance: It's noted several times by different characters how much Tali looks like her mother.
58	* TheDreadedPretendTeaParty: Averted by Senior, of all people. He not only holds a tea party with his granddaughter, he insists Tony brew actual tea for it.
59	* TitleDrop: Ducky drops the episode title while talking to Gibbs, reminding him not to forget his priorities.
60	---> '''Ducky''': Family First, Jethro.
61	* TragicKeepsake: Ziva's Star of David appears again in this episode. First with Tony holding it as he looks at news footage and worries, then again when he pulls it out of his pocket to pass it on to their daughter.
62	* TurnInYourBadge: Tony turns in his badge and gun to Director Vance and resigns from NCIS to take care of his daughter.
63	* UncomfortableElevatorMoment: Abby tells Tony that she's going to miss him, tearing up as she does. They hug.
64	* WhamEpisode: Emotional roller coaster from start to finish.
65	* WhamLine: "Tali is Ziva's daughter. [[PromotionToParent And your daughter, Tony]]."

Context Recap / NCISS13E24