NCIS fans dreading the looming departure of leading lady Cote de Pablo, we present you with some blow-cushioning good news: The show isn’t shipping Ziva off in a body bag.

Executive producer Gary Glasberg confirms to TVLine that the actress’ two-episode swan song (kicking off in the Sept. 24 season premiere) will not culminate with her alter ego’s death.

“It’s not what this character deserves,” Glasberg shares. “Also, [we killed off] Sasha Alexander’s Kate character [back in Season 2] and I like the idea of doing this one a little different and respecting who [Ziva] is.”

To that end, Glasberg promises viewers will get a rare peek at “what makes Ziva tick” in the two-part swan song, adding, “In the second episode we learn why she’s going to make the decision she’s going to make… We put a lot into that storyline, so I hope it works for people.”

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Question: Any other hints on Ziva’s exit on NCIS? —Cheryl
Ausiello: Her send-off will be a love letter to Tiva ‘shippers. “We’re going to deliver everything the Tiva fans would want,” assures exec producer Gary Glasberg of Cote de Pablo’s two-episode swan song. “There’s tremendous romance and tremendous heart and pathos, and I hope fans enjoy it. We’re going to do our best.”

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Leslie Hope is set to make a big splash on CBS’ NCIS.

TVLine has learned exclusively that the beloved 24 alum has booked a guest-starring role on TV’s most watched drama, playing Sarah Porter, a high-level Navy official, in the second episode of Season 11, titled “Past, Present, Future.”

And though Hope will appear in just the one episode, her role “is one that has tremendous importance in the NCIS world,” show boss Gary Glasberg reports. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have joining us at this pivotal time than Leslie. We’re thrilled to have her.”

Famously felled early on during 24‘s nine-season run, Hope’s more recent TV credits include Revolution, ABC’s one-and-done The River and an arc on The Mentalist.

NCIS premieres Season 11 on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

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NCIS’s Thanksgiving episode will address the sadness surrounding Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), who is spending his first holiday season without his murdered spouse, Jackie. “We’ll be casting the father of Vance’s wife,” says executive producer Gary Glasberg. “We think it will really have some resonance.”

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‘NCIS’ BOSS: ‘EVERYONE HAS TO WATCH THE FIRST TWO EPISODES’
I hear ya, NCIS fans. The departure of Cote de Pablo is an unfortunate turn of events, to say the least. NCIS EP Gary Glasberg was “saddened” by the situation, too, telling me earlier this week during CBS’ annual bash for television critics that “it’s the last thing we planned on.” That said, he promised, ”At the end of the day, I’m really happy with what we came up with. Everyone has to watch the first two episodes.”

Why? Well, for one, he teased, the episodes were completely reworked in order to accommodate this curve ball. ”I literally had to lock myself away and everything I was planning on had to be blown out and I had to start all over again,” he says of the news, which came after plans for the season had already begun. “Again, it’s not what we had hoped for. This family — this NCIS family that exists between [the characters] — is so special and so unique, and this was Cote’s decision and we have to respect that … but some really fantastic work is going to come out of what occurred. We have some really terrific stuff planned for the year.”

So what ARE those plans? For one, Ziva will be “prominent” in the second episode of the season and “it’s a really touching, emotional story and I promise the viewers will not be disappointed — especially the Tiva fans, as we say. I hope it’s everything they want it to be.”

He adds: “I want some of it to be a surprise, but I think people will be pleased at the end of the day with where it’s left both emotionally and psychologically — and not only for Tony, but Gibbs, Abby, and everybody. That’s a big part of what I was taking into consideration — really understanding how the people and the fans are so connected to our characters. You really have to honor that.”

Who’s already crying?

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On NCIS, do you think “Tiva” will be together in the end? Or do you think it’ll be a kiss and then she leaves? I don’t think I could handle a depressed Tony if they weren’t together. –Samantha
Michael Weatherly hears your concern, and shares his own hope that Cote de Pablo’s double-episode send-off “is as cathartic and therapeutic for the fans as it was for me shooting it.” As for the oft-promised “appropriate closure,” this is all DiNozzo’s portrayer would tease: “When you want something for so long, and you want and you want and you want, and it almost gets warped because you’ve wanted it for maybe longer than anybody should ever want anything, and it’s sitting five feet from you in an office…. When that is dealt with, a dam breaks and it creates a fresh new and most importantly dynamic element to the show. That eight-year ‘holding pattern’ will be dealt with, but more important than that is what happens next. Where does Tony go after that? And [the answer to that] is the most exciting thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

I am looking for a job and I am a huge fan of NCIS. Can I take Ziva’s job? It looks like fun and I sure need that in my life! –Cheryl
Sure, just get behind the 50-year-old lady who’s at the head of the line of candidates.

I would like these ladies to take Ziva’s place: Kate Beckinsale and Milla Jovovich. –Clinton
What, no love for Cheryl above…?

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So, how will NCIS actually write Ziva’s exit from the show? — Samantha
ADAM: Given that Ziva was one of three agents who resigned to protect Gibbs, it actually won’t be that far-fetched. The season will open with a two-parter that features Colin Hanks returning to threaten Gibbs, prompting a team reunion. “Ziva is out in the ether and Tony has to go off and find her,” executive producer Gary Glasbgerg says. “The second episode is really all about Tony and Ziva, and, I hope, delivers all the things the Tiva fans are going to want.” Adds Michael Weatherly: “The will they/won’t they is answered. Tony’s going to be forced to face this Sword of Damocles that’s been hanging over him since Season 3.” That’s Greek for “they’re totally gonna do it,” right?

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Question: Any news on a replacement for Ziva on NCIS? —Cathy
Ausiello: Yep, and pretty big news at that. As exec producer Gary Glasberg revealed to Matt Mitovich Monday night, it’s going to be “a little while” before a full-time agent is brought in to fill the void left by Cote de Pablo. But in the meantime, the show — taking a page from Bones‘ squintern playbook — will “rotate some fun people” through the agency’s doors. “The first two episodes are all about Ziva’s departure,” Glasberg notes. “And then in the third episode we introduce, for instance, a woman in her 50s who is a few days away from retirement and just needs to fill the desk time. She, in theory, knew Gibbs all the way back to the days of Mike Franks. So we’re going to bring in people like that and have some fun with different characters. And then, hopefully, when people are comfortable enough, one will walk in and be The One.”

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Yesterday at his Television Critics Association press tour panel, CBS President Leslie Moonves talked about Cote de Pablo’s exit from NCIS and how the network did all it could to keep her on board.

Soon afterward, meanwhile, I grabbed some one-on-one time with showrunner Gary Glasberg to talk specifics about the surprise departure.

Exactly how many episodes will the beloved de Pablo appear in? Will Tiva fans be satisfied? And what happens to the NCIS team after Ziva David leaves the show? Read on for all the answers…

Cote de Pablo as Ziva

TV Fanatic: You probably heard what Les said this morning about basically giving de Pablo a truck full of money to stay but she’s still leaving…
Gary Glasberg: That is absolutely true. I think I was quoted many times months ago saying that I was positive that this was going to work out and I really was. To get to the point where we were a few days before prep and to suddenly be thrown what happened, I had to gut everything and start all over again.

The storyline where we left Gibbs [in the season finale] still plays but basically the first two episodes are this interwoven storyline of the Gibbs story and now the Ziva story and the second episode she plays very prominently in and then that’s her last episode.

So I locked myself away and I came up with this storyline and I’m pleased with it. I think it will be satisfied for all the fans but the Tony-Ziva fans especially. Look, she’s a part of this group and a part of this family and team but everybody respects this decision and we’ve got to move on.

She’s in the first two [episodes] and then…I feel like there’s a mourning period that has to happen. I can’t just put somebody else in there. As I’ve said to many people, I can’t replace her, I can’t replace Ziva David but what I can do at some point I can find someone who fills a new void and something new that adds to the group.

I think we’re going to take a nice long break, basically, and let the team in the show as well as the cast adjust to what’s happened but eventually Vance is going to look at that desk and say ‘it’s empty and we have to fill it.’ And then we’ll find somebody.

Honestly, I think people are excited about it, I know the writers are. I think they’re excited about having something new to play and it opens up all kinds of doors. I think Michael Weatherly would say the same thing. He’s basically, in the second episode, he goes and finds her and they end up spending real time together. I genuinely wanted to deliver everything I wanted to the fans knowing that this is kind of it.

TVF: Is the door left open?
GG: I don’t want to specifically say what happens to her but I’ll tell you I think that people will be very satisfied where it’s left. And all the Tiva chemistry, I think it will all deliver. There are some lovely, fantastic scenes in that episode.

And then we’ll pick up Episode 3 with Gibbs saying to Tony, “We’ve got a job to do,” in his usual Gibbs way and then we’ll get back into it. But then there’s going to be this fun…I wanted to keep it entertaining for people and there’s going to be this fun rotation of people of women coming and going. Everyone from an older agent about to retire…this curmudgeonly woman who literally is three days away from retirement and just needs to burn some time up at a desk. We’ll play it lightly like that and eventually when people will least expect it something will happen and hopefully someone will walk in and that will be the one.

NCIS Season 11 premiere September 24th on CBS.

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