Michael Weatherly Responds To DiNozzo's NCIS Season 21 Return With BTS Photo

"NCIS" may have had its saddest episode to date with "The Stories We Leave Behind," which addresses the death of longtime team member Ducky, mirroring the real-life passing of his actor, David McCallum. Fans were expecting some big surprises for the major development, with many understandably disappointed Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon) couldn't make it back to honor his colleague. 

Fortunately, there was one surprise return of a huge original character, with Michael Weatherly returning as Tony DiNozzo, and now, the actor's sharing a bit of what it was like to return to "NCIS."

Being back on #NCIS was truly Amazing. 🙏 to @BrianDietzen @CBS & @ncisverse Seeing everyone behind the camera was a box of treasure: one glorious shining jewel was @DanielaRuah who is directing up a storm! #Ducky would have loved all the smiles! Gotta go- there's work to do! pic.twitter.com/al8vVpEDdy

— Michael Weatherly (@M_Weatherly) February 20, 2024

The actor left the series after Season 13, so his comeback has been long awaited. He sounds ecstatic to be back based on his post to X (formerly known as Twitter) that shows him standing alongside "NCIS: Los Angeles" star and director Daniela Ruah. DiNozzo first appeared on "NCIS" for its very first episode, so it was nice to see an original cast member come back to pay respects. DiNozzo even comforts Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), who was particularly close with Ducky and was the one to discover his body. It's a heart-wrenching episode, but hopefully, Weatherly's return made it go down smoother for longtime viewers.

While fans have gotten a taste of an "NCIS" reunion on "The Stories We Leave Behind," they clearly want more. X user @thierryiverson wrote under Michael Weatherly's post, "I hope whatever work you have in progress, involves a certain Chilean." It's a clear reference to Cote de Pablo, who played Ziva David for many years on "NCIS" but also left. Ziva and Tony were a couple for quite a while, so if Tony's back, it may not be long until Ziva follows suit. Naturally, Weatherly kept things vague in response: "The universe works in mysterious ways ..."

Tony and Ziva certainly went through a lot toward the end of their time on the NCIS team. It was initially believed Ziva was dead, with Tony discovering the two had a daughter together whom Ziva kept hidden. Tony left the team to raise the child, with the Ducky tribute episode being his first appearance on the show since Season 13. Meanwhile, it was discovered Ziva wasn't dead but instead went into hiding. She originally left in Season 11 but returned for a brief arc across Seasons 16 and 17. It was eventually stated that Tony and Ziva got back together. 

Even though Tony comes back for "NCIS" Season 21, he keeps things relevant to the task at hand. He doesn't get into his personal life, like what he and Ziva have been up to. Perhaps there will be room for more stories concerning the two down the road. If nothing else, his cameo is a good reminder that Tony DiNozzo is still out there and always has his old team's back.