Ziva is back on 'NCIS' and she's in serious danger

Patrick Devine
Updated

Tuesday's NCIS Season 17 premiere was a non-stop thrill ride filled with action, suspense, and the epic return of fan-favorite Ziva David, played by Cote de Pablo. Thought to have died in an explosion in the Season 13 finale, Ziva shocked fans when she mysteriously resurfaced at the end last season's finale.

Picking up where last season left off, Tuesday's premiere opened with Ziva reuniting with Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in his basement. But before Gibbs could get any answers to her disappearance, they fell under siege by an unknown assailant. The two narrowly escaped and stayed on the run for the entire episode. Ziva said a woman named Sahar was targeting her.

Meanwhile, Bishop and the rest of the NCIS team worked to uncover the truth behind Ziva's disappearance. Bishop was able to trace a piece of cloth found in Gibbs's basement to a jacket that used to hang in Ziva's house. Ziva's "associate," Odette said that Ziva used her presumed death as a protective shield for her and her family; sending her daughter Tali to live with Tony while she went undercover.

The action-packed episode culminated with a standoff between Ziva and her attacker Sahar. But before Sahar could fire off a shot, Gibbs stepped in between the two leading to a dramatic cliffhanger.

Fans couldn't hold back their excitement for Ziva's return heading into Tuesday's premiere.

And the fan-favorite character delivered on the hype.

NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Watch: Cote de Pablo dishes on her ‘top-secret’ return to ‘NCIS’:

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