Cote de Pablo's character, Ziva David, was written back into NCIS after 6 years, which initially received reservation from fans but was ultimately met with praise. Ziva's portrayal as a strong Israeli woman had a major cultural impact and brought attention to fair representation in media, which influenced de Pablo's decision to leave when her character's direction no longer served her impact. Producers convinced de Pablo to return for NCIS season 17, allowing for a more satisfying closure to Ziva's story and her pursuit of reuniting with Tony and their daughter.

The successful naval/police procedural NCIS said goodbye to Cote de Pablo in 2013 but wrote her back into the show 6 years later. NCIS has said goodbye to a number of cast members over its 20 seasons, such as Sasha Alexander (who played Kate Todd in season 1 and 2). Alexander's exit from the show is what led to de Pablo's addition to it,...