‘We’re Invoking Fight Club Rules’: 'NCIS' Executive Producer Opens Up About The Secrecy That Went Into Bringing Back Cote De Pablo

At the beginning of "NCIS" Season 11, Cote de Pablo departed after eight seasons as a main cast member. However, that wasn’t the last we saw of her character, Ziva David, who became a beloved addition to the popular CBS procedural when she was brought in to replace the murdered Caitlin Todd. De Pablo made a surprise appearance in the final moments of the Season 16 finale, then appeared in several Season 17 episodes. Great steps were taken to ensure that the actress’ return was kept a tightly-guarded secret, which executive producer Mark Horowitz described as “invoking Fight Club rules.”

Horowitz stopped by "Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch" to talk with de Pablo and Tony DiNozzo actor Michael Weatherly, both of whom will be paired back together in the upcoming spinoff "NCIS: Tony & Ziva."