Aliyah (NCIS)
| "Aliyah" | |
|---|---|
| NCIS episode | |
Tony and Ziva's confrontation in Israel
|
|
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 25 |
| Directed by | Dennis Smith |
| Written by | David North |
| Original air date | May 19, 2009 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
|
|
"Aliyah" is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the sixth season of the American police procedural drama NCIS, and the 138th episode overall. It originally aired on CBS in the United States on May 19, 2009. The episode is written by David North and directed by Dennis Smith, and was seen live by 16.51 million viewers.
"Aliyah" picks up following a cliff-hanger in the previous episode, "Semper Fidelis", in which Tony DiNozzo fatally shoots Ziva David's Mossad boyfriend, Michael Rivkin, in self-defense. It also follows the "Legend" storyline, culminating in Ziva's departure from NCIS and eventual captivity in Somalia.
"Aliyah" is a Hebrew word which literally means "going up" or "ascent". It is most commonly associated with Jewish immigration to Israel and return to the Holy Land. In this case, it is a reference to Ziva's return to Israel and her blood family.
Despite Ziva's efforts to help him, Mossad Officer Michael Rivkin (Merik Tadros) dies in the hospital, having suffered injuries from his fight against Tony in the last few seconds of the previous episode ("Semper Fidelis"), while Tony survives albeit with a broken left arm. While Tony claims to have acted solely in self-defense, Ziva, infuriated, does not believe him and Director Vance is doubtful that he could have fairly survived the brawl with a Mossad assassin who was also a member of the Kidon Unit.
Matters are further complicated after Ziva's apartment is destroyed in an explosion, severely damaging the evidence and the crime scene. Gibbs approaches Ziva, knowing that the gas lines were cut and the explosion was intentional, and asks her if she knows any possible suspects. She deflects, and when Gibbs notes her stoical response, reminding her that it is her home in question, she replies, "No it's not."
Ducky confirms that Rivkin and Tony's injuries line up with the latter's version of the story and provides a reason for his ability to win the fight: Rivkin was intoxicated by alcohol.
As tension mounts, Vance announces that he's decided to make a request a reality and that he, Gibbs, Tony and Ziva are on the next flight to Tel Aviv, Israel, having been summoned there at the request of Eli David (Michael Nouri), the enigmatic and powerful head of Mossad and also Ziva's father while McGee and Abby are to stay in Washington D.C. to work on the case. In Israel, Eli interrogates Tony, accusing him of killing Rivkin solely out of jealously; DiNozzo in turn accuses Eli of sending rogue agents to Washington D.C. and ordering Rivkin to become involved romantically with Ziva to keep an eye on her.
...
Wikipedia