Overview
Episodes: 25
Tone: Balanced between rebuilding, emotional aftermath, and the emergence of darker,
more politically nuanced threats.
Focus: Team reformation, introduction of new agents, and the rise of the Reynosa Cartel
arc—as well as a backdoor pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles.
🔍 Core Cast & Status Updates
1. Gibbs – Reasserts control of his team, but with increasing distrust toward Vance and
political interference.
2. Tony – Haunted by the Jeanne arc, but begins to reclaim confidence and flirty charm—his
emotional armor.
3. Ziva – Her loyalty is tested more than ever when Mossad pressures her to return; her inner
conflict builds.
4. McGee – Now a stable presence, tech-savvy, and more assertive in his role. Offers growing
emotional maturity.
5. Leon Vance – Officially the new NCIS Director. Shady, stoic, and strategic—his motives
are unclear.
6. New Characters:
o Michelle Lee, Brent Langer, and Daniel Keating temporarily replace the original
team in the first episodes.
o Callen, Sam Hanna, and Hetty introduced in a two-part backdoor pilot for NCIS:
LA.
🧩 Structure and Format
Early Arc: Rebuilding the core team and exploring Vance’s long-term goals.
Mid-Season: Focuses on Ziva’s strained connection to Mossad and her father, Eli David.
Endgame Arc: Culminates in betrayal, imprisonment, and torture. Season ends with Ziva
missing and presumed captured.
Serialized threads are heavier than ever in Season 6, foreshadowing NCIS’s more dramatic
direction in coming years.
🎯 Major Themes
Identity and Loyalty: Who do you serve—your agency, your country, or your family?
Rebuilding and Trust: Can the team trust Vance? Can they trust each other again after
being scattered?
Espionage and Intrigue: The rise of Mossad involvement and covert operations adds new
political texture.
Revenge and Cycles of Violence: The season teases the Reynosa Cartel, planting seeds of
future vengeance.
🔥 Key Episodes
S06E01 “Last Man Standing” – Team still disbanded. Langer is killed. Michelle Lee is
revealed as a mole.
S06E04 “Heartland” – Gibbs’ past revealed through flashbacks and a visit to his
hometown. First appearance of Jackson Gibbs, his father.
S06E18–E19 “Legend, Parts I & II” – Two-part backdoor pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles;
introduces G. Callen, Sam Hanna, and Hetty Lange.
S06E24 “Semper Fidelis” – Ziva kills a man in defense of Tony, revealing deep tensions
and loyalty issues.
S06E25 “Aliyah” – Shocking finale. Ziva is betrayed by Mossad, beaten, and left for dead.
Her fate is uncertain.
🧠 Analysis & Strengths
Team Dynamics Rebuilt: The slow reformation of the team lets the audience appreciate
their bond anew.
Ziva’s Arc Deepens: Her story goes from mysterious outsider to tragic figure torn between
two worlds.
Vance as a Wildcard: His cryptic behavior and political maneuvering add internal stakes.
Emotional Payoff: Tony and Ziva’s relationship reaches a boiling point—especially in
“Aliyah,” which is intense and devastating.
World Expansion: The Mossad storyline and LA spinoff both broaden the NCIS universe
significantly.
⚖️Weaknesses or Critiques
The LA Backdoor Pilot: Felt disconnected from the main story and slowed momentum for
some viewers.
Vance’s Intentions: Still underdeveloped—his secretive nature can feel like a stall rather
than true suspense.
Ziva’s Ending: Cliffhanger is powerful, but left fans frustrated due to the long wait and
brutality of her treatment.
🧨 Legacy of Season 6
Introduced NCIS: Los Angeles, setting up the franchise expansion.
Ziva’s transition away from Mossad began here in earnest, setting up her redemption in
Season 7.
Tony & Ziva ("Tiva") reach peak emotional tension—creating years of speculation and
shipping.
Begins the Reynosa Cartel Arc, which dominates the early part of Season 7.
