On Tuesday, Cote de Pablo returned to NCIS, stepping back into her memorable role as Special Agent Ziva David on the popular CBS series, five years after her departure. Speaking in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Chilean-American actress shared her reasons for returning to the show.

“I had hoped that something like this could happen eventually, and it feels like the stars aligned perfectly for me to be here,” said de Pablo, 40, during an on-set interview with co-star Mark Harmon, whom she greeted warmly. “I told them to give me a really compelling reason to come back.”

It appears they delivered. De Pablo will feature in a two-episode arc, commencing with her appearance in Tuesday night’s episode.

Reuniting with Harmon and the current NCIS cast for the midseason finale, de Pablo’s return has fans buzzing with anticipation, particularly regarding a potential reunion between Ziva and her former love interest, Special Agent Anthony (Tony), portrayed by Michael Weatherly.

Harmon, 68, renowned for his portrayal of lead character Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, expressed his enthusiasm for de Pablo’s return to the series.

“You forget the energy she brought and how significant this character is in so many ways, and how, in many respects, it defines the show,” he shared with ET.

While de Pablo expressed her delight at being back on set, she noted that departing from the show this time around wouldn’t be as challenging.

“It’s a different departure this time, and I’ll leave it at that,” she revealed to the outlet. “It’s a graceful departure.”

Prior to her return, executive producer Steven D. Binder emphasized to ET that they delved deeply into Ziva’s character arc to ensure her return was meaningful and not just a gimmick.