CBS has released the first trailer for NCIS season 17, episode one, which will air on September 24. Ziva David (played by Cote de Pablo) explains why she has returned to visit Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and it involves a mysterious woman named Sahar (Mouzam Makkar). The showrunners from the series have previously given some big hints about the new character and why she is after Ziva and Gibbs.
Who is Sahar on NCIS?
NCIS co-showrunner Steven Binder recently revealed more details about Sahar is and why she is on the hunt for the pair.
However, he did not share the character’s name in the interview. Instead the trailer was the first time that most NCIS fans heard the name of Sahar.
“Hold up,” we see Gibbs tell Ziva in the promo: “I just want to know who we’re running from.”
She replies: “There is a woman. Her name is Sahar. She wants me dead and now she’s after you.”
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“Who is she?” Gibbs asks, looking visibly muddied and bloodied.
“I do not know,” Ziva replies. “I’ve never seen her.”
Ziva may never have laid eyes on Sahar, but viewers of the trailer get a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpse of the character, holding a gun and looking apprehensive.
Binder told Parade of Sahar: “One of the things that we wanted to do was not just create something out of whole cloth where you’re like ‘huh?’
“So when we came up with this backstory, we laid a little pipe ourselves once we knew we had Cote.
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“But the initial genesis of this story was — and this is a clue — it’s something that has been part of the fabric of the show, her character and the introduction of her character from the very beginning.
“So, we’re playing with the DNA of Ziva David in terms of this jeopardy.
“This isn’t some newly created arch nemesis conspiracy theory or conspiracy that she’s tried to get out from beneath.
“This will tie into the lore and history of the show.”
Ziva was introduced to NCIS in season three (2005) episode Kill Ari Part 1.
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In this episode, she was still working at Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and was trying to prevent Gibbs from killing her half-brother Ari Haswari (Rudolf Martin).
However, she ended up killing Ari as he tried to murder Gibbs in the next episode.
As such, Sahar could be someone trying to get revenge for one of Ziva’s actions while still at Mossad or someone who had some link with Ari who is angry that Ziva killed him.
With NCIS season 17, episode one due to deal with Ziva’s estranged relationship with daughter Tali (Emelia Golfieri and Layla Golfieri), the showrunners may decide to mirror this by having Sahar as the mother of Ari’s child.
NCIS season 17, episode 1 airs on Tuesday, September 24 on CBS
