Out of the Darkness (episode)

Season:	NCIS Season 17
Episode:	1
First aired:	September 24, 2019
Written by:	Gina Lucita Monreal
Directed by:	Terrence O'Hara
Previous episode:	Daughters (episode)
Next episode:	Into the Light (episode)

Out of the Darkness is the 1st episode of NCIS Season 17 and also the 379th episode of the entire NCIS series.

Synopsis

Ziva surprises Gibbs with a cryptic warning, prompting him to question why she remained underground for years while being presumed dead by her family and her former NCIS colleagues.

Act Two

McGee after learning from Bishop that Ziva is alive.

Major Events

• It's revealed that Ziva's landlord, Odette and Adam Eshel were aware of Ziva's survival and have been secretly helping her.
  • It is also revealed that, contrary to what they had initially believed, the destruction of the David Farmhouse had been done with the intent of targeting Ziva herself, not just the David files.
• Odette reveals that Ziva was the real target on the attack on the farmhouse, set by Sahar, the woman who has been hunting her and trying to kill her for reasons unknown other than it somehow relating to Ari Haswari.
• McGee, Nick, Jimmy, Leon and Jack find out Ziva is alive and learn about Bishop's knowledge on her survival, including her withholding the information.
• Ziva has developed anxiety issues due to her hunt for Sahar and also from being separated from her daughter and Tony.

Trivia

• This is the first episode since the NCIS Season 9 premiere episode, Nature of the Beast (episode) not to have been directed by Tony Wharmby.
• This is the first episode since the Season 11 episode, "Past, Present, and Future" to feature Ziva in a physical role.
• This is the first season premiere where the whole main cast doesn't appear.

Cast

Series Regulars

Name	Portrayed by	Role
Leroy Jethro Gibbs	Mark Harmon	Special Agent in charge of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Timothy McGee	Sean Murray	Senior Special Agent and second-in command of the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Eleanor Bishop	Emily Wickersham	Special Agent for the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Nicholas Torres	Wilmer Valderrama	Special Agent for the NCIS Major Case Response Team.
Jacqueline Sloane	Maria Bello	NCIS Forensic Psychologist.
James Palmer	Brian Dietzen	Chief Medical Examiner for the Major Case Response Team.
Kasie Hines	Diona Reasonover	NCIS Forensic Specialist.
Leon Vance	Rocky Carroll	Director of NCIS
Donald Mallard	David McCallum	NCIS Historian. Despite being credited, McCallum doesn't appear in this episode.

Recurring Cast

Name	Portrayed by	Role
Ziva David	Cote de Pablo	Former NCIS Agent.
Adam Eshel	Damon Dayoub

Other Cast

Name	Portrayed by	Role
Sahar (imposter)	Mouzam Makkar
Cy	Dale Godboldo
Mister Rogers	Hossein Mardani
Willie	Nolan Freeman
Security Guard 1 (Out of the Darkness)	Monib Abhat