#agent afloat

I think we may need a rewatch drinking game: every time Ziva or Tony stares at the other's empty desk. This vocabulary is so well established on the show that all they have to do is shot-countershot, Ziva or Tony to the other's desk, and boom, all the feels. It's so clever because they never admit their feelings but it's the absence they're feeling in those moments. By 13x24 it's so established that he almost can't make eye contact with her old desk because it hurts too much. And when she comes back in S17 the last bit with her has shot-countershot to Tony's desk.

Ziva is clearly spending a lot of time mulling over Tony's loneliness and worrying about him. I do not understand how people watch this show and think she doesn't care about him. Like, she's the only one who has noticed him/gotten under his skin enough to know how lonely he must be. "Completely alone, away from all those who care about him." She has his number exactly.

This is such a good Tony episode. I'm thinking of the scene where he's at the card table questioning a bunch of bros. He's actually not one of them. He can hang, but he's smarter, more perceptive, more conscientious, and kinder than them. He also uses the class clown persona to great effect to get info out of people like the bartender.

I actually think the swimsuit pictures are partly because a picture of a gorgeous woman in a bikini says haha I'm a bro, but a picture of a gorgeous woman in cargo pants with her hair in a braid kinda says I love her, and that's a scary thing to admit to himself let alone other people. Had to have her up there though, somehow.

Ziva trying to join the MTAC call with Tony. In so deep and she doesn't even know it.

The way Ziva brushes Tony's arm and smiles all softly at him. "You could've called." And he searches her face. It doesn't have we-slept-together-so-why-didn't-you-call vibes but it does have I'm-here-for-you vibes and is a real gesture of friendship. I am leaning towards being convinced on this one. Old habits.

Love that whole exchange. Still beating yourself up about Jenny. We also got one of those Past-Present-Future constructions "You seem" "Taller? Hotter?" "Older."

"You get used to seeing someone every day. Talking to them. Relying on them. Then suddenly they're not there." I'm sorry Tony are we really talking about McGee here? Also ha this blocking walking down the corridor together facing each other (the only people to do this in the episode, in two different scenes).

Tony going fishing in Ziva's personal life as usual. If Tony wasn't there we'd never learn anything about her personal life from her. He's fearless about digging with her; she intimidates everybody else too much.

"A lot of things take McGee seconds". TONY!

The last little twist on the plane was good. And the actor who played the pilot was really impressive.

Ziva's face when Gibbs says Tony's going home and she says "Home"!

Ok so if we're going with "old habits" I can see what happened here. They think they're being separated for good, and then because they aren't they let themselves settle back into, well, there'll be time for that, no need to admit feelings. It's much safer to date other people because it's very scary to date a Great Love let alone admit you have feelings for them. Safe is better.

The way Ziva watches him at the end when he's being the life of their little gathering, telling funny stories. She may protest but she is really attracted to his goofiness. He's all silly and soft and also reliable - he's the same person no matter what. She hasn't had close relationships with men like that.

"You got a girl back home, Agent DiNozzo?"

"Ha, no. This is my old partner."

"She the one in the bikini picture?"