3x20 - "Untouchable" (My POV)
Original Release Date: 18th April 2006
I do not speak English fluently, sorry for any mistakes.
SOURCE PHOTOS: Screenshots
Tony and Ziva go to Lieutenant Lara Hill’s residence to question her. On the way, Ziva points out: Espionage just so happens to be one of my specialties. Yet in Season 4, she did not use her skill to find out who her colleague’s mysterious girlfriend is. I will come back to that in due time.
- Tony: If I wanted to knock on doors all day, I would have joined UPS.
- Ziva: Trust me, brown is not your most flattering colour.
In the French version, the exchange is somewhat different:
- Tony: If I wanted to knock on doors, I would have been a mailman.
- Ziva: You should have, you would look good in a uniform.
Meanwhile, as he knocks on the Lieutenant’s door, Ziva touches his hair. Do you think this was scripted or an improvisation by Cote?
It is not a romantic gesture, but it shows she is comfortable with him; it suggests that their personal boundary has already become blurred. Tony’s reaction is also interesting: He does not even flinch, as if this type of contact had already become habitual between them.
While they discuss the ongoing investigation, he yawns to roughly show his boredom, which prompts his colleague to say: All right. I am trying the back door. He rushes to follow her. This scene gives us a glimpse of their dynamic, which had been almost absent in the last few episodes.
While they are at the back of the house in front of a door, Tony says: I have got an idea. How about if I shove you right through here, huh? — pointing at the cat flap. At that exact moment, the animal decides to come out, surprising him and making him ready to draw his weapon, while Ziva laughs: Do not tell me you are afraid of a little pussy … cat?
Joking aside, for a long time I might have made the same mistake — leaving out the word cat without realizing the meaning would be completely different lol. The way that joke was written makes me laugh.
- Tony: I knew something was wrong when I got out of the car, Probie. Instinct. Pure and simple. You either you got it or you do not.
- McGee: Yeah, well I heard you squealed like a little squirrel when the cat jumped out at you.
- Tony: I was saving this for Ziva, but since you volunteered. Find the little beast. Got blood on his paws. It is evidence.
The next scene is undoubtedly one of my favorite scene of the episode.
- Ziva: The woman next door was there but she did not hear anything.
- Tony: Wish I had a neighbour like that. Old bad that lives next to me complains every time I bring a date. Wanna know why?
- Ziva: Shouting of: 'No means no!'?
- Tony: That is a good one, but not even close.
- Ziva: I was actually kidding. I have the same problem at my place.
- Tony: Really? You have a surround-sound system too?
- Ziva: No. I am what you Americans like to call a 'screamer', yes?
It is unclear whether this is true or simply an exaggeration to tease him. She flirts with him, playing on his reactions, teasing him with subtle glances and words, which leaves him both flustered and intrigued.
Tony, who usually talks nonstop, is suddenly left speechless. He is unsettled because Ziva has just stepped into his own game … but in a bolder way than he does. And what audacity, I totally love it.
In S3E08, there is ambiguity: Did they faked their physical relationship? In my opinion, the fact that Ziva mentions in this episode that she is a screamer can mean two things. Either they really simulated, as I believe, and she is then revealing a private piece of information to him.
Or they did not simulate and if we take her line literally, it is a small wink at Tony’s supposed performance. She suggests that he may not have been up to the task. In any case, either way it is funny, especially because Tony is caught off guard, his reaction is amusing and unfortunately their conversation is interrupted by a phone call.
- Tony: Answer it.
- Ziva: Well, what do you want me to say?
- Tony: I do not know. Scream something.
But what is interesting is that Tony tries clumsily to regain the upper hand … while he is still completely unsettled by what she has just said.
SOURCE PHOTOS: Screenshots
At the deceased woman’s house, the team finds a weapon belonging to Lieutenant Keira Napleton. While Gibbs questions her, Tony and Ziva watch from the next room, where they are eating pizza.
- Ziva: This woman is a total turd. A geek, yes?
- Tony: The term is 'nerd'.
- Ziva: Whatever. I am saying it is hard to picture her as a killer.
- Tony: Remember when we super glued McGeek's face to his desk?
- Ziva: Yeah, that is a good point.
She makes a confident, categorical judgment. She relies on a fairly instinctive reading of the suspect, based on her appearance and what she represents. Tony immediately turns the situation into a joke.
His anecdote, although seemingly immature, is not insignificant. It introduces an absurd yet effective counterexample, reminding that appearances can be misleading. Even though they are agents, they themselves conspired to glue Tim to his desk. Like total children.
This detail is not trivial: It shows that they are not always very serious themselves, as they are capable of equally absurd behavior.
The team is mobilized to search for a flash card at the deceased woman’s house. After hours of turning the place upside down to find the object, the trio falls asleep. As if by chance, Ziva falls asleep next to Tony, resting her head on his shoulder and snores. McGee is asleep at the other end of the room, while Gibbs continues to search the kitchen.
The small detail of the snoring completely kills any sense of glamour: The show deliberately avoids turning it into a classic romantic scene.
The fact that she falls asleep against him remains significant.
- She naturally seeks his presence;
- She feels safe with him;
- Her body moves toward him without conscious thought.
And Tony does not push her away. Instead, he seems to accept it as something that has now become a normal part of their dynamic.
Tony and Ziva are in a car on stakeout, watching an embassy where the suspect is likely hiding and may leave the country at any moment.
- Ziva: Remember when we were locked in that container? You said you used to take piano lessons? Well, I think you should start again. I could teach you. Who knows, maybe it could be fun. [Seeing him asleep, she considers pouring water on him, a little nod again to S3E08].
- Tony: Do it and die, Amadeus.
- Ziva: I thought you were asleep.
- Tony: You thought wrong. I was meditationg.
- Ziva: About?
- Tony: When you said you were a screamer, you did mean ...
- Ziva: I did. We have got company.
She is clearly trying to get closer to him. She seems to be considering a relationship that goes beyond a strictly professional one with Tony. She is looking for a new excuse to see him outside of work, in a more personal context. She does not get discouraged, even though he does not seem responsive. Even though it is clear that he finds her attractive.
- Flirting? Yes.
- Sexual jokes? Always.
- Turning a relationship into something sincere? He panics.
- Tony: You were not planning on sleepling, were you?
- Ziva: Not unless you are planning on taking a shower anytime soon.
- Tony: What is that supposed to mean? [She sniffs with a grimace.]
Would she react like that out of anger? Because he seems insensitive to her vain attempts to get closer. Could she be frustrated?
- Tony: Can I ask you a question?
- Ziva: Yes.
- Tony: You really think I smell?
- Ziva laughs: I was just kidding. [And he farts]
He is clearly not in a flirting mode here. His humor and awkwardness often serve to hide his true feelings or maintain some distance. In this scene, it can be read as an unintentional or subtle message that he sees her more as a friend or colleague than a potential romantic partner.
Does not mean he is not attracted to her, but he keeps up the fun buddy facade, which adds to the tension and the implicit flirt. Do you think the webcam Tony set up for Gibbs is recording the chat?
SOURCE PHOTOS: Screenshots
To delay the suspect, Ziva deliberately gets into her car. The problem is that she has already had a few accidents since joining NCIS, which could negatively affect her record. She begs Tony to help her.
- Tony: I do not care how nice you are, how much you bribe me, or how much you threaten me. I am not filing out the paperwork.
As he says this, he unbuttons his shirt, and she lingers on his chest. The dynamic changes completely. The camera focuses on it, Ziva clearly looks at his chest and she loses a bit of her usual composure.
- Ziva: I would prefer if you said you were driving the car.
- Tony: Well, that would be lying, and lying is bad.
She slams the desk in frustration, clearly annoyed. Is she frustrated because he refuses to help? Or is she distracted by the fact that he is shirtless? Probably a mix of both. Then, she tries another approach.
When she becomes more tactile or impulsive with Tony, it is often a sign that she is emotionally unsettled, even if just slightly.
She sits on the desk and tries to explain the reasons for her request. But she loses a bit of control when she grabs his shirt abruptly while responding about the number of accidents she has had since joining.
- Ziva: Now, are you going to help me? Yes or no.
- Tony: Oh, that depends. What is in it for me?
What makes the scene interesting is that Ziva does not pull back at all.
She smiles and switches to full-on seduction mode. She walks around the desk to get closer to him, his shirt still open. In true gentleman, Tony closes his desk drawer so she can move even closer.
The detail of the drawer that he closes is almost more intimate than a dialogue: He literally makes space for her to approach him more closely.
Very gently and suggestively, she responds to his unfinished question: Anything you want. The scene slows down slightly:
- She reduces the distance,
- Maintains eye contact,
- Speaks more softly,
- Remains very calm.
He asks, seeking confirmation: Anything? Sort of Are you serious? Anything? But before she can confirm, Gibbs arrives and, in a sharp tone, says: Hey. Button your shirt. Sort of: I see exactly what is happening here, and it is stopping now. Tony tries to defend himself: She came into my space … The boss replies categorically: I do not care.
And in the meantime, Ziva amused, calmly goes back to her desk, amused and perfectly satisfied with the chaos she has just created.
As they get up to head to MTAC, Gibbs slaps Tony on the head. The reason? Blackmailing your partner. He does not seem really angry about the sexual tension itself. What annoys him is mainly that Tony is exploiting the situation instead of directly helping his partner.
Then DiNozzo’s shirt is perfectly buttoned. And it is funny, I mean: A second earlier, he was strutting around shirtless like a rooster; the moment Gibbs intervenes, he slips right back into professional mode.
Tony and Ziva are not a couple. But they behave like one in many ways:
- They eat together during interrogations;
- They comment on suspects like an established duo;
- They bicker naturally;
- They turn stakeouts into personal conversations;
- They constantly drift from the professional to the personal;
- They invade each other’s personal space.
The little extra in this episode? Nina Foch, playing Ducky’s mother. It is funny to see her apologize to Abby, thinking she had passed gas: Oh, dear. My apologies. Later, it is amusing to watch her flirt with Gibbs.
SOURCE PHOTOS: Screenshots
Let us imagine for a moment that Tony and Ziva are already in a relationship and a similar scene unfolds in a future season.
The most interesting aspect would not even be the seduction itself, but the naturalness between them. Their intimacy would not have erased the tension; if anything, it would have made it even more charged.
Tony would instinctively close a drawer so she can sit on the desk. Ziva would open his shirt without hesitation because she has already seen him shirtless like that countless times. They would remain just a little too close, her gaze lingering a second longer than necessary on his chest.
Despite the familiarity, the effect would remain the same. Ziva would know exactly what she is doing to him, and she would clearly enjoy it.
They would no longer be two colleagues cautiously testing boundaries, but two people whose intimacy naturally spills over into their professional environment. They would still unsettle each other, while remaining fully capable of switching back instantly, staying sharp, and keeping their focus on the case at hand.
Their dynamic would extend beyond romance or sexuality. It would become something broader — a mix of competitiveness, playfulness, and a subtle professional intensity. They would not always be flirting; more often, they would simply be operating at a very high level together, constantly challenging and adjusting to one another.
- Instead of seeing distraction + tension + potential imbalance
- He would see closeness + intact efficiency + maintained control.
Indeed, from the outside, this dynamic would never truly disrupt the team’s balance, as long as their shared efficiency remained intact.
Episode rating on IMDB: 7.6/10
