‘NCIS’ Season 13 Spoilers, News & Updates: Michael Weatherly Still Open To Return As Tony; Shares Cote De Pablo’s Influence In His Decision To Leave

"NCIS" Season 13 is down to its last two episodes with Michael Weatherly as agent Tony DiNozzo in the CBS police procedural drama. While it remains to be seen how Tony will be departing the series, Weatherly recently revealed that he is still open to returning to the show and shared what led to his decision to leave the drama after 13 seasons.

This article contains spoilers. Read on if you want to learn more about this story.

"NCIS" Season 13 episode 24 entitled "Family First" will mark the show's final episode with agent Tony DiNozzo in it. Michael Weatherly announced in January that he will be leaving the CBS crime drama after starring in the show for 13 seasons.

In an interview with TV Insider, Weatherly admitted that he began thinking about leaving the show following Cote de Pablo's exit in "NCIS" in Season 11. The actor revealed that the wonderful story between Tony and Ziva was gone when de Pablo decided to leave the show.

"Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies, that was gone, and then I got to the point where I felt I'd stayed at the party for too long," he said.

Weatherly also shared that he was still open to returning to the upcoming seasons of "NCIS" after Season 13. However, fans should brace themselves for a very emotional finale episode ahead.

Carter Matt notes that while Cote de Pablo will not be returning to "NCIS" Season 13 to help with Weatherly's departure from the series, her character Ziva will be mentioned in the upcoming episode. According to the publication, Ziva's name can be heard while the team is working on a case of someone on the hunt for former agents.

"NCIS" Season 13 episode 23 titled "Dead Letter" and episode 24 titled "Family First" airs on May 10 and May 17, respectively, on CBS.