When Paramount+ announced NCIS: Tony & Ziva, fans of the long-running franchise couldn’t have been happier. After years of silence, the beloved couple is getting their own story. It’s the kind of slow-burn romance turned high-stakes partnership that audiences have craved since NCIS first paired Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo together. But suppose the franchise is trying to prove that it can consistently churn out this sort of energy. In that case, it needs to look no further than another pair of agents who already have spent years perfecting the formula: NCIS: Los Angeles‘ Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen).
Unlike Tony and Ziva, Kensi and Deeks did get to fulfill their arc on the screen, from good-natured sparring to a firmly established partnership to marriage and childbearing. That journey gave NCIS: LA a romantic core that balanced the show’s action-heavy storylines. And if Tony & Ziva works as well as fans hope, the case for a Densi-centered spinoff practically makes itself.
What Made Kensi and Deeks Work
From the moment Deeks showed up as the LAPD liaison in Season 1, his banter with Kensi was striking and different from what already existed on the show. Similar to Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo, the snappy wise guy who pushed boundaries so often, Deeks also showed a vulnerability that kept the wisecracks grounded. And while Kensi had Ziva’s tough-as-nails surface, she also had her own wounds of family that gave her depth beyond the snark. And so they created a relationship that was hilarious and hugely human.
The writers leaned into the slow-burn. For seasons, Kensi and Deeks were paired undercover in situations that blurred the line between work and something more, much like Tony and Ziva in NCIS. One of the most memorable arcs put them in a fake married couple scenario in Season 3 episode “Neighborhood Watch” — the kind of setup that guaranteed to spark fan theories and gif sets. Instead of rushing the romance, though, NCIS: LA let the chemistry simmer, letting the push-pull dynamic deepen until the audience couldn’t imagine the show without it.
By the time they finally crossed the line into a full-fledged relationship, it felt earned. And crucially, the series didn’t collapse once they got together. Where so many procedural couples fail after the chase, Kensi and Deeks thrived. The show explored what it was for them to balance their personal lives with the dangerous realities of their jobs. Infertility issues, trust issues, and moments of real sacrifice made the drama authentic even when the cases of the week took a turn into large explosions and international intrigue.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Deeks and Kensi gave NCIS: LA its heart. And that’s exactly the kind of balance Tony & Ziva will need if it wants to succeed as a spinoff.
Why ‘Densi’ Deserves Its Own Spinoff
If NCIS fans are excited about Tony and Ziva, it’s not just because their relationship is more than a ship. It’s proof that the franchise can take its best will-they-won’t-they tension and make it something that can continue. Where Tony and Ziva’s love was cut short by behind-the-scenes exits and years apart, though, Kensi and Deeks were given the chance actually to realize that promise.
That’s why the pair is perfectly positioned for their own series. Their story didn’t end when NCIS: LA wrapped in 2023 — it just left fans wondering what came next. By the finale, they were parents building a family while still tied to the kind of dangerous work that defined their lives. That setup is practically a spinoff pitch already: a married couple trying to raise their children while still drawn back into missions that test their skills and their relationship.
NCIS has always thrived when it leans into family, whether chosen or biological. Leroy Jethro Gibbs built his own surrogate family in the original, and Tony and Ziva are about to navigate parenthood on the run. Kensi and Deeks could mirror that theme in their own way, showing what it looks like to stay in the world of NCIS while juggling the messiness of marriage, parenting, and loyalty to the team.
There’s also the fact that Olsen and Ruah still have the kind of screen chemistry that can carry a show. Their back-and-forth never felt forced, even after more than a decade. In fact, that kind of lived-in familiarity is rare in procedurals, where partnerships often get shaken up by casting changes. If Paramount+ wants another spinoff that feels both new and reliable, Kensi and Deeks are the obvious answer, even despite Olsen saying that he wouldn’t return to Deeks—it’s nice to think about.
Kensi and Deeks proved you could carry a slow-burn romance across several seasons without giving in, that you could bring a couple into existence without snuffing the flame, and that you could make personal interests part of a protocol without destroying it. The fans came for the cases, but they stayed because they cared about what these two were to one another.
In other words, if Tony and Ziva’s story is proof of concept, Kensi and Deeks are proof of execution. One shows the potential; the other shows the payoff.
The NCIS universe has always thrived on character as much as casework, and this couple has already done the heavy lifting. With Tony & Ziva blazing the trail, now is the perfect time for the franchise to double down on its strongest assets — and that means giving Kensi and Deeks their turn in the spotlight.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva premieres on September 4, 2025, on Paramount+.
