The new series delivers the goods so deftly that Tiva fans will have no problem saying “better late than never,” with conviction.

What makes the show worth watching are Weatherly and De Pablo, two extremely attractive middle-aged people with genuine chemistry. .... When they intersect, it generates something authentically sweet, as real as the rest of the series is improbable. There’s a reason for all that fan fiction.

Series creator John McNamara, alongside the two co-stars, weren't afraid to jump into the grittiness of the titular characters' relationships and identities from the get-go, wasting no time grounding the series in themes heavier than what we expect from NCIS. But it never necessarily veers into melodrama, mixing in enough action and humor to achieve a balance.

While the whole international espionage plot could be hacky, cheesy and downright boring, creator John McNamara ("The Magicians") has made the series into something giddy and charming. And that's thanks in no small part to the fact that Weatherly and de Pablo can still fire up the old sparks anytime they are required.

We’re not fans of the case Tony and Ziva have to figure out on NCIS: Tony & Ziva, but we like the fact that Weatherly and de Pablo are back in their fan-favorite roles, and their chemistry is as good as ever.

In offering nothing but undemanding fan service, "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" manages to avoid anything dramatically satisfying that justifies its own existence. It's watchable in the same way the average crime procedural is, and completely disposable in the same way too.