NCIS: Caitlin “Kate” Todd versus Ziva David
Posted by shiftee on February 25, 2009
NCIS is on its sixth season yet the show continues to give us surprises and good laughs. Like most TV crime shows, the main cast of the series would include at least one female in a team of investigators (perhaps to offer a woman’s point of view of particular crimes and also to engage the male audience). In NCIS, Sasha Alexander as Kate Todd and Cote de Pablo as Ziva David have filled in this position.
Ziva David and Kate Todd
Ziva David is one of the exciting characters in the series that has contributed an extra dose of charm to the show. Kate Todd also gave a witty and flexible mix to the series. Yet who was more engaging of the two? Who made the show more fun and addicting?
Caitlin “Kate” Todd
Caitlin "Kate" Todd
The first episode of the series marked Caitlin “Kate” Todd’s entrance to Gibb’s team in NCIS. Her flexible and resourcefulness was highlighted and carried on throughout the two seasons she was in on the show.
As the show went, Kate proved to be one of the assets of the show, and the team. She developed great rapport with the other characters and gave out a cool and solid appeal to female investigators. Her “entanglement” with the main male casts also became an entertainment for the viewers. Her relationship with Jethro Gibbs was viewed as respectful as well as a little flirtatious. Her quirks with Tony Dinozzo was seen as a “sibling” squabble. And her interesting “bond” with terrorist Ari Haswari created a dangerous atmosphere to which most viewers became attracted to.
Kate Todd was murdered at the end of season 2, as Sasha Alexander asked to be written off the show. Her death caused some confusion and mild outrage among the audience, as she was one of the main characters of the show and has given justice to the her role.
Ziva David
Ziva David
Replacing Kate Todd on the team, Ziva David’s entrance raised some eyebrows but glued everyone to how she would turn out in the series. And I have to say, she turned out to be an amazing addition.
A Mossad agent, fast-thinking and trained to kill, her character appeared to be calculating and sharp. She adapted well to the pace, and has become a trusted member of the team, as well as earning a thumbs up from the viewers. She was also equipped with a sense of humor and smug confidence that allowed her to balance well with Tony’s and Timothy McGee’s jokes and taunts. Through her rough upbringing as a Mossad agent, she is undoubtedly the strongest in the team when it comes to combat.
Cote de Pablo is still on the show, and Ziva David has been modeled as a round character as each season passes. As the show becomes more involving and striking to the characters’ personal lives, Ziva’s character has also been brought out more and more.
My Verdict:
I go for Cote de Pablo and her character as Ziva David. She delivers more humor and more wit into the show. And with Kate Todd only appearing in two seasons, and Ziva currently in four, Ziva has had more time to captivate the audience and be more recognized. Plus the fact that she can kick some serious butt, she has got to be more interesting than Kate Todd.
Alex said
I don’t think I could agree more
Ziva ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jane Doe said
I thing Kate was better than Ziva,
because she was a nice person!!!
Ziva said
I really like Ziva especially the way she corrects people when they say her last name wrong I’m surprised she hasn’t hit anybody yet.
Kate said
Ziva is weird, Kate was nice and funny and perfect with Tony! I want Kate back! NOW!!!
Robert Dietterick said
I like both Ziva and Kate. I think that they should both be on the show. Ziva is more action and Kate is more romance. I would like to see how they both act around Tony.
Robert Dietterick said
I think that Ziva and Kate should both be on the show at the same time to see how they react to Tony and each other.
Dad said
I think that Kate should be back on the show. She’s funny and cute.
Ziva said
Ziva is great
when will she tell tony how she feels.
Kate was good to but ziva is a lot more interesting.
peanuts said
i can understand people saying ziva is stronger than kate..but nobody is giving kate the credit of the two newbie seasons…whereas ziva came in a full fledged show, with a steady concept and already adapted screenplay.
i think kate is better than ziva- she was definitely as tough (as we have seen with her b*lls busting kick she gave to mcgee) and those elbow jabs reserved for Tony wasnt easy either. HECK she even got gibbs to say PLEASE!
i think she balanced better, cuz she knew how to be strong, and still act like a woman dammit.. ziva is just another man on ncis..
i give ziva credit..but kate is stilllll number one..she paired best with every cast member.. i want sasha alexander back now now nowww!
Suzzi said
to ” Peanut” Well actually… You can’t say that Kate didn’t have any training because she did protect the presidant of the united states so thats why she could kick mcgee’s butt i mean serious any girl can kick a guy in the walnuts but it doesn’t make them impowered Ziva had to go through training to kick butt and wat not as her and tony were talking about on an eposide she had to grow up quick and she didn’t have a choice and now she does but being raised up like that it makes her her and she did make Gibb’s remeber wat happened fully be for he tryed to resign. and Ziva can be romantic like in the eposide “Dead Man Walking” she was.
Alex said
Is it me, or have they tried to make the two look alike…
megan said
i liked kate and was really upset when she left, but as the seasons have passed i’ve grown to really like ziva. I absolutely love the tension between her and tony, and really like how gibbs respects her (since she killed her brother to save him). I really hope next season they will save her and she and tony can “make-up’ if you know what i mean.
Laine said
Kate was good, but Ziva I reckon is better… brings out the dynamics of the team a lot more. Gibbs trusts her a lot more, they’ve got a strong bond with each other, Tim and Ziva get along fine, Ziva takes his side against Tony every so often. With her relationship with Tony, there is that tension between them, heightened with the finale of Season 6. Ducky and Ziva understand each other because of their experience with war, religion and morality. Jenny and Ziva were the best of friends and Abby loves Ziva like a sister after the beginning.
Overall, I say that Ziva is definately better, besides because of her background with Mossad and her father as the Director of Mossad, the shows are getting better and better. Much more interesting, can’t wait for season 7!
Louise said
Ziva is a more interesting character. She an Tony have an interesting chemistry that wasn’t there with Kate. Even in a non-romantic way I don’t think Tony and Kate really clicked.
Amber said
hehe, they need someone to do a mans job with a womans touch, (especially if tony can’t) definately Ziva, they need a role model of a woman that kicks-but better than most men.
lolo said
I think alex is reat , ziva roock and kate is ssssso sweet, i love both of them!!!
KATE said
i like kate better she is the better agent she is hotter than ziva and kate rocks i love her now i only watch the episodes with kate!!!! Kate please come back to NCIS!!!!!
Robert said
I think Kate todd should still be on the show
Suzzi said
I agree but Kate and Ziva are different but at the same time a like they’re alike with there relationships with tony but Ziva is a person that keeps her personal life personal like kate did. Butthey have differences such as Kate was Catholic and Ziva Jewish, Kate work for U.S. goverment and Ziva Tela , Vi goverment. Kate was trained to protect the priesdent of the united states and ziva was trained to kill so they are a like and different i enjoyed both on the show but i differ Ziva more her character to me is mysterious and more actionist and rough which is more interesting to me.Ziva doesn’t care about taking food of tony’s but kate freaked out when tony ate her tuna sandwhich and only left the crust because he ate it. Kate was clumpsy lovable , and at times a bit to attacthed to things it fogged up her thoughts about people and ziva has also had those mistakes but not as many. So to me cote de pablo is better on the show than sasha alexander but it would been interesting to have them be on together.
Kortni said
Ziva is really awesome. I am watching animal planet. Peace.
Kayla said
Kate was and will always be the best no one can ever replace her
gummy bear said
i like kate more…
hott girl 2000 said
i think ziva is the hot one with more erg for sex with tony. GOOD THING SHE GOT SHOT IF NOT IT WOUNLD HAVE MADE THE SHOW LIKE BOR CSI!!!!!!!! KATE IS BORING BEY BEY KATY
tvfreak said
Too much of the “nice girl” charm, I like Ziva because her character is strong – the way you expect beautiful girls to be tough and edgy when they live among men.
I got hooked to NCIS because of her character, she acts like a man so that you’re anticipating for upcoming series whether there would be scenes that focus on her sexuality. Her accent and accent and looks are also intriguing – jewish? italian? hispanic? australian?
NCIS Fan said
Kate.
She has that soft side, but then she can turn around and be that tough, strong character.
Ziva? She’s all tomboy, all tough. I can’t stand that. What’s the point in having a female cop if she’s nothing more than another male character? As for her and Tony, well… Gag. I don’t even want to think about that. Kate and Tony belonged together.
To me, that desk that Ziva sits in is still Kate’s. Those cases she works, Kate should be working instead. Those conversations she’s having with Tony, or Gibbs, or Abby, or McGee or Ducky, Kate should be having instead. The evidence she collects should be Kate’s to collect. Every episode she’s in, could be highly improved if only Kate was there instead. There are times I can’t even stand to sit through an episode with Ziva because she gets on my nerves so much. The episodes with Kate I have seen a million times, and they never get old; every little bit of those episodes, I love. The way she and Tony banter (some people call it ’siblinglike’, I call it ’sexual tension’), the way she can get Gibbs to do things others can’t (except maybe Abby)… It’s all just so much better than Ziva.
So, yeah. I’m Kate all the way.
Kate said
i absolutley agree with you. i dont HATE ziva. she just bugs me, alot. kate was waaayyyyy better. tony and kate were meant for eachother. tony and ziva is just, EWWWW!
redgirl said
I LOVE ZIVA SHE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN KATE A LOT BETTER. KATE WAS WAY TO WOOP TI DOO, BUT ZIVAS LIKE BANG BOOM BOOM I WILL KICK YOUR @$$ TYPE PERSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jade said
Both have their fine points but Ziva brings more drama to this story. She also brings more humor, with the way she baits Tony and how she muddles phrases. Kate was too much of a goody two shoes – she would have followed orders blindly, if told to protect at whatever cost, she would have. But Ziva takes risks, even if she goes against Gibbs’ rules (aka – disarming the bomb; Kate would have never disobeyed Gibbs). And that is where I think what makes the show more interesting. Besides, with Ziva’s background, and involving Mossad and all that – NCIS has become soooo much more interesting! You’ve got to admit that. Frankly, I reckon that NCIS truly started when Ari and Ziva turned up. And Ziva is full of contradictions too, she may act tough but she has a kind heart underneath – Kate would never have been able to pull that off.
So Ziva rules for me
Ashley said
Gotta say Ziva – she has a relationship with all of the characters, she’s linked to them in some way at least. She and Gibbs understand each other because of their past, and because they trust each other, they probably have the strongest bond out of the whole team. Tony and Ziva, well… it’s obvious, isn’t it? Ziva also sides with McGee at times, making it fair in the bullpen, and the way Tony, Tim and Ziva work, with all that bantering, is far more interesting than what Kate could have been with them. While Abby took awhile to warm up to Ziva, she now trusts her as a good friend; Ducky and Ziva understand each other as they both had experiences with war and the sensitive issue of religion. Ziva is a mentor to Palmer, she never leaves him out. And Jenny was her best firend, Ziva saved her life in Cairo. Even Vance is linked with Ziva through her father.
So Ziva brings so much more to the show than Kate could have ever done.
Ziva is better… period
ps: better at kicking ass and better looking too!
Sammie said
Why does it have to be one or the other? They were very different women and had very different relationships with the other team members, and they were both fantastic. I love them both, for different reasons.
Me said
I LOVE Ziva. Kate was nice, but… in my opinion she did not have the magic that Ziva brings. The flirtations with Tony were cute, but whit Ziva sparks fly! Yes, she did come into a steady show but Kate was a very loved person on the show and now there is this Mossad agent that has to fill her shoes! A very difficult task. But she did that very well and the series is soaring!
rachel said
i think ziva is so pretty and exotic looking and although kate was nice she was boring while ziva has that charm and humour and is mysterious as well i am hooked to no more about her life and the people in it
kelsey said
i like ziva a whole lot better than kate because kate is so boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and ziva is so much more fun,daring,and mysterious!!!!!!!!!!!! and if kate is going to be on n.c.i.s.(navel criminal investigative service)ziva should be on with her to put more drama on the show
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
p.s. i love n.c.i.s. and only the ones with ziva onthe show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
p.s. ziva rocks
Robert Dietterick said
Kate should still be on the show. I WANT KATE BACK NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Katie said
I LOVE ZIVA. She is so beautiful and she knows how to kick but. Her and Tony are so funny together. Kate was ok but she never let tony have any of her. I am Glad ziva came
P.S ZIVA ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
David H. Eisenberg said
I feel a little guilty, but Ziva gets the nod. Lets compare them like this:
Ziva Kate
Sex appeal 1
Flirtatiousness 1
Looks tie tie
Acting ability tie tie
Sympathetic 1
character
Investigative 1
ability
Fighting ability 1
Killer instinct 1
Comedic aspects 1
Add it up any way you like, Ziva comes out on top.
David H. Eisenberg said
Ikay, that chart didn’t come out too good when I clicked submit, but almost everything was on Ziva’s side.
oh yeah said
ZIVA IS FAR BETTER, HOTTER, AND CAN KILL YOU.
gregory said
i think Zeva is the hottest girl in the entier world bt i do agree i would love to c how kate and zeva would get along and ow theid change their acts tworwds dinozzo