After leaving the 'NCIS' cast in Season 13, Michael Weatherly starred in the CBS drama 'Bull' for six seasons and then played Tony again opposite Cote de Pablo in the Paramount+ spin-off 'NCIS: Tony & Ziva.' But he did return to 'NCIS' for Ducky's funeral in Season 21.

Last we saw Tony DiNozzo on 'Tony & Ziva,' he was living his best life overseas with Ziva and their daughter Tali. So how does he end up back in the NCIS field office in D.C.? According to showrunner Steven D.

Binder, Weatherly had a private security firm in 'Tony & Ziva' called Salus Mondiale, and now his daughter has come to the United States and is in boarding school, and he's opening a satellite office of his private security firm in D.C. For related coverage, explore our detailed analysis on Technology and Digital Systems.

Background on Michael Weatherly's Return

Alright, "NCIS" fans: What are you hoping to see in Tony's return to the show?

Let us know in a comment below!

A " NCIS " favorite is returning this fall... and he's grown up a little, too.

Ncis Boss What Details and Timeline

Michael Weatherly returns to the hit CBS drama for Season 24 — premiering Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. — reprising his role as special agent Tony DiNozzo in a season-long arc.

Around the time the show's milestone 500th episode aired in March, "we started hearing that there might be some interest from Michael Weatherly to possibly return," showrunner Steven D. Binder tells TVLine.

And the interest was mutual, of course: "Once he muses such a thing, everyone's leaping like shark to blood at that point." After leaving the "NCIS" cast in Season 13, Weatherly starred in the CBS drama "Bull" for six seasons and then played Tony again opposite Cote de Pablo in the Paramount+ spin-off "NCIS: Tony & Ziva." But he did return to "NCIS" for Ducky's funeral in Season 21, "so that was already an ongoing door that was open," Binder says, "and I talked to Michael regularly since he left." The two of them "did always talk about working together again," Binder adds, so "once he expressed that such a thing might happen, then things got elevated very quickly." Last we saw Tony DiNozzo on "Tony & Ziva," he was living his best life overseas with Ziva and their daughter Tali . So how does he end up back in the NCIS field office in D.C.?

"He had a private security firm in 'Tony & Ziva' called Salus Mondiale," showrunner Steven D. Binder explains, and now "his daughter has come to the United States and is in boarding school, and he's opening a satellite office of his private security firm in D.C." That's when "he gets word of something happening with NCIS, and he's interested about it," and "that's how his world crosses paths with ours." Tony may be his own boss, but "he doesn't quite have an office yet" in D.C., Binder teases, and "there was a mix-up.

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So instead of having the nice office space that he rented, he's in sort of like a 1970s WeWork holdover called the Arnold T. Gustafson Commerce Suites. It's a really fun set." Tony is in D.C.

"so he can be closer to his daughter," but we won't see Cote de Pablo as Ziva or Isla Gie as Tali on "NCIS" this season. "They're off a couple hours away," Binder disclosed: "The way we address it is Ziva's hanging out in the town where her daughter is, doing a little helicopter parenting, and Tony's helicopter parenting in D.C." Tony's been away from the NCIS team for a decade now, and some of his old pals are still there...

along with some new faces. So how does he fit in with the team as currently constructed? "That's the fun of having him back," showrunner Steven D.

Binder says. "What is his relationship with each of these people? I think he regards Torres maybe as the new him.

Is he cooler than him? Is he the new 'cooler than me' guy?" Parker, meanwhile, "had a really good, deep relationship with Vance," and "suddenly there's this older member of the team here from Vance's world, and he's like, 'I don't know what I think about you, but I want to be on my best behavior because you're a legend, and you were one of Vance's guys.' So their relationship is sort of like two people on a first date, feeling each other out and maybe laughing a little too much.

Like, it's a little awkward." Tony's dynamic with Jess Knight is "interesting," Binder hints: "That may be our most fun relationship. You know, Tony was a playboy back in the day. Now he's in a relationship, and she's obviously a very attractive woman.

Tony DiNozzo of Season 8 would have related to her very differently than Tony DiNozzo relates to her now. But the way we've defined it, there's none of that at all, and that'll become clear when you see it." Tony and McGee go all the way back to Season 1, and "just because Michael [Weatherly] left the show doesn't mean Tony and McGee halted communicating to each other," Binder points out.

"But their relationship before was senior agent to probie, and now they've both grown up. They're both parents.

They're going to relate to each other as mature adults, and yet also: If you're friends with anyone when you were five years old still, you hang out and you're way different, but also sometimes five years old again." Tony and Jimmy Palmer also go way back, and when Tony can't find a place to stay, he ends up "crashing at Palmer's place," Binder disclosed — and it might not go well. ("I don't know if you've ever seen 'The Odd Couple.'") As for Kasie, she's "an enigma to him" as the new occupant of Ab' But then he starts making her paranoid.

'Do I have a thing? What is my thing?' So then that will develop, too, throughout the season." Alright, "NCIS" fans: What are you hoping to see in Tony's return to the show? Let us know in a comment below!