Lipush

So, Overall a good episode. As a Ziva fan, she did seem to rub me off the wrong way though, she's not the Ziva we remember. Too much emotion and she was all over the place. The way she blamed Gibbs for abandoning her, I don't.... We're talking about a woman who her entire life was walking the earth believing attachment are a weakness. So the whole "you abandoned me" was not something you'd expect to influence her or bother her THIS much. Not to mention she abandoned them first, technically. I do get why she felt like nobody double checked what happened, hell, even Tony, but following that it almost seemed like she took joy in shoving her pain in Gibbs' face, and it's not very ZIVA-like. Not to mention the pills. Seriously? It's so off characters and forced. In order to get to the bottom of things she needs to be EXTRA FOCUSED, not a druggy. Ziva was always with both feet on the ground and the fact that she's on drugs now just pisses me off. She should know better. And the creators should know better than selling us this sub-plot. Completely ridiculous. Don't know what's the deal with Adam. Don't care. Regarding Ziva's tactic, that is something I DO GET, though. She's a lioness who was detached from her cub, so naturally she'll do everything to get back to Tali. McGee acted like a child this episode. Really. Bishop repeatedly explained how gentle the situation is but he only saw how insulted he was to be left out of the loop. At least at the end of the episode he seemed to find his common sense. Good cliffhanger, things are going to go south now, right? ahh. ------ Another thing that got me in this episode, and most people didn't know or noticed. Listen carefully, at the beginning of the episode, on the "previously on ncis", as the clips roll, you can hear Cote, or rather ZIVA, humming a soft tune in the background... you hear it? Same tune she softly repeats as she holding Tali's necklace in the sewer... (minute 1:40) As I heard it and then again, I had to pause for a second. This is no random humming, and the tune seemed familiar to me. After a few seconds I remembered where I heard it from, and had to slap myself for not realizing sooner... This music accompanied me throughout my entire childhood. This tune is in fact an actual Israeli lullaby which hundreds of thousands of Israeli children are falling asleep to, each night. It's called "Pizmon Layakinton", which translates to "A Song For Hyacinth". It's as famous in Israel just as "Hush, little baby" is in USA. Here's the lyrics with translation "Night-time, night-time, The moon is looking At our little garden below ("Layla layla, mistakelet halevana Baprachim asher henetsu bagina") The blossoming hyacinth In our garden abounds Night-time, The moon is looking down ("Bepirchei hayakineton beganeinu hakaton Layla layla, mistakelet halevana") And the moon turns to the clouds and says: Give a little drop of water to the flower beds! ("Ve'omeret halvana laananim: Tnu tipa ve'od tiponet laganim") So the hyacinth can bloom In our garden, 'neath the moon Night-time The moon is looking down" ("She'ifrach hayakineton Beganeinu hakaton Layla layla, mistakelet halevana") The actual song and music: or: This song talks about coming to life and blooming again. As Ziva held onto the necklace while singing it, I took a wild guess that this is what she used to sing Tali to sleep with, he lullaby, maybe. And I'm also a furtune teller, or they took my own idea, because I actually put this song in a fanfic I wrote, back in 2016 ("Like Weed in Grass") It's interesting that they chose a song about blooming and resurrection in that episode, and I wonder if it'll have any future meaning as well. And Kodus for the show for bringing references to actual Israeli culture and add credibility.

Great episode. Funny but what I mostly felt touched and shook about were Ziva's inner thoughts, as were written in her journal. Being Israeli and Jewish, here they are, translated- "It's all happening quickly, all at once. I'm afraid to think what's real and prefer to ignore this reality. I hear the words and I cannot move, cannot breathe." She keeps writing- "I must not show just how unstable I am. To the outside world I'm strong and peaceful, though my body and soul are at pieces." On the next page she writes something unclear, which may refer to ncis or something she even writes from Israel, but she refers to 'her people'- "We're finally here together, though our best were taken away from us. It's sorrow that ties us together." She writes about Eli, as well- "Abba educated us quickly. Cruely. He nevigated us to a destiny he already planned out. Could my way have been different? His way could have been my own- I would not have changed it much. He could have been a doctor or business man, but his calling... That's why we're here today." When Eli David came to Israel for the first time in years she wrote- "I'm happy he's here. It makes me feel safer in this unprotected environment... He told me...(continuation unclear)..." The most important thing she wrote though was: "Secrets... We all have them, and we're good at hiding them underneath many layers. Abba told me once that it's impossible to really know someone, to know all their secrets. It may be the truest thing he ever told me."