I find myself doubting myself. What if Cote isn't what I thought? What if she really did just leave them hanging in the lurch with no warning? What if they did give her everything she wanted? Is that why Pauley and Brian seem so angry? Is Cote not talking because she knows she's in the wrong?
Then I try to tell myself there are so many more things than money, and those things have not been addressed in the "we threw more money at her" stories. I have to renegotiate my contract every year or two. Last time a two-year contract was a deal-breaker. No amount of money could have made up for it. Hell, I have threatened to not re-sign (will full intent to carry follow through) unless I got administrative rights to my computer. I have asked for time to work on specific projects. And I have asked for working hours that suit me.
Now, I'm no Cote de Pablo, but I have some value, and these were perfectly reasonable requests. So, I try to remind myself that maybe money IS irrelevant. She wanted a one-year contract. Maybe she wanted to not be on set for 24 hours straight. Maybe she wanted some assurance the character would grow. Hell, maybe she wanted Fridays off to spend with her Grandpa. Who knows?
But there has to be some reasonable explanation, right? Because the only other options is that she's totally not what we believed or she is in the midst of serious manic episode, and I don't like either of those options. Right? Right?
I'm right there with you. I don't know Cote but this all seems contrary to what we've been told about her for so long. And, usually when Hollywood people have the diva attitude the news starts to trickle out eventually, so for her to have been on NCIS for 8 years and no whisper of anything odd and now suddenly she's leaving the show and friends she loves in a huge lurch - just seems off.
I'm really thinking it was a combo of money and terms Maybe she was willing to give it a go full time this year for the right money to give Ziva/Tiva proper closure and instead of signing on full time for a second year maybe she would cut back then. I still say CBS should have thought more about this...only the ratings will tell for sure, but I can't see NCIS staying at #1 without her. There are too many people saying how sorry they are to see her go and how much of a difference she made to the show.
Whatever it is, I just know we're not getting the full story. And I know I sound like a broken record, but private person or no, it's a simple, "Love you to my fans and it's time for me to move along." Her rep has to be getting requests for info left and right.....
ETA - if anyone has the heart to do so, checking the facebook page and pushing the petition would be a good thing. I just respond to any pro-Cote comments I see out there and give basic info like why is CBS the only one talking and I do also point out the case of the Criminal Minds ladies as that is really well documented on the web. Speaking of that, why on earth would the news media fight for the Criminal Minds ladies and then just swallow what they are being told about Cote de Pablo? If CBS can mistreat them, why is it so farfetched that they would mistreat others?
You are right: there is no way in hell she is that kind of person. And yes, it was most likely not about the money, but the circumstances. The one-year extension she only wanted, for instance, versus CBS wanting her to cuff her for multiple years. She has to think about starting a family at one point, right? And especially after the last season, I can absolutely see her wanting a lighter schedule. But coupling these factors, continued high schedule AND a meager raise? Yeah, I can see her walking out at one point saying, "I don't need this."
And you are right: the CBS propaganda is strong. They have a lot of money and resources behind them, after all. And yes, I'm having a pretty disheartened day as well. But my brain still says, it doesn't add up. Not enough that I buy what CBS throws at me. And thus, until I learn the truth, I will keep going. I have to. The alternative is unthinkable.
it's all weird. it doesn't sit well with me. something is wrong. Let's say ALL of the propaganda is true. could they not have worked out, I don't know, six episodes? this is a MAJOR character! my god, if Gibbs or Tony left it would be a full season! this is crazy! but she is every bit as important if not more so than those guys.
See, that's what really ticks me off, like I said- not that I am happy about her going at all. But the best they could do is 2 eps? I guess at this point there's nothing left to say about it; and all the writing apparently was too late to change their minds about the number of eps she would be in.
But I still think that there might be a chance to save her if she indeed wants to come back. A slim chance, but then again if we don't try, there is probably no chance.
Maybe it was just a miscalculation. See, I'm still thinking all the fuss this has created kinda surprised CBS. They expected some complaining, sure, but they ended up with a huge outcry from disappointed fans all over the world - that's the only logical way I can figure why CBS is so far behind the 8ball on reacting to this. Otherwise, I'm sure they would have had a better damage control plan. So, if you think that way I can see TPTB saying eh let's just get her outta there and move on what's the least number of episodes we can feasibly have her in....and then move on with the show.
yes, good thoughts. And hopefully the complaining is just getting started! Of course, it's GG's job to make sure the ratings are high, so he's giving us the bum's rush too- we can't forget Ziva, but oh by the way, in a few episodes you'll be having so much fun you won't remember her at all! But I hope against hope that people won't give up and will keep pushing, and that CBS will reconsider and that Cote will want to come back. Lots of hoping here:)
If I may come out of lurking for another moment . . . . This is purely speculation on my part, and my opinion is influenced by some work-related crap that I'm going through myself, but this is how I see it. Even the most gentle, kind, tolerant, and patient person has a limit to how much bullsh*t he or she can tolerate. I think that Cote had negotiated a contract, basically on her own, four times and she felt she was getting a raw deal and was getting tired of it. This time, after last season's ratings, Ziva's character development, and the Tiva development, she finally felt like she had some real leverage to use in her negotiations. She had some bottom line, and she was holding out until CBS met it. Maybe she had a minimum salary requirement? Maybe she really wanted a one-year contract? Maybe she's thinking of starting a family so she wanted a guarantee that she wouldn't work more than 9 hours a day? Maybe she wanted fewer episodes so she could star in a play like Rocky Carroll did (she has said she misses Broadway)? Whatever it was, she had some minimum requirement, CBS wouldn't grant it, and it was a deal-breaker. Does that mean she's a deva and that she's selfish and unreasonable? No. It means she's human, and she reacted the way most people do when their needs are repeatedly not met: they get angry and they put their foot down! I think Cote held out to the very end because she really thought CBS would recognize her value to the show and to their company and would eventually give in to her sticking point. I think CBS offered her a salary bump and probably some other perks, but they just refused to give in on something and hoped that she would just accept it. I just can't believe that Cote really wanted to leave the show, that there was nothing anybody could do to make her stay. I remember reading an interview a while ago (I can't remember where it was) in which she was asked how long she thought she would stay on NCIS, and she said she'd love to stay on until the end of the series. Then, just this May, I was visiting someone in Washington D.C., and what should be displayed in baggage claim but free copies of Washington Flyer magazine with Cote de Pablo on the cover (I know!)! In the interview she states, "Because the show is so connected to D.C., I always feel like I'm waiting to go, that [a trip there] can happen at any moment, and likely will. I can't wait." I remember being happy when I read that because I thought it sounded like she had every intention of coming back for season 11. I mean, she could've just been being nice because it's a D.C. magazine, but it seems to me if she were really debating whether or not to stay on NCIS she probably wouldn't talk about the possibility of future filming locations. However, the thing that most makes me think she didn't really want to leave is that negotiations didn't end until the week before filming began. That just makes me think she had some contract stipulation and she was holding out. If she truly just felt her heart wasn't in it anymore and wanted to move on, wouldn't she have realized it sooner? Even if she was on the fence when season 10 wrapped and wanted to think it over during the hiatus, would she really have waited until one week before filming began to make a decision, know that the writers had already been at work coming up with plot lines and writing scripts under the assumption she would be there? That makes no sense at all! Furthermore, if she didn't sign for season 11, I don't think she's obligated to do any more episodes at all. If she didn't care about her cast mates, the character, or the fans, she could have just walked and left the writers to think of some explanation as to why Ziva disappeared. I think this is another thing that shows she does care and she wanted to stay with the show, but she had to take a stand on something. CBS wants to spin it that Cote just decided out of the blue that she didn't want to do the show anymore, but I have a feeling it's way more complicated than that.
I agree with all of this, it has to be more complicated. the GOOD news, IMO, is that if it really is the fault of CBS, they are getting hammered by angry fans now and they are scared. so to me that gives a little hope she might come back.
I find myself doubting myself. What if Cote isn't what I thought? What if she really did just leave them hanging in the lurch with no warning? What if they did give her everything she wanted? Is that why Pauley and Brian seem so angry? Is Cote not talking because she knows she's in the wrong?
Then I try to tell myself there are so many more things than money, and those things have not been addressed in the "we threw more money at her" stories. I have to renegotiate my contract every year or two. Last time a two-year contract was a deal-breaker. No amount of money could have made up for it. Hell, I have threatened to not re-sign (will full intent to carry follow through) unless I got administrative rights to my computer. I have asked for time to work on specific projects. And I have asked for working hours that suit me.
Now, I'm no Cote de Pablo, but I have some value, and these were perfectly reasonable requests. So, I try to remind myself that maybe money IS irrelevant. She wanted a one-year contract. Maybe she wanted to not be on set for 24 hours straight. Maybe she wanted some assurance the character would grow. Hell, maybe she wanted Fridays off to spend with her Grandpa. Who knows?
But there has to be some reasonable explanation, right? Because the only other options is that she's totally not what we believed or she is in the midst of serious manic episode, and I don't like either of those options. Right? Right?
Maybe I gave myself my own pep talk...
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I'm really thinking it was a combo of money and terms Maybe she was willing to give it a go full time this year for the right money to give Ziva/Tiva proper closure and instead of signing on full time for a second year maybe she would cut back then. I still say CBS should have thought more about this...only the ratings will tell for sure, but I can't see NCIS staying at #1 without her. There are too many people saying how sorry they are to see her go and how much of a difference she made to the show.
Whatever it is, I just know we're not getting the full story. And I know I sound like a broken record, but private person or no, it's a simple, "Love you to my fans and it's time for me to move along." Her rep has to be getting requests for info left and right.....
ETA - if anyone has the heart to do so, checking the facebook page and pushing the petition would be a good thing. I just respond to any pro-Cote comments I see out there and give basic info like why is CBS the only one talking and I do also point out the case of the Criminal Minds ladies as that is really well documented on the web. Speaking of that, why on earth would the news media fight for the Criminal Minds ladies and then just swallow what they are being told about Cote de Pablo? If CBS can mistreat them, why is it so farfetched that they would mistreat others?
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And you are right: the CBS propaganda is strong. They have a lot of money and resources behind them, after all. And yes, I'm having a pretty disheartened day as well. But my brain still says, it doesn't add up. Not enough that I buy what CBS throws at me. And thus, until I learn the truth, I will keep going. I have to. The alternative is unthinkable.
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But I still think that there might be a chance to save her if she indeed wants to come back. A slim chance, but then again if we don't try, there is probably no chance.
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This is purely speculation on my part, and my opinion is influenced by some work-related crap that I'm going through myself, but this is how I see it.
Even the most gentle, kind, tolerant, and patient person has a limit to how much bullsh*t he or she can tolerate. I think that Cote had negotiated a contract, basically on her own, four times and she felt she was getting a raw deal and was getting tired of it. This time, after last season's ratings, Ziva's character development, and the Tiva development, she finally felt like she had some real leverage to use in her negotiations. She had some bottom line, and she was holding out until CBS met it. Maybe she had a minimum salary requirement? Maybe she really wanted a one-year contract? Maybe she's thinking of starting a family so she wanted a guarantee that she wouldn't work more than 9 hours a day? Maybe she wanted fewer episodes so she could star in a play like Rocky Carroll did (she has said she misses Broadway)? Whatever it was, she had some minimum requirement, CBS wouldn't grant it, and it was a deal-breaker. Does that mean she's a deva and that she's selfish and unreasonable? No. It means she's human, and she reacted the way most people do when their needs are repeatedly not met: they get angry and they put their foot down! I think Cote held out to the very end because she really thought CBS would recognize her value to the show and to their company and would eventually give in to her sticking point. I think CBS offered her a salary bump and probably some other perks, but they just refused to give in on something and hoped that she would just accept it.
I just can't believe that Cote really wanted to leave the show, that there was nothing anybody could do to make her stay. I remember reading an interview a while ago (I can't remember where it was) in which she was asked how long she thought she would stay on NCIS, and she said she'd love to stay on until the end of the series. Then, just this May, I was visiting someone in Washington D.C., and what should be displayed in baggage claim but free copies of Washington Flyer magazine with Cote de Pablo on the cover (I know!)! In the interview she states, "Because the show is so connected to D.C., I always feel like I'm waiting to go, that [a trip there] can happen at any moment, and likely will. I can't wait." I remember being happy when I read that because I thought it sounded like she had every intention of coming back for season 11. I mean, she could've just been being nice because it's a D.C. magazine, but it seems to me if she were really debating whether or not to stay on NCIS she probably wouldn't talk about the possibility of future filming locations.
However, the thing that most makes me think she didn't really want to leave is that negotiations didn't end until the week before filming began. That just makes me think she had some contract stipulation and she was holding out. If she truly just felt her heart wasn't in it anymore and wanted to move on, wouldn't she have realized it sooner? Even if she was on the fence when season 10 wrapped and wanted to think it over during the hiatus, would she really have waited until one week before filming began to make a decision, know that the writers had already been at work coming up with plot lines and writing scripts under the assumption she would be there? That makes no sense at all!
Furthermore, if she didn't sign for season 11, I don't think she's obligated to do any more episodes at all. If she didn't care about her cast mates, the character, or the fans, she could have just walked and left the writers to think of some explanation as to why Ziva disappeared. I think this is another thing that shows she does care and she wanted to stay with the show, but she had to take a stand on something. CBS wants to spin it that Cote just decided out of the blue that she didn't want to do the show anymore, but I have a feeling it's way more complicated than that.
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