This Was DiNozzo's Worst Relationship On NCIS

When Michael Weatherly departed from the cast of "NCIS" in 2016, he left behind a considerable body of work. Weatherly is credited in 306 episodes of "NCIS" proper (via IMDb), as well as cameo appearances in multiple "NCIS" spin-offs. His first appearance as Anthony DiNozzo was not even in "NCIS," in fact, but in "JAG" — two episodes of which served as a backdoor pilot for "NCIS." In total, then, Weatherly's time spent portraying DiNozzo totals more than hundreds of episodes across multiple TV series over the course of 13 years.

During that substantial amount of time, DiNozzo inevitably experienced his fair share of romance. DiNozzo's various relationships with women were mostly pleasant, with the most notable being his longtime flirtation and eventual cohabitation with fellow NCIS agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). The romance between the two could best be described as slow-building. The series first introduced a spark between the two characters early on in Ziva's tenure, which began in its third season. Their relationship only became truly official, however, upon Weatherly's departure from the series. That said, DiNozzo left the Naval Criminal Investigative Service to raise a child with Ziva in Paris, ending their romance on a happy note.

Some of DiNozzo's other relationships, however, started out messy and ill-fitting ... and never much improved. One relationship, in particular, stands out as the character's lowest point.

DiNozzo first approaches Dr. Jeanne Benoit not out of interest in her as an individual, but in order to investigate her father, René Benoit, an arms dealer known as La Grenouille. Given the nature of his flirtations with Jeanne being for work, DiNozzo introduces himself to her under the alias Tony DiNardo.

That said, what begins simply as an undercover mission eventually blossoms into a bona fide romance. The two experience many of the typical ups and downs of a new couple, from hesitancy in professing their love for one another, to discussing cohabitation as a next step. While those moments are predicated upon genuine interest, the fact that Jeanne knows Tony not as DiNozzo, but as DiNardo, perpetually hangs over their relationship.

Likely surprising no one, the relationship implodes upon Jeanne learning that it was built upon a lie. Jeanne eventually marries another doctor named David Woods, and the two even aid the Naval Criminal Investigative Service years later when they travel to South Sudan. During their few reunions, DiNozzo attempts to make amends with Jeanne, but the gulf between the two of them remains too great to close, even after a heartfelt apology from DiNozzo. 

While they may have shared genuine moments with one another, each and every one of those moments was colored by deception. The relationship, then, is easily DiNozzo's worst.