Cote's NCIS Blog

Since this particular episode was shot this month, that makes it easier to remember. One thing I must say about "In the Dark" — and I am sure the rest of the NCIS family would agree — is that we got to work with some tremendously talented guest actors. John Billingsley was a joy to watch and work with; he played the coolest blind man I have ever seen on TV.

Another thing that sticks out in my memory, aside from the fact that we all worked with John, was a scene that I had with Michael Weatherly. Every once in a while you get these scenes — these meaty, beefy scenes — that are filled with little moments of truth where you get an inside look at the character's heart. It's a long scene that takes place after Ziva overhears a "personal" conversation Tony is having with his girlfriend, played by the oh-so-cool Scottie Thompson. This season has been weird for Ziva regarding her "feelings" for Tony. I don't even know what she feels exactly, but I know that she's confused, for lack of a better word. I think that whatever she feels, she fights, and it comes out in many different and (at times) funny ways. But this moment was not particularly funny. Ziva basically tells Tony that he needs to defeat his fears and fight for what he loves. I think this is hard for her to do. But so be it. It needs to be done 'cause DiNozzo needs to hear it from someone who can see right through him. This, I believe, is the No. 1 thing between these two people: Under all of it, under all the jokes and the work, there is a mutual, unspoken understanding and genuine respect. With all of this, it was a hard scene to shoot.

You should all know that Michael loves to laugh. You should also know that Michael laughs a lot when he is uncomfortable. It becomes his personal struggle to keep it together, but the laughter creeps up and you see him fight it. And it is definitely a fight. It is one of the most incredible things to watch when you see him fight it. I, for one, have never seen someone sweat or get as red as Michael does when he is about to break, and the truth is that when this is happening, you simply can't help yourself. The laughter defeats you and you succumb to his weakness — a weakness we all love and adore. Watching Michael laugh is actually one of my favorite things. I once made him laugh so hard that he started choking on a grapefruit — and watching him go through the struggle of breathing made me laugh even harder.

Because this scene was so delicate and so sincere, it was hard for both of us to really keep the throughline. I think we succeeded in the end and did our job. We told the story. I watched the scene not long ago. I specifically asked to see that scene. They cut a lot of it, including my favorite moment — when Ziva says to Tony that "life is not safe," which comes from a very real place for her. I think it is all still there — the love, the concern and, above all, the friendship.

Get more NCIS on the show's official site.

Many people may not know this, but shooting an NCIS episode is a lot of hard work and the schedule is absolutely crazy! But all that said, I have to say it is also one of my favorite things to do. I get to hang out and "play" with my friends, and laugh between takes with some of the funniest and silliest characters I have ever met.

We shot the April 17 episode, "Once a Hero," a long time ago, and when I say a long time ago it may very well be two to three months ago. You lose perspective of time when you shoot, and I think all of us in the cast will agree with that statement. It has turned into a joke between us. As far as the episode goes, I don't remember the plot as much as I remember what happened behind the scenes. We shot part of this story in a hotel, somewhere close to the airport. I remember we were all wearing our "nice" secret-agent clothing, which in my case was a black skirt, a jacket, and a pair of heels, and my hair was sleeked back into a very clean ponytail. We were on set early — NCIS early, which can be anywhere from 6 am to 8 am, and when you live half an hour from the airport, that can be pretty early.

During one of the many little breaks we get between camera setups, I saw Mark Harmon talking to a very normal-looking man and a very pale, thin woman. Nothing out of the ordinary about Mark Harmon talking to people; he will always say hello and give an autograph or take a picture. I sat on my chair looking at Mark as he seemed to get more and more into the conversation. Suddenly he waved to me and said, "Come on over, come say hi" and so I did.

It turns out this couple was in Los Angeles on a very important mission. The pale, thin woman was fighting tooth and nail with cancer, and when I say tooth and nail, I mean this woman weighed 90 pounds, maybe less. She had very little hair, if any, and had tried all sorts of treatments — she was fighting. The man was her husband, who had been with her from the beginning of the nightmare every step of the way. It just so happened that NCIS was her favorite show and she could not believe that on that particular morning, when she was going back to Canada and back to her kids and family, she had bumped into the whole cast.

Now, I don't believe in coincidences. I believe that the universe will come together and give you what you need, when you least expect it. The truth is that meeting someone who is so sick and fragile puts life into perspective. I felt something very special in her company, I can't quite put it into words; all I can say is that we were all very blessed by meeting that woman that day. Her strength, her husband and his absolute commitment, redefined the meaning of love and took it to a level that was incredibly simple to understand. It did not need words. It simply was. We were the fortunate ones to have met her. All of us felt the same. We were all touched and I feel like the universe came together and gave us a big lesson that day. I am sure we all went home and called our loved ones to remind them just how much we cared.

I don't know what happened to the woman and her fight. I hope she is surrounded by her loved ones in Canada and still fighting. I think about her sometimes and I send her good vibes from afar. That is what I remember about shooting this episode.

Get more NCIS at the show's official site.