Here's When Cote de Pablo Returns to NCIS Season 17

NCIS is gifting fans with double the Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) this winter. We already knew Cote de Pablo was set to return to the CBS drama for two more episodes of Season 17 -- and now we can set our calendars for the exact dates.

De Pablo will next be seen on NCIS on Dec. 17 and Jan. 7, TV Guide has confirmed. The episodes mark the midseason finale and midseason premiere, respectively.

NCIS Reveals How Ziva Survived the Farmhouse Bombing

De Pablo, who left NCIS in 2013 at the start of Season 11, made a shocking return in the final minutes of the Season 16 finale when Ziva barged into Gibbs's (Mark Harmon) office. The first two episodes of Season 17, which found Ziva teaming up with Gibbs, revealed how Ziva had survived the farmhouse bombing, but there are still a few threads left to tie up -- especially since Tony (Michael Weatherly) still doesn't know she's alive.

NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.

(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation.)