Tony and Ziva are often considered to be NCIS‘ best romance, but NCIS season 22, episode 17 just reminded me which couple is really the best. While romances have never been the focus of the NCIS shared universe franchise, they have been a significant subplot, with characters like Tony and Ziva experiencing years of a will-they/won’t-they romance. In fact, most NCIS couples have been in slow-burn relationships.

NCIS season 22 even started out the season by continuing the trend of romances that took a while to ignite with Jessica and Jimmy’s uncertain reunion after their breakup in the NCIS season 21 finale. NCIS‘ interest in the slow-burn trope has only highlighted Tony and Ziva’s tense and dramatic relationship, making them one of the more memorable couples on the show. However, there is one couple that is even better than Tony and Ziva, and they are not even in a slow-burn relationship.

Delilah’s Appearance In NCIS Season 22, Episode 17 Reiterated Her And Tim’s Stable Relationship

Delilah & Tim Have Been Married For 8 Years

Delilah rarely appears on NCIS, but when she does, she always acts as a happy reminder of her and Tim’s happiness. When Delilah shows up at NCIS to briefly help with a case, she and Tim’s nemesis, Gabriel LaRoche, quickly befriend each other. The two discover they have several interests and, in order to smooth things over with Tim, LaRoche invites both Delilah and Tim to dinner with him and his wife in NCIS season 22, episode 17.

Delilah’s appearance in NCIS only reiterates how well she and Tim work together, as a couple and as partners. They have been together for over a decade and have been married for eight years, having had two children during this time as well. It may be easy to forget Delilah because of how uncommon her appearances are, but it is clear how perfect the two are for each other. They support each other and work hard at maintaining their relationship.

The best example of this is near the end of episode 17 when Tim becomes suspicious of LaRoche again. To help him, Delilah spills some wine on Tim’s pants so he would have an excuse to get up from the table and snoop around. While Delilah may not always agree with Tim and thinks that Tim has no reason to dislike LaRoche, she understands that this is part of his job and helps him anyway. She trusts him to do the right thing, and if that includes snooping at someone else’s house, she agrees to disagree.

The McGees’ Stable Marriage Is A Healthier Romance Than Tony & Ziva’s Tumultuous Relationship

Tony & Ziva Have Experienced Too Many Forced Separations

As a couple on television, Tony and Ziva are fun and exciting. However, realistically, Tim and Delilah’s romance is better. Tony and Ziva danced around the idea of becoming a couple for years before it became too late. At first, Ziva’s decision to leave in NCIS season 11 ended her will-they-won’t-they relationship with Tony. Later, her decision to fake her own death practically annihilated any chance of them getting back together until season 16, when she returned.