in 2012 for the show's spinoff, NCIS: Los Angeles, when characters NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and NCIS/LAPD Liaison Officer Detective Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) went undercover as a married couple. Reception "Under Covers" was watched live by 17.79 million viewers following its broadcast on November 8, 2005. When Tony and Ziva were named among Entertainment Weekly'''s "31 Best 'Will They/Won't They?' TV Couples", the episode was mentioned as an example of how "the Tiva relationship has always been fiery." Latina published a list of "Cote de Pablo's 15 Best 'NCIS' Moments" and included scenes from "Under Covers" that feature Tony and Ziva "[going] undercover as a crazy-in-love couple". The situation has been described as "a sneak preview of what a relationship between Tony and Ziva would be like" as well as among "the best ambiguous and not-so-ambiguous moments of their sexual-tension-ridden not-quite-love affair". It has been suggested that the undercover assignment was the beginning of a "spark of chemistry" in a previously "almost brother-sister relationship". Karen Barnes Yahoo!'' used "Under Covers" as an example when pointing out Tony and Ziva's "Tom and Jerry" interactions. Michelle Calbert of BuddyTV named listed it among "The 10 Best 'Tiva' Episodes" in 2013, after the show had been on for ten years, and wrote, "This episode was like a Tiva lover's dream come true. When Tony and Ziva are put undercover as a couple of married assassins, they got to play out what many fans had been hoping to see since their first episode together. Though the sex may have been faked, it didn't mean we couldn't enjoy seeing them together as a couple." References 2005 American television episodes NCIS (season 3) episodes