Following her recent NCIS return, Roma Maffia says she’d love to reprise her role as Vera more often. When Cote de Pablo left as Ziva David in season 11, the show struggled to fill the gap she left behind. Before Ellie Bishop officially joined the team, Maffia’s character temporarily stepped in as Ziva’s original replacement.

Twelve years after her first appearance, Vera resurfaced in NCIS season 23 during the crossover with NCIS: Origins. Her current future, however, remains uncertain. Speaking to TVInsider, Maffia shared her enthusiasm about returning regularly, praising the writing for Vera and pointing out how valuable her character’s experience and humor could be for the team.

Although Vera has fully retired-and even admitted in season 23 that she prefers a slower life-her involvement in a cold case proves she still has the sharp instincts to help when needed. Bringing her back full time may be tricky, but not impossible.

There are a few natural ways to include her: Director Vance could hire her as a consultant, or she could serve as a link between the main NCIS team and Gibbs in Alaska, since the two remain in touch. Most importantly, Vera could act as a bridge between the flagship series and NCIS: Origins. With Gibbs retired and Mike Franks gone, she’s the only character who can connect the two timelines without revealing major prequel plot points-making her return beneficial for both shows moving forward.