Spoiler warning: This article reveals major plot developments from Episode 5 of "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" on Paramount+. If you haven’t watched yet, consider pausing here and returning after you stream the episode.
Episode 5 of the "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" spinoff delivers the season’s most devastating twist — and one that flips four episodes of suspicion on its head. After weeks of wondering whether reserved Interpol liaison Henry Rayner-Hunt was playing both sides, viewers finally learn the truth: Henry is no traitor. He’s a bona fide ally. And then, in the same breath, he’s gone — killed in brutal fashion during a high-stakes prison showdown that unmasks the real mastermind hunting Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David.
From Suspect to Savior: The Henry Rayner-Hunt Misdirect
Since the premiere, Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) — along with a fair share of the audience — have eyed Henry (James D’Arcy) warily. His buttoned-up demeanor and proximity to Interpol intrigue made him an easy target for theories linking him to rogue agent Martine (Nassima Benchicou). Was Henry the puppet master manipulating events from the shadows? Episode 5 answers the question decisively: no. Henry has been on the right side, a fact that lands with relief — and then heartbreak.
The episode confirms what Tony and Ziva wanted to believe but were afraid to trust: Henry’s loyalty was genuine. Unfortunately, the reveal arrives moments before the series’ most shocking death to date.
The Austrian Prison Standoff That Changed Everything
The action converges at an Austrian maximum-security prison, where the Secretary General of Interpol, Jonah (Julian Ovenden), is believed to be in custody. Tony, Ziva, and Henry converge on the facility as the walls close in on Martine and the hacker Dejan Lazar (Velibor Topic). It’s the kind of setup that seems destined for a clean takedown — until it becomes anything but.
The Mask Comes Off: Jonah Revealed as the True Villain
The supposed detainee is, in fact, the show’s hidden threat. Jonah, long assumed to be a victim of the conspiracy, is exposed as the orchestrator of the chaos. He makes a break for it with Martine and Dejan — until Henry steps in to stop the getaway. Weapon drawn, Henry forces the trio to a hard halt.
Confident he has the situation contained, Henry sends Tony and Ziva away to focus on what matters most: saving their endangered daughter, Tali (Isla Gie). It’s a split-second decision grounded in courage and trust — and a prelude to tragedy.
“Die Twice”: How Henry’s Final Moments Unfold
As Tony and Ziva retreat to rescue Tali, a massive explosion rips through the prison. In the chaos, Jonah lunges, burying a concealed blade in Henry’s chest. He then seizes Henry’s gun and fires a cold, final shot to the head. One moment of distraction is all the villain needs to turn victory into devastation.
James D’Arcy has confirmed Henry’s fate in the episode directed by executive producer John McNamara, noting that he knew from the start how final the ending would be. According to D’Arcy, McNamara warned him he would "die in Episode 5" — not once, but twice, stabbed and then shot — leaving no doubt about the character’s deadly exit.
A Real-Life Twist: Best Friends on Opposite Sides of the Barrel
Adding a bittersweet layer to the on-screen betrayal, Jonah is played by Julian Ovenden, D’Arcy’s real-life best friend. The pair’s off-screen bond runs deep: D’Arcy was best man at Ovenden’s wedding, and they’re godparents to each other’s children. That camaraderie made the scene both surreal and darkly funny to the actors — especially as Ovenden relished the performance, begging for another take of the lethal double-cross. For D’Arcy, the gleeful precision with which Jonah dispatches Henry only heightened the sting.
Why Tony and Ziva Didn’t Turn Back
The scene is even more harrowing because Tony and Ziva witness the stabbing from their escape vehicle. Ziva urges they return, but Tony insists their first duty is Tali’s safety. As they pull away, Jonah aims Henry’s own gun and pulls the trigger.
D’Arcy stands behind the characters’ choice. In his view, there was no realistic path for Tony and Ziva to intervene in time — and their decision aligns with their overarching mission to protect their daughter at all costs. Still, the emotional fallout is palpable, and D’Arcy can’t resist a playful pitch for an afterlife encore: if guilt gnaws at Tiva long enough, perhaps Henry could "return" in Season 2 to haunt them — literally — as a spectral series regular. Whether or not that happens, D’Arcy quips, he’s out of the loop now; when a character dies on television, the scripts stop coming.
Henry’s Hero Moments — and One Perfectly Brutal Tea Takedown
Before his death, Henry earns his action stripes. He throws punches, acts decisively under pressure, and even shoots the rear-view mirror off a speeding vehicle. Yet the episode’s most delightfully cutting moment has nothing to do with bullets — it’s about tea. When a warden asks the prim Brit for his verdict on the prison brew, Henry doesn’t hesitate: "Appalling." The line lands with surgical dry wit, the kind only a truly exasperated Englishman can deliver.
D’Arcy credits John McNamara for that zinger — and even for the exact delivery. The executive producer gave him the precise reading he wanted for "appalling," a direction D’Arcy jokes is now garnering the kind of attention that could make a performer teasingly wonder if McNamara should have stepped in front of the camera himself.
The Human Cost: How Henry’s Death Raises the Stakes
With Jonah revealed as the architect of the conspiracy, the series raises the stakes from cat-and-mouse to something more personal and perilous. Henry’s death crystallizes the threat level faced by Tony, Ziva, and their family, proving that even their most trusted allies aren’t safe. It also reframes the season’s moral core: the balance between duty and family. Tony and Ziva’s choice to protect Tali — even as a friend falls — is the kind of impossible call that will linger, shaping the tone and tension of what comes next.
What This Means for the Future
Episode 5 marks a turning point for "NCIS: Tony & Ziva." Jonah’s unmasking propels the story into its endgame, Martine’s allegiances are clarified, and Dejan’s role as a recruited asset is cemented. Meanwhile, Henry’s death is likely to cast a long shadow over Tony and Ziva, fueling both their resolve and their grief. For fans, it’s a reminder that this spinoff isn’t afraid of hard choices — or of breaking hearts to deepen the narrative.
Could Henry reappear in flashbacks, memories, or even as a haunting presence, as D’Arcy cheekily suggests? Time will tell. What’s certain is that Episode 5 both celebrates Henry’s integrity and underscores the ruthlessness of the foe now in clear view. The path forward for Tony, Ziva, and Tali is more dangerous than ever — and, for viewers, more gripping, too.