Our Ranking of Tiva and Destiel Edits [Collaboration]

Our Ranking of Tiva and Destiel Edits

(A Collaboration with "Tony")

"That which is essential is invisible to the eye." ~Ziva

"Ziva David, did you just quote a movie?" ~Tony

"No. I quoted a book... that was made into a movie." ~Ziva

NCIS Tony and Ziva GIF

[Note: "Tony" (not to be confused with NCIS's Tony DiNozzo 😉) does not have her own blog. However she has done several collaborations before with Hailey and McKayla, and she agreed to do this one with me. 😊]

Tony: Dark Green | Hividah: Blue | Both: Gold

Bonjour!

This post is for all NCIS and/or Supernatural fans. Specifically, it's about two iconic ships: Tony and Ziva (Tiva) from NCIS, and Dean and Castiel (Destiel) from Supernatural.

As many of you know, there are lots of fan-made edits on YouTube for these characters. So my best friend and I put together the ones we liked the most and tried to rank them from our least to most favourite. We also shared our thoughts/reasons/opinions for each of the videos we chose.

Also, we don’t want you to feel like you must watch all or any of these edits; it’s not an obligation! I'm aware that this post is pretty long (we had a lot of fun making it)... If you simply want to read through our “conversations” that’s fine. It’s up to you. 🙂

Now, without further ado, let’s get started!

Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David from NCIS

#13 Pretending (by Glee)

While this edit is a tad too flashy for my liking (perhaps because I watched it in the evening), the editing was great!

I love this one, even if the flashing bothered my eyes a bit. I think the scene choices were great and fit well with the song.

Also, I see this song as quite fitting for Tiva!

I agree! Also, it kind of encompasses them, especially in the earlier seasons (and their constant denial of their feelings).

That’s exactly what I was thinking! I only wish they had used the entire song instead of only part of it.

I would've liked it to be the whole song, too. But on the other hand, I get it that at the time, maybe they weren’t able to find enough footage for it. 🤷‍♀️

#12 I Love You (by Billie Eilish)

The editing is fantastic; I love the transitions, I like the scene choices, and I like the parallels in this edit (particularly the We're All Alone and You're Not Alone). And obviously the song.

Oh yes, the parallels are very clever! If I’m honest though, I’m not fond of Billie Eilish's songs, but I can see how this one fits.

Yeah, usually her music is not my style, but this one’s very Tiva. This video also has a lot of heart and I think is very emotional, even more so than some of the other edits.

The two parts that stood out to me were the scene where Tony said, “DiNozzo men don’t cry,” (cuts to the next scene), and then the brief scene where Gibbs has a mustache. It gets me every time! 😆🤦‍♀️

😂 I feel the same way! His mustache is hilarious!

#11 He Should Hear It From You (A Thousand Years by Christina Perri)

Though I think this song can be overused I think it fits well. This edit is particularly well done. I enjoy the transitions in it since they're smooth, and I find that this one also has a lot of heart in it. The scene choices are great.

I was close to picking this edit as one of my favourites. What I like best is how the theme revolves around the quote at the end.

Oh yes, the theme is great and I love that it all kind of fits together at the end! I also love the way it shows the tragedy they've faced, and no matter the circumstances, they always find a way back to each other, no matter how long it takes.

Aw, that’s very sweet and true! 😊

#10 Hold On (by Chord Overstreet)

I love the editing, the filters (and how they change depending on the scene), and the transitions from one scene to the other. I also love the song so it's kind of a bonus. The scenes fit together perfectly with the lyrics are just very Tiva to me. It shows many scenes of Ziva and Tony’s reactions to being apart. Sometimes in other edits, it's more one-sided.

I agree! 🙂 I like the way the quotations from the different seasons/episodes were edited together to show that they both said some of the same things or had the same reactions. All along, they knew they were “partners” but it took them a very long time to realize or admit just how much they meant to each other. But I reckon that’s the charm of a slow-burn romance.

Yes, I really liked that part too, where they would say the same things or have the same reactions. Also, your description is perfect for Tiva! I loved the slow-burn but sometimes it was kind of annoying… 😂 Also, as a side note, every time I saw an episode where Ziva or Tony said they were "partners" I always was like, Oh in a romantic way, and then be like, Wait nope; they mean like teammates.

That's funny! To me, it seemed like it was a mix of both. I imagine that when they were still denying their feelings, they would say that to try and also convince themselves, and others, that that’s all they were. Just partners/teammates, nothing more. But of course, as time went on things changed, and it probably took on both meanings.

#9 I Knew I Still Loved Him

The editing is fantastic! I think the song choice lines up well with the edit, and I think that there's a lot of heart in it. I also love the song and scene choices. It really shows the caring and sweetness in their relationship. I love the way the team is also involved in this edit.

I agree! Usually, Tiva edits focus on just the two of them, so it’s nice to see the other team members included.

Yes, I love it even if it's only for a scene or two. Otherwise, it hits hard emotionally. I'm not quite sure why it does for me over some of the others.

Also, this video highlights that no matter how difficult things got between them at times, they both always realized that they still loved each other.

Aw, that's a really sweet sentiment 💖

#8 Matters of the Heart (On The Nature of Daylight by Max Richter)

The editing is fantastic, the transitions are great, and every scene just fits.

Oh, I LOVE this one! It was so heartwrenching!

I love this one, too! I like the way this edit sort of delves into Tony's past/struggles and shows how strong their connection is, really. And as always, the song choice is beautiful and fits very well.

I haven’t seen many Tiva edits that showcase it from Tony’s point of view (I could be wrong though, maybe there are a lot out there). There were also quite a few scenes/dialogues I had never seen before.

Yeah, I don't usually see ones from Tony's perspective either so that was nice to see.

#7 You're the Needle Pointed North (Remembrance by Tommee Profitt)

I think the parallels in this are great and I really appreciated the editing; it's clean and is done very well. I enjoy the song choice and I think it fits great. This edit particularly highlights how heartbreaking their story is and how much pain they've gone through together.

Gosh, this one hit me deep 😅 It’s intense and brilliantly showcases Ziva’s motherly love and instincts.

It is incredibly powerful; the song and scenes all mix well and create an emotional and beautiful sort of recap of Tiva.

Agreed! At the start of Season 3, when Ziva’s character was introduced, we didn’t think she could be a mother (you know, with her fighting instincts, bad-ass nature, etc.). The writers of NCIS (and the actress, Cote de Pablo, of course) did an amazing job with Ziva’s character growth and development, as she changed from being a stealthy assassin to being devoted to her new family. One thing that didn’t change is her willingness to protect those she cares about the most. I love how this edit represents all those things.

I agree! The writers did a great job with Ziva's development and the edit truly shows how well done it is.

#6 The Complete Story (Experience by Ludovico Einaudi)

As well as being the first NCIS Tiva edit I ever watched, this pretty well summarizes their story across the seasons. I especially love the background music, which gets increasingly more intense, just like their relationship did.

I love the scenes they chose and the style of editing is beautiful and makes it even better to watch. I really enjoy the audio/narration as well. I think this edit has a lot of heart and shows how much Tony and Ziva have gone through together. This edit is very powerful with the song choice (which I love) and all the heartfelt scenes. It is very emotional. I especially love the ending scene where Ziva realizes she's ready to return to Tony and Tali.

Yes, exactly! After everything she’s been through, especially to protect her family, she’s finally ready to embrace what she has been fighting to have for a long time (being with Tony and Tali).

#5 Only Know You Love Her When You Let Her Go (Let Her Go by Passenger)

I love the flashback scenes in the beginning! It truly made it look like he was sitting by the fire and looking back at all those memories. I fail to remember the context around the actual scene though. 😅

I really love this one too! I think the editing is well done, the song choice is very fitting with Tiva, and it's definitely very heartfelt and bittersweet. This one’s also early Tiva for the most part, which isn't usually in edits as much, so I like getting to see that.

Yes, it’s interesting how their affinity has gone on for so long that there are different phases in their dynamics. Such as early Tiva (denying their feelings) and “post-elevator” Tiva.

I agree, and it makes sense to me. 🙂

 #4 The Night We Met (by Lord Huron)

[Unfortunately, this video was either removed from YouTube or made private.]

The editing is great! I think the audio/scene choice fits so well with them and the song choice, which I also love. I think it captures their relationship perfectly, how sad it all was but how they had hope and are together now.

Wow. I’m quite impressed by this edit! 😃 I have not seen audio edited so clearly before!

Yes, the person who edited it did a fantastic job making everything fit together.

Something funny that caught my attention was towards the end of the video when two different lines were cut together to make it sound like Tony said,” Ziva loves Paris. It was inevitable.” It was probably intended to mean that it was inevitable that the both of them would end up together (in Paris), but to me, it sounds like it was inevitable that Ziva would love Paris. 😂 After all, there are plenty of other characters from other TV shows and movies who love Paris and dream of living there. Angela Montenegro from the show Bones is one example. That’s just a trivial detail that I randomly expanded on… 😅

Oh my gosh, that's hilarious 😂 "It was inevitable for Ziva to love Paris." I love the random Bones Trivia you added in.

#3 You Are Not Alone (Carry You by Ruelle ft. Fluerie)

First off, I love this song!

Same! I like many songs from Ruelle, but I didn’t know about this one until I watched this edit.

Me too! Her songs are really incredible! I think the editing is very well done, the scene choices were just perfect and the filters were also really cool. I think this edit also has a lot of heart, showing how tragic Tiva's relationship is, but has a lot of hope in the end, which I really enjoyed.

What I probably liked most about it is how the theme revolves around a famous quote from Tony DiNozzo when he said to Ziva, “At lo levad,” which is Hebrew for “You are not alone.”

Oh yeah, I completely missed that reference. 😅 But now that I know about it, I love this edit even more!

#2 Time After Time (cover by Boyce Avenue ft. Megan & Jaclyn Davies)

This is perhaps my favourite Tiva edit!

This edit is definitely one of my top ones, too!

The narration by McGee is a touching intro along with the scenes to support the lyrics. I especially like that they used some scenes that aren't common in other edits. Jimmy Palmer's narration towards the middle adds something to it as well.

I love the song and scene choices, and the narrations (as you already mentioned) are very moving.

I also very much enjoy this cover version of Cyndi Lauper’s song. But that’s probably because any song that has a prominent guitar melody catches my attention, as well as the fact that it’s sung by a trio.

Ooh, I didn't know that it was a Cyndi Lauper song! But I agree that the cover is great. I find the whole edit very beautiful and it definitely has a lot of heartfelt moments.

#1 [Tied] Fire on Fire edited by DarkestxHearts (song by Sam Smith)

Aw, this was so touching! ❤️

I agree! I actually found this song through a Tiva edit and I really love it. I think the audio does a great job of showing how tragic Tiva's story has been. I like the editing style and the filters they used.

I couldn’t help but notice how the different editing and use of the scenes created another atmosphere from the Fire of Fire edit that I chose.

I think this edit does a good job of showing the good and the bad of their relationship since sometimes edits mainly focus on the good parts. I enjoy how it shows the heartbreak but then shows a happy ending for them.

Also, another trivial thing that came to my mind while watching this: I’d love to know the context surrounding the audio that is used in so many edits where McGee is reading aloud from that notebook. Was it something Ziva wrote herself?

Hmm, I actually don't know the context either. But I guess that it might be a journal entry, a diary entry, or maybe a letter.

Well, perhaps someday I’ll watch the episode (whichever it is) and find out…

#1 [Tied] Fire on Fire edited by Carlie Dream (song by Sam Smith)

I really love the song, obviously. 😂

I couldn’t agree more! I cannot get over how perfect this edit is; I adore the introduction of Tali in the edit's story!

It really is perfect! I love the editing style of this one and just how beautifully it tells Tony and Ziva's story. I think the scene choices are great and fit so well with the song.

Yes, and the lyrics fit with Tony and Ziva’s dynamics quite well. For example, “When we fight we fight like lions, but then we love and feel the truth.” Anyone who has watched the show will know how accurate that is!

Yes, it is really accurate to Tiva. I think that this one is also very heartfelt and powerful, but it also shows a lot of the hurt that Tony and Ziva experienced.

That’s very true. And also, another line that stood out to me is: “We won’t abide by any rules,” since they technically broke Gibbs’ Rule #12: Never date a coworker.

All in all, Tony and Ziva are fire on fire. 🔥

They definitely are!

Dean Winchester and Castiel from Supernatural

#6 I'd Have Died For You (What if the Storm Ends? by Snow Patrol)

The editing is fantastic, the transitions are great, the filters, the audio, the scene choice, everything! Also, I love the song, and the way this edit shows how much Dean cares since a lot of the time he pretends he doesn't. It also does a really good job of showing how determined Dean is when it comes to the people he cares about.

My one small issue with this edit is that sometimes it's really loud with the scenes’ dialogue mixing with the song. But other than that it's fantastic.

Yes, I feel like that kind of gave it an overwhelming sensation (to me at least). 🤷‍♀️ But perhaps that just represents how overwhelming things were for Team Free Will and are for the fans/viewers of the show who get invested in the characters and their feelings. (That’s kind of a weird explanation, but I tried).

I think that's a great explanation! And yes, the characters on Supernatural are constantly overwhelmed, so that makes a lot of sense. 

#5 The Night We Met (by Lord Huron)

This is one of those songs where the more I listen to it, the more I like it. It seems to be quite versatile, as it was also used in a Tiva edit that was listed earlier. Besides that, it’s a great song for a pair to dance to… 😏

It is a great dancing song indeed. 😉 I think the editing is done really well; I love the way it matches the beat, and the scene choices are just amazing. The bittersweetness of it all is well represented in this edit. There’s a lot of emotion behind it and it feels very tragic because of the way things ended on the show.

I agree with you. 🙂This makes me so glad that Tiva had a happy ending and also actually got together.

Me too! I'm glad the NCIS writers saw how much fans loved Tiva and decided to give them a happy ending.

#4 He Saved Me (The Depths by Cross Record)

I think this one has a lot of heart in it and just gives you a lot of emotion with the way the scenes, dialogue, song, and parallels fit together. The editing style is very professional and extremely well done. I enjoy the way it tells you how much Dean cares about Cas because with Destiel that's sometimes not included as much. I think this video shows their connection and the way the characters have grown very well.

I like how the atmosphere in this one is kind of more like best-friends-who-couldn’t-be-without each-other than other Destiel edits I’ve seen so far. But, the very last scene did make me wonder, what was Dean actually going to say to Cas…? 🤔😏

Yes, I'm very curious as well. And I agree with you that this one could be seen as both platonic or romantic depending on the way you watch it. I kind of see it as both.

#3 If I Lay Here | Alternate Ending (Chasing Cars cover by Boyce Avenue)

Well, after all my sad edits, I picked this one! I love it so much! First off, the song is great and the lyrics fit with this edit. The editing is well done; I like how the filters change a lot. Also, the scenes used are great (even if some of them were of the cast instead). I think this one is heartwarming and not so tragic, and I love that about it.

You’re right, this was so sweet and heartwarming! I also agree that this would have been a better ending to the show.

It really is so sweet! And yes, I think this would've been better and more well-received than the actual ending.

#2 Falling (by Harry Styles)

So first off, the song is by Harry Styles, which makes me kind of laugh since he's one of Hailey's celebrity crushes.

Oh yeah, I was thinking the same thing when I discovered this song was sung by Harry Styles! 😅

😂That's funny that we had the same thought! But anyways… I love the way the lyrics fit so well with the scenes. Also, the way it's edited with the filters and text reminds me of your Tiva Edit, which I really love.

Aw, that’s so sweet! 😊

Also, this edit shows some of my frustration with Dean. 😂 I love his character, but with Cas sometimes it's just like, why did you do that?

It also shows how much they love each other, but that Dean is kind of sabotaging himself since he can't seem to admit how he feels about Cas to himself. Or maybe that's just the Supernatural writers' doing. 🤷

I agree with you. 🙂 Another reason I love this edit is because it has many good lines and quotes. My favourite is this one:

“Damn it, Cas, we can fix this!” ~Dean

“Dean, it’s NOT broken.” ~Castiel

Oh yes, those are some of my favorite lines too! And it definitely adds more to this edit.

#1 [Tied] All Too Well - 10 Minute Version edited by markpng (song by Taylor Swift)

Out of all those 10 minutes, what stuck with me was when Dean said, “I was there,” towards the end of the video. It’s always great when a scene echoes the song lyrics or the other way around!

Yes, that part is one of my favorites! I really, really love this one! It's beautifully edited and it just captures Destiel so well. How they (the writers and Dean and Cas, to some extent) refused to acknowledge what they had. It's always so sad to think about how Dean doesn't tell Cas, even at the end. But I think that's part of what this edit captures; how heartbreaking the ending and their whole story were, really. The scene choices were also fantastic.

#1 [Tied] All Too Well - 10 Minute Version edited by gaygorgon (song by Taylor Swift)

From all the Destiel edits I’ve seen so far, I believe this song fits them the best. Several other people agree since there are lots of 10-minute-long edits out there using this song! 😅 I cannot remember a particular reason why I chose this version over the others I’ve seen though.

I agree! I really love the editing. The song is great and every scene fits so well with it, which is kind of funny since the one I picked matched the song, too. 😂 I think it's very bittersweet; it's got a lot of emotion and it just fits so well with Dean and Cas. It also has a lot of feeling which I think comes through while watching it.

I’m curious… how do you think Dean felt about Castiel? Since it was never clearly revealed.

Hmm, overall I think that Dean did romantically love Castiel but didn't know what to do with those feelings. Also, he likely didn't grow up with acceptance (since Castiel is a male angel) or guidance from his father on feelings as a whole. So I think Dean did feel the same way as Castiel but felt like he couldn't say it, even in the end. Or he wanted to tell Cas, but it was too late since Dean was also probably in shock. I kind of have a lot of opinions on this, apparently. 😅 I like to think though that they reunite in Heaven after the show is done and either be together or just stay best friends. What about you?

Those are all valid ideas and sound very plausible! Maybe Dean also didn’t want to or couldn’t admit it to himself. After all, he sometimes gave the impression of being embarrassed, confused, or in denial. Or perhaps that is just my misinterpretation! Either way, Dean didn’t have much time to process or react to Cas’s confession just before he let the black CGI goop (I forgot its real name, haha 😅) take him.

I think that's a very accurate interpretation and makes a lot of sense for the show. Those are some really great points! And I definitely agree. 😂 The goop is called “The Empty” but I'm just going to call it “black CGI goop” from now on since yours is a much better name! 😄

I’m flattered you like my description/name of it better than “The Empty.” 😅😂

Also, another thing I wanted to note is that there are more types of attraction than just romantic. But of course, romance is the most renowned, so whenever there is a situation where one character likes another in a way that isn’t quite platonic, it’s assumed that they are romantically attracted to them. That’s probably what was in the minds of the showwriters and the viewers. What I’m saying is, what if Dean was emotionally or sensually attracted to Cas instead? (I don’t really see Dean as the romantic type...) That’s also where your theory would fit, about the lack of guidance he had. But of course, it’s a controversial topic, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t watch the show and lacks the knowledge & experience about these things... 😅

One thing’s for sure though: Dean obviously cared very much about Castiel, so there’s that.

Agreed! I think that you're definitely right that Dean could care for Cas in a not exactly platonic way but also not romantic; it's a great point. 🙂 Dean and Castiel definitely have a very complicated relationship that can be interpreted in all sorts of ways which makes theorizing about it really fun.

Je suis d’accord!

~ * ~

Well, those are our rankings and opinions as of September 2023! What do you think? We’d love to know. 💙

That’s all for today, folks!

Au revoir!

Castiel and Dean GIF

"You asked me, what about all of this is real? We are." ~Castiel to Dean