Max Osinski Explains Why Boris Was Blindsided in ‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Finale

Boris (Maximilian Osinski) is thrown for a loop at the end of the NCIS: Tony & Ziva Season 1 finale — and it leaves him in a position to have to rely on Tony (Michael Weatherly), Ziva (Cote de Pablo), and Claudette (Amita Suman).

Just as everyone has settled back into normal life following taking care of Jonah (Julian Ovenden), Martine (Nassima Benchicou), and 9.4, Boris shows up at Tony’s company and reveals that Fruzsi (Anne-Marie Waldeck) left him and took all his money. Oh, and her name is not Fruzsi. Tony tells him he’ll always have a job at his company.

Below, Max Osinski discusses Boris’ heartbreak and uncertain future.

Boris could have left them and gone on to his honeymoon, but he joined them in Episode 9 and said he and Fruzsi would never be safe until Jonah, Martine, and 9.4 are exposed. Was that really all it is? How much was it also what the others had come to mean to him? Was it both?

Max Osinski: Yeah, I think it’s both. I think logically it makes sense for him. “Alright, I got to leave my fiancée on the honeymoon because we won’t be safe.” But at the same time, I’m sure he could figure out how to be safe on his own, especially with Fruzsi, who’s good at staying undercover, too. But it’s something that we do a lot of times. I don’t think he realizes that’s maybe why he’s coming back. That’s just what he justified to himself and that’s what he’s going to tell everyone. “I’m not here because I miss you guys. I’m here because clearly I won’t be safe and I don’t trust you guys to figure that out for yourselves. So I’m going to be here to make sure that we all do our job.” But yeah, I think underneath, there is almost subconsciously maybe a bit of guilt and a bit of wanting to still finish the job with this team.

I feel bad for Boris at the end of the finale. Why do you think he was blindsided like he was by Fruzsi? Was it all about love?

That was a big turn. I didn’t see that coming myself either. I think he was blindsided by love. I know of people and I’m sure there’s a lot of people who’ve been enchanted by someone where they miss the flaws that your friends or family can see, this is going to be a problem down the line, but you’re too enraptured in the moment. I think part of Boris’s character is coming from — I’m Polish and coming from Russia, the way you’re raised, especially in the time period he would’ve been born in and grown up in, is you’re loyal. “I’ve said I’ve loved you and that means I love you till the end. If I said let’s get married, I’m in, committed.” There is no, well, if it doesn’t work out, we’ll just use the prenup and we’ll be fine. I think that can also be blinding.

You have a beautiful fiancée who’s really good at shoplifting and clever herself and also she really talks Boris up. She really thinks he’s really gifted and special and I think as a man that stroking that ego is also infatuating. So, maybe, is he in love with her or is he in love with how she perceives him? And that’s kind of what blindsided him because he does get paid well and he has access to a lot of really cool things. And here comes this woman who’s saying, you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. Let’s get married. Oh, and I have a really expensive taste in clothing. So I justify that. I understand why that might happen with Boris. It’ll be interesting to see what happens if we get a Season 2.

Does he want to track her down, whether it’s just to get his money back since she took all of it or maybe to see, could there still be something there? Where do you think his head is when it comes to that?

I think you can go either way. It’d be fun to see him try and track her down and confront that. It’d also be fun to see him say, “C’est la vie,” and hit the dating scene after being monogamous and super committed for a while. I don’t know. I think with a character like him, you can write him in for days and you can go either way. And that’s kind of above my pay grade. I’ll chime in with some things, but I don’t know if they’ll listen to me.

I have to say, I do love the idea of him working at Tony’s company because then we would get more of him with Tony and Claudette and the others. But how would he feel about going legit?

Not good. He’s not a company man. He doesn’t want W2s and a clock in, clock out kind of vibe. So I don’t see him being entirely happy just clocking in and clocking out, having a boss. He’s an entrepreneur, he’s a free spirit, but we see him at the end of [Episode] 10, he has nowhere to go. He’s completely wiped out. And going back to Tony, like family would, he takes him in and says, this is what I can do. That’d be fun to see, what is he like in an office situation that Claudette is used to? And is Claudette his equal or is she someone above him that now he has to ask permission? That’s fun to write with a character like that.

Because they’ve only been working together on the run and that is completely different.

That’s completely different to like, oh, hey, can I take my lunch break now? As opposed to, I’m eating my sandwich while you work and I’ll burp if I want to.

Marcell Piti/Paramount+

I have to say how much I enjoyed Boris and Tali (Isla Gie) together and their exchange about who will kill him first when they find out he gave into her and went into the compound, and Tali saying Ziva — that was just so fun.

That’s Dennis Smith. Dennis Smith directed that block. Fantastic director. And we had a lot of fun with him and the writers, too. I think that was a written line for sure. But kind of finding that with Tali and in that tunnel and the whole flashlight acting as I like to call it, I love those colors and characters that we get to see in a show like this. And I think that’s what makes the show kind of pop for audiences is while it’s still an adventure and there is still a plot and this thing we have to solve, people stick with a show because they’re interested in the characters and how they interact and what they are personally pursuing. So I just hope to get to do more of that in future seasons if that’s where it goes.

How does Boris feel about having to destroy 9.4? Are there any mixed feelings or purely relief that it’s no longer out there?

I think it’s mixed feelings. That’s his baby, that’s his masterpiece, that’s his Mona Lisa in his eyes. But he also has seen the destruction firsthand, which I think he’s kind of been sheltered from. He would do this dark stuff, get paid, and not think about it. And with this show, he is exposed, seeing the real world consequences and seeing Tony and Ziva’s daughter get really in danger. And there’s moments where they cut back and they show Boris really generally concerned like, “Oh, geez, your kid is — this is not what I was imagining.” So I think it’s a bit of both and it’s fun to play a bit of both, but it’s like saying goodbye to your favorite pair of shoes or something, right? You’re like, “Thank you, I appreciate you for everything you’ve done, but it’s time to move on.”

What are your hopes for Boris in a Season 2?

I’d love to see more of him when he’s not in front of the screen and just putting him in situations, putting him in danger, putting him in places he’s not really used to being. I think it’s so much fun to play and to explore and I hope it’s fun for the audience to see something like that, too. And I think with a show like this because of its format and the way they’ve envisioned this spinoff, it gives room for all the characters to kind of be forced to grow outside of their comfort zones. And I think that’s what makes for good TV and good entertainment. If you see the same character doing the same thing in the same place, A, it’s not that fun to play, and B, for the audience member, it’s familiar, but that there’s nothing new to tune into. So, I think I would love to see Boris just get entangled in more misadventure and trouble and learn something about himself while still having those skills that he can use to help the team for whatever happens.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Season 1, Streaming Now, Paramount+