document_title: Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David

question_text: what episode do ziva and tony first kiss

question_tokens: what episode do ziva and tony first kiss

text: Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David

text: Casting and concept[edit]

text: Michael Weatherly was cast for the role of Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo in 2003 and appeared in every episode of the show's first 13 seasons. The character is portrayed as "complex": he is a former Baltimore homicide detective with a "heroic spirit"[6] as well as a "total dinosaur in terms of sexual politics".[7]

text: In the second season finale, NCIS series regular Caitlin Todd was killed off after Sasha Alexander, her portrayer, decided to permanently leave the show.[8] Shortly afterwards, series creator Donald P. Bellisario voiced intentions to replace Todd with another female lead, whom he stated would be "someone foreign who brings a whole new attitude".[9] He expressed hopes that the new character would be drastically different from Todd,[10] who was "kind of uptight".[9]

text: One aspect Bellisario wanted to change was the way the character would interact with Tony. Though Tony and Kate had a "wonderful dynamic",[9] he ultimately thought that "[she] treated [him] like a big brother" and decided "to bring in a character that causes Tony to have to sit back and not quite be able to handle her".[11]

text: Cote de Pablo, who was one of the last to audition,[12] was set to perform opposite Michael Weatherly to test for chemistry.[5] Weatherly improvised during the audition by brushing her hair back and commenting, "You remind me of Salma Hayek."[13] De Pablo, who was initially upset by the departure from the script, stayed in character and "dismissed him completely".[5] She later said in an interview, "He totally did it with the other [actresses]. One other girl sort of flirted back with him, and she was sort of open. Which is what actors do! They're sort of open. But I got lucky and got the part because I responded the way they felt was right."[13]

text: According to Bellisario, CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves "took one look at her and said, Wow!"[8] Co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson commented, "When you get actors who really listen and respond organically in the moment to what they're hearing, sometimes magic happens. They really seemed to get that immediately, and that doesn't always happen."[5]

text: Producers eventually decided to make de Pablo's character, who was given "the arresting name of Ziva David",[8] an Israeli agent.[5] Bellisario had previously discussed possibly scripting her as European or Australian.[9] She is introduced as having a soldier mentality[14] and as "[someone] who was comfortable in her own sexuality and used to working with men on an equal footing".[12]

text: Development[edit]

text: Early seasons[edit]

text: Tony and Ziva first meet in the "Kill Ari" two-part story arc at the beginning of Season 3 during the manhunt for Ari Haswari, Kate's killer and Ziva's half-brother.[15] Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo both point to "Under Covers", the eighth episode of that season, as the catalyst for the flirtation between the characters.[16][17] The episode involves Tony and Ziva being sent undercover as a married couple, an assignment that requires them to simulate sexual relations in order to solidify their cover.[18] De Pablo commented, "Michael and I talked about all of those scenes right before we did them. We had a totally different way of looking at it. In our minds, we thought the characters weren't faking anything. They just got carried away. Then all of the sudden after that, they saw each other in a different light."[17] Weatherly discussed the creation of the "Under Covers" scenario:

text: This episode was so much fun to shoot. Cote de Pablo, who plays Ziva, came to me right before we were shooting the first scene where we kissed, and said, 'I've never kissed anyone on camera before.' I was expecting this timid little bird kiss, like a little peck, but she was like a lioness—she practically ate my head off! This is where TIVA (Tony+Ziva) started. We were told to really have fun with it, they wanted a sexy thing happening, and Cote delivered. I was just sort of along for the ride. And let's be honest, three out of the four letters in 'TIVA' are from Ziva, so what is the 'T' then? The crucible, is it the cross? I don't think so.[16]

text: At the time, Bellisario said that he "kind of [likes] what's going on now" and that it was unlikely that the relationship would be taken further any time in the immediate future.[11] De Pablo agreed, saying, "I would think if the characters get together, the whole mystery would be done. I think it will be a lot more fun to play the tension."[11] She elaborated in another interview, "My character has sort of this understated flirtation with Michael's character, Tony. She gets jealous, but I think she would never admit it or hook up with someone in the workplace. He scares her to death. He is the epitome of the American man and all of the things that come out of his mouth are brutally stupid."[14]

text: Tony is renowned for his juvenile sense of humor and "commitment phobias"[4] while Ziva is characterized as "a tease" early on, a factor that de Pablo enjoyed playing "because [she's] so not that in real life".[19] Some aspects of Ziva's personality disturb him, such as the fact that she sleeps with a gun in her hand and snores very loudly.[20][unreliable source?] However, as co-workers, they respect each other despite their frequent exchange of sarcastic remarks. Both have had a string of failed romances.[4][21]

text: Team leader Gibbs (Mark Harmon) resigns in Hiatus (Part II), the third season finale, and appoints Tony as his replacement.[22][better source needed] During the 2006 summer break, it was reported that Ziva would fall under suspicion of being a spy in the fall premiere,[19] and in the opening episode, "Shalom", she is framed by the Iranian government for the murder of a terrorist in FBI custody and the two agents guarding him.[23] When she initially goes to the Israeli embassy to report their deaths, which she witnessed, Mossad Officer Michael Bashan asks her directly, "Did you or did you not sleep with him?" In response to her confusion, Bashan tells her that he knows that Tony has been visiting her apartment at least once a week for the past three months and that Mossad officers have been spying on her, evidently on orders from her father, Mossad Director Eli David.[23]

text:
I think they're just having a lot of fun watching us fight our way through it. I don't care either way and I have no idea. That's the fun aspect of not knowing...being bombarded by all this attraction and seeing them fight it or deal with it the best way possible. They're both very funny. Tony's always trying to hit on women and he doesn't try to hit Ziva. Those moments they get too close they try to brush themselves off and say 'Oh, that didn't happen.'
—Cote de Pablo[14]

tag: div

text: Throughout the episode, Tony vigorously defends Ziva's innocence to the FBI, as well as berating any agent who dares question her loyalty when her car is found at a bombing in downtown Georgetown. She is eventually cleared of all wrongdoing.[23] Though Ziva never addresses Bashan's accusation and her relationship with Tony is left undefined, there is no overt romantic connection in subsequent episodes.[24]

text: Shortly afterwards, Tony begins dating Jeanne Benoit (Scottie Thompson) and is shown to be on the verge of a serious commitment for the first time within the series.[22] His romance with Jeanne continues to progress throughout the year, and he remains tight-lipped about it when his colleagues notice the change in his behavior. When questioned about the effects this would have on Tony and Ziva's relationship, de Pablo commented, "Am I just being jealous? I don't know. I still love him very much, but I've sort of thrown away that possibility because I think he's really struggling with some immense feelings for somebody else."[3] In an interview with Chicago Tribune, she clarified that Ziva "does have feelings for DiNozzo," but that she was uncertain that this would be addressed.[25]

text: In the Season 4 finale, "Angel of Death", it is made apparent that Tony and Jeanne's relationship was orchestrated by NCIS Director Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly) in hopes of catching Jeanne's father, an arms dealer, though Tony had fallen in love while on assignment.[22] Jeanne breaks it off following this revelation, and their storyline is ultimately given closure in the fifth season episode "Internal Affairs".[22]

text: Bellisario stepped down as executive producer in May 2007 after series star Mark Harmon threatened to walk due to alleged "overly long production days",[26] and co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson and head writer Shane Brennan took over afterwards.[27]

text: Following the fatal shooting of Director Shepard in the fifth season finale, the NCIS team is disbanded by the new Director Vance: McGee is sent to cyber crimes, Ziva is returned to Israel, and Tony is deployed on an aircraft carrier.[28]

text: Michael Rivkin and captivity in Somalia[edit]

text: Season 6 focuses more on Ziva and Tony, but leaves their relationship undefined. Gibbs manages to have Ziva and McGee transferred back to the team in the premiere, but Tony is still acting as agent afloat on the USS Seahawk. In the following episode, Ziva accompanies Gibbs onto the Seahawk as part of a murder investigation and notices that Tony has pictures of her in a bikini pinned up in his room.[29] After the investigation is closed, his deployment is ended prematurely and he is allowed to return to the team in the conclusion of the episode.[29]

text: As the season progresses, Ziva seems to have become involved with someone while in Israel but refuses to discuss it. In "Nine Lives", after she plans a visit to Israel, Tony looks through her desk and finds a picture of an unidentified man (Merik Tadros).[30] Before she leaves, he tells her to have a good trip ("Nisiya Tova") in Hebrew, demonstrating that he had at least made some effort to learn that phrase.[31] In "Cloak", Ziva disobeys Gibbs' orders to not engage during a war game, attacking the guards to defend Tony. Later they both say that they are "tired of pretending": Tony about the politics in the hunt for the mole within the team, which required the team to withhold information from each other, and Ziva for reasons undisclosed.[32]

text: Producers and writers for NCIS were initially divided over how to proceed with Tadros' character. In January 2009, some were suggesting possibly making him a relative of Ziva, an idea Cote de Pablo opposed. It was also proposed that Ziva would "stop toying with [Tony] completely" which would "drive him even more insane". De Pablo relayed, "We're going to play around with the idea that it could possibly be real love, and see how [he] deals with it."[33] In March, executive producer Shane Brennan stated, "You've got what you might want to call a triangle. It's a triangle with very, very pointy ends. Someone's going to get hurt."[34] He continued, "Something tragic will happen to Tony. Something tragic will happen to Ziva as well."[34]

text: This comes to a head when Tadros appeared again portraying Mossad Officer Michael Rivkin in the "Legend" two-part, which also served as a backdoor pilot for the show's spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles.[34] He arrives in the United States during the NCIS team's hunt for members of a terrorist sleeper cell.[35] Working independently, he draws ire from the agency when he kills suspects rather than bringing them in for questioning. Tony begins to doubt Ziva's loyalty to NCIS when she continues to defend Rivkin, and it becomes apparent by the end of Part II that she is involved in a relationship with him as the two are seen lying together in bed in the last few seconds of "Legend Part 2".[36]

text: More details were released in the days preceding the finale. Michael Weatherly disclosed, "The way this season is ending, and what's gonna happen with Ziva and Tony and Rivkin, it's pretty massive and explosive, and it's gonna span four episodes."[37] De Pablo added, "We could not be farther away from kissing. I'm telling you, it's not 'I hate you' [kissing sound] anger; it's 'I want to kill you' anger. Like, 'I want to shoot you in the head, but instead I'm gonna put my gun on your knee' anger….He does something to her that is almost unforgivable. However, the reason he does it is because he truly believes it's going to help her. Little does he know that he almost kills her."[17] When asked how the storyline would affect Tony and Ziva's interactions, Tadros replied, "I think that love can hurt and heal. In this case, we'll have opportunity to see both of those things take place. I don't want to say too much, but... I think it will only make their connection stronger, as they learn a lot more about each other."[36]

text: Viewers speculated that Ziva's romance with Rivkin was "arranged" and something that she was "trapped" in.[36] Tadros responded:

text: Well, with the underworld of espionage, you would never really know. They could easily have been paired and had to be in love and then had to learn to love each other.... The way I've always approached it is that Rivkin loves Ziva. They've always wanted to add some suspense and mystery to all of it, but I would always say to the directors, 'How could I not love her?' But he also has a job to do. And so does she. [Executive producer] Shane [Brennan] is a genius, so it's been a great pleasure to just go along for this ride. I'm excited to watch the finale [airing May 19] myself just to see how it all plays out![36]

text: Tony confronts a drunken Rivkin at Ziva's apartment in the episode directly prior to the finale. When he attempts to arrest Rivkin for killing the leader of the terrorist cell in Los Angeles and also an ICE agent (which Mossad leader Eli David later reveals was an accident), a fight breaks out between the two men which eventually results in Tony being forced to shoot Rivkin in self-defense due to the fact that Rivkin is about to stab Tony with a piece of glass.[23] Though he had acted in self-defense, Rivkin later succumbs to his injuries and dies with his death having serious repercussions for Tony and Ziva's relationship, culminating in Ziva leaving NCIS to resume working for Mossad in the finale, "Aliyah".[23] She is quickly assigned to take Rivkin's place on a mission to take down a terrorist in Somalia. In the closing moments of the episode, she is shown to have been captured and tortured nearly beyond recognition by a terrorist demanding information on NCIS.[38]

text: Brennan reportedly kept the cliffhanger ending a secret from most of the cast, saying that "those pages were only in one copy of the script".[39] Shortly after "Aliyah" aired, it was assured that Ziva "will be back next season. But she'll be a changed woman."[40]

text: During the summer hiatus, de Pablo admitted that she was to a point tired of the producers teasing the pairing and said, "I wish the writers would just make it easy for us and just say, 'You know, go into the elevator and kiss passionately.' Or, [have us say] say, 'I don't like you.'"[41] She added, "But I've always thought that, deep inside, Tony loves Ziva and Ziva loves Tony, but she's almost ashamed of saying it because he's so stupid. In the best of ways. That personal that he comes out with, that frat boy thing -- he's hiding constantly from the truth. It's just a big facade and she sees right through it."[41]

text: In Season 7 premiere "Truth or Consequences", Tony initiates a mission of revenge against the terrorists believed to be responsible for Ziva's (presumed) death, traveling to Somalia along with Gibbs and McGee to avenge her murder.[42] After intentionally allowing himself to be captured and interrogated, he finds that Ziva is actually still alive, having been held hostage the entire time. Upon being brought into the room to talk to him, she is shown to have been severely beaten and very weak as well as unsure of how to react at Tony's presence. Ziva asks why Tony is in Somalia, saying that he should not have come. Tony, under truth serum, first deflects. When Ziva asks again, he replies, "I couldn't live without you, I guess."[43]

text: Eventually, Gibbs kills their captor with a long range head shot, allowing them to return safely to the US.[43] In the following episode, there seems to be a great degree of awkwardness between them, which is ultimately resolved when Ziva confronts Tony in the men's room and thanks him, saying he would "always have her back" before kissing him on the cheek.[44][45]

text: Recovery and outcomes[edit]

text:
After all they've both been through, Tony and Ziva are very emotionally cautious around each other and will continue to circle each other warily. They have to get past this trust issue, which is: did Tony kill Ziva's boyfriend because he was jealous or because he actually was a threat? He was a threat, but whether or not Tony was actually jealous, that's up to the viewers to decide!
—Michael Weatherly, 2009[46]

text: Though Tony and Ziva's "will they/won't they" tension appeared to progress during the first few episodes of the seventh season, Cote de Pablo had already stated that it would not be resolved in the immediate future.[41] Michael Weatherly opined that putting the two characters together at the time would be "Kryptonite" due to Ziva's assassin background.[47]

text: Ziva resigns from Mossad in the fourth episode of the season, "Good Cop, Bad Cop", and applies to become a full-fledged NCIS agent, effectively becoming the "probie"[note A] on the team.[13]

text: In December 2009, TV Fanatic announced that "the January 26 episode finds Tony and Ziva hopping a plane to the most romantic city on earth. The city of light, and of love. That's right, Ziva and Tony in Paris! You wouldn't believe it, but as if that weren't enough, their French hotel totally screws up the reservation and the two bad-ass agents end up ... gulp ... sharing a room together."[48] Executive producer Shane Brennan disclosed, "There will be a realization that the spark is still there. It doesn't mean that something is going to be resolved, but it does mean that the journey may have started again. It's a long road back. When you think about what they went through, for them to resolve what happened and come to terms with that, it's a long road back."[49]

text: During the episode, Ziva tells a witness that she and Tony shared a hotel room, and that she took the couch so she wouldn't have to hear Tony whine about his back. Tony in turn tells McGee that he took the couch. Ziva asks him why he lied and he returns the question. There was much speculation on the part of fans about whether the characters might have shared more than was divulged, but Weatherly said in response, "The truth of what happened is probably something that can be discovered inside the episode itself. If you really listen to what they say, I think it is pretty clear what happened: Nothing."[50] He clarified that Tony and Ziva had "a tremendous amount of fun" in Paris and that, "Ziva had more fun with Tony than she thought she was going to have, which maybe shocked her a little bit, because she was so angry at him after he killed her boyfriend last year."[51] Cote de Pablo added, "Michael has his views of what happened in Paris. I have mine. We haven't discussed it. But all I can say is it was good."[51] Shortly afterwards, Glenn Diaz from BuddyTV reported that the cast was divided on whether or not the characters should be allowed to progress beyond "unfulfilled sexual tension".[51]

text: In the following episode "Masquerade", Ziva mentions her time in Somalia, but refuses to give Tony much more than a few terse statements about it, though he was obviously willing to listen to her.[52] In the final episode of Season 7, "Rule Fifty-One", Tony misses Ziva's citizenship ceremony due to an unexpected assignment from Director Vance, despite his personal promises to her that he would be there.[53]

text: Port to Port Killer, EJ Barrett, and Ray Cruz[edit]

text: Executive producer Shane Brennan left NCIS to focus on the spinoff, NCIS: Los Angeles, and was replaced by Gary Glasberg in 2011.[54]

text: The series introduced new love interests for both Tony and Ziva in the latter half of Season 8, and in February 2011, Michael Ausiello from TVLine announced that Ziva's boyfriend "Ray arrives in this season's 20th episode and is described as a handsome, charming, intelligent federal agent of Mediterranean or Latin American descent. He has a strong, nice-guy demeanor but—I'm quoting from the casting notice here—'there's a hint of a mystery behind his smile.'"[55] A week later, Glasberg described the character as a "fun, smart, exciting addition",[56] and Michael Weatherly commented, "I think it's going to be interesting. Tony cares about Ziva and wants to make sure she's not mixed up with the wrong kind of guy, so he's going to be watchful and protective of her."[56] After Enrique Murciano was cast for the role of Ray Cruz, Cote de Pablo said, "You never know if you're gonna have chemistry, and since I had no say in the casting, I was sort of waiting to meet this famous Enrique Murciano."[57] She went on to describe his appearance in the show: "There's a lovely scene in which he basically brings his interpretation of 'fancy' candlelight dinner, which takes place by the vending machines at NCIS. It's really funny. There's kissing involved. We kept it light and we kept it fun, and we kept it like two people who are genuinely in to each other and wanting to move things along. It's about what's going on between the lines. These two people are touchy-feely, and that's different for Ziva."[57]

text: The character of Erica Jane "EJ" Barrett (Sarah Jane Morris) was set to be introduced in the episode "One Last Score", which also marked Weatherly's directing debut.[6] Weatherly divulged, "With the appearance of EJ, suddenly there's a renewed spirit that Tony has always had in him – it's what made him to go Africa and rescue Ziva with McGee. [Sometimes] he acts like a goofball because that's what people expect, but in this episode he comes away from that place. We'll see what the audience thinks, but for me, he feels potential and possibility in a way that he hasn't for years. EJ is a mirror, so he sees that hope for himself again."[6] He added, "She's the diametric opposite of Ziva – physically, and in her demeanor, her way of being. She has her eccentricities as well, which makes her adorable to Tony and highly irritating to Ziva."[6]

text: Around the same time, a "major serial killer plot" was launched that would center on "a murdering psychopath" called the Port to Port killer.[58] TVLine reported, "this menace will prove to be extremely formidable  — so much so that Gibbs will be forced to expand his team."[58]

text: At the end of EJ's first episode, she begins a sexual relationship with Tony. She is a team leader, having accepted the assignment in Rota, Spain that Tony had turned down several years prior.[6] Ray, a CIA agent, first appears in "Two-Faced" after having evidently dated Ziva for several months. Ziva abruptly ends their relationship after learning that he had lied to her directly about his reasoning for being in Washington, D.C. and by omission about his role in the Port to Port killer case.[59]

text: In the episode "Swan Song", former NCIS agent Mike Franks is killed by the Port to Port killer, who is identified as Lieutenant Jonas Cobb, and Ziva turns to Tony for comfort while the team is grieving over his death.[60] She is kidnapped by Cobb in the following episode, the Season 8 finale, and Tony shows great concern. When EJ assures him that they will find Ziva, he replies that "it's just different for some of us".

text: EJ takes an extended leave of absence with the conclusion of the season, ending her affair with Tony. Ziva and Ray repair their relationship somewhat, and he gives her an empty ring box as a "promise" before leaving for a long-term assignment. Glasberg commented, "Ziva and Ray are a little open-ended at the moment. There isn't any closure to it. We'll have to see where it leads, but I think he was pretty clear that he has a job to do at the moment, and that's gonna be the primary focus for him."[61] The use of the ring box was criticized by viewers as an "empty gesture".[62]

text: EJ returns for a guest appearance in the Season 9 episode "Housekeeping". After a fallout with Tony, she tells him that Ziva respects him and cares about him. He at first deflects but then says, "Surround yourself with people you would give your own life for." At the end of the show, he and Ziva have a brief discussion about their relationship but are interrupted when Ray calls her.[63] Ray returns after spending several months on his overseas assignment in the following episode and proposes to Ziva, much to her shock.[64]

text: Glasberg said that Tony would not openly oppose the possibility of her getting engaged, explaining, "Tony wants Ziva to be happy. He's protective of her and cares about her and has feelings for her, and, at the end of the day, wants to make sure that she's safe and happy with the direction of her life."[64] Though Ziva accepts Ray's proposal after some hesitation, she confronts him and breaks off the engagement after realizing that he had killed a woman on American soil while attempting to rectify a failure from overseas.

text: Season X and the Year of Tiva and an emotional farewell[edit]

text:
They've been through extraordinary circumstances together, so it doesn't necessarily require the explosion. There's a real, plain-spoken, straight read between them, so they don't have to jump through hoops. When she watches Tony does his stuff or he watches her hide behind that barricade of an Israeli assassin princess mentality, they both clock it, they know it and they can move around each other. It's a great relationship.
—Michael Weatherly, 2013[65]

text: In the ninth season finale, "Till Death Do Us Part", a bomb is planted by domestic terrorist Harper Dearing. Tony and Ziva, feeling bad about missing Jimmy and Breena's wedding, try to cheer each other up by joking about how awful weddings are—an exchange that begins to take on meaning when they become wistful about "the vow, the ring, the kiss, the ketubah..." and eloping instead of dealing with all the fuss. Later, when the Navy Yard is seconds from exploding, Ziva refuses to leave the building without Tony. The bomb goes off while they are still in the elevator; Ziva and Tony fall to the ground, with Tony's arm around her waist, and their free hands clasped tightly as the elevator appears to crash.[66]

text: Glasberg stated that the Season 10 premiere would "pick up with them in that elevator" and that there would be "some conversations".[67] When questioned about the framing of the situation, he replied that their time trapped in the elevator would be the "trajectory" for a more in depth look at the relationship later in the tenth season.[65] He added, "The consensus was to do that more of that this season, to peel back some layers and find little moments — and [ever since then] we're finding opportunities I think the Tony and Ziva fans will really enjoy."[65]

text: The tenth season was promoted as "Season X",[68] and Michael Weatherly dubbed it the "Year of Tiva",[69][70] saying, "This is the year. Trust me. This is the year."[65] Cote de Pablo was more apprehensive and said, "I think that is maybe Michael and his wishful thinking. I've had years in which I thought, 'Oh my God, this a Tiva year,' and there have been years he thought were Tiva years…. The truth is, we have yet to find out where that storyline is going to go. I think they're toying around with us like they always do."[70]

text: However, shortly after the season began, TV Guide announced, "In a November episode of CBS' NCIS, the origins of Tony's fascination with cinema will be explained — and strengthen his bond with Ziva."[71] This involved him finding an old camera with photographs of his mother and later showing them to Ziva. Weatherly stated, "She was really the beginning of his love for movies and why that is such a deep, penetrating part of who he is. The last gift she gave him was to turn to the movies as a moral compass."[71] De Pablo divulged, "We end up going deeper with each other than ever before. It's a profound, soft, vulnerable moment."[71]

text: This was followed by "Ziva reminiscing with her partner about her dead sister [Tali]".[72] In "Shell Shock (Part II)", she attempts to purchase tickets to the opera but is unable due to it being sold out. Tony, believing her to be going on a date, badgers her until she admits that she goes to the opera every year on her deceased sister's birthday, as Tali had wanted to be a singer. Unable to obtain tickets for her himself, he makes a CD of opera music and gives it to her to listen to.[73]

text: In the eleventh episode of Season 10 and the first of 2013, "Shabbat Shalom", Ziva's estranged father Eli is killed in a house attack, along with Director Vance's wife Jackie.[74] Glasberg discussed the ramifications that would be shown in the following episode, "Shiva", saying, "There's a part of Ziva that's wounded, and broken, and Tony is there for her — as a friend, and as a coworker ... We end up back in Tony's apartment, and there's some really lovely, emotional stuff that happens."[75][better source needed] He added, "You'll really see Tony be there for her and support her and emotionally be strong for her. It's all the things I hope that people who enjoy the Tony-Ziva relationship will look for."[74] Throughout the episode, Tony attempts to comfort Ziva, taking her to his apartment as a precaution against the possibility of her being the next target and bringing her long-time Israeli friend Shmeil Pinkhas to stay with them. Near the end of the episode, he comes to see her off as she prepares to fly to Israel for Eli's funeral and assures her in Hebrew that she is not alone.[76]

text: When asked if the dynamic between the characters would continue to progress, de Pablo remarked, "I have a feeling that they're going to want to play with that [relationship] a little bit more and see where that goes. I think they're always testing that relationship and they're always throwing things at it to see how far they can take [it]. It's already a very complex relationship. They're very close; they're very good friends; and they trust each other. So, I think the complexity of it all can go further and I think they're going to explore more."[77] Pauley Perrette, who portrays series regular Abby Sciuto, openly opposed it and said, "I don't want any of our cast members to be in relationships on screen at all. I like things the way they are, so I'm not in [to] that. I'm petitioning against it."[77]

text: "Berlin", set later in the season, features Tony and Ziva departing for Germany to track down Ilan Bodnar, her father's killer. Before the episode aired, Glasberg disclosed that they would share a slow dance while there, resulting in "a very personal moment of vulnerability where her guard goes down and she lets herself melt into his arms".[78] De Pablo added, "You also see [Tony] as a man Teddy Bear — like, a very sweet but manly man, a guy who's really taking care of a situation and really wants to make it better, a guy who's not looking for the joke or is uncomfortable staring at a woman or reaching out to hold her hand."[79] This is highlighted in the closing scenes as the two of them drive home from the airport, and Ziva explains her animosity towards Orli Elbaz (Marina Sirtis), the new director of Mossad: Elbaz was the reason her parents split up. She tells Tony, "If it were not for Orli, things would be different. I would be a different person." Tony then takes her hand, and Ziva intertwines their fingers together. Tony replies, "Then I should catch her before she leaves, you know, and thank her." The episode ends with a cliffhanger when an unknown vehicle crashes into them, leaving their fates unknown.[80]

text: De Pablo described the filming of the dancing scene:

text: Michael and I crafted that scene. We felt the moment was very intimate, and we thought that just looking at each other was enough. And the director kept saying, 'No, I want the moment to be longer,' and we had to sort of fight the director. Finally, I had to say, 'Listen, if there was any more time of staring into each other's eyes, it would be like, cut to a hotel room.'…so finding the length of the moment became a topic. We certainly enjoyed it. I told [Tony] — without really realizing what I was saying and then I realized it came out the wrong way — I said, 'God, I felt a little drunk when I was staring at you.' I'm not sure if it was because by the end of the day we were both so tired or if it was because it was just such a magical moment.[79]

text: They both survive the crash, and despite being urged to back off by various other characters, Ziva ultimately kills Bodnar in the following episode. This leads to DOD investigator Richard Parsons (Colin Hanks) initiating a witch hunt against the team and Ziva being aggressively interrogated about her conduct in the aftermath of her father's death.[81] When he accuses her of sleeping with an old friend while in Israel, Tony, who had been viewing the interrogation from the observation room, abruptly ends it and forces Parsons out. When he approaches Ziva about the accusation, she admits that it was a "moment of weakness" because she felt alone. This obviously hurts Tony, and he says, "My Hebrew must not be as good as I thought because I could've sworn when I dropped you off at the airport, I told you you are not alone". Ziva recalls this, and Tony says that they must have different interpretations before walking away. Despite this, he later confronts Parsons, demanding that Ziva be left alone and calling her his best friend.[81]

text:
I don't think so. I think there's a little more to it than that. I think they're sort of dancing around each other and trying to get a sense of how to move forward and, based on everything that's happened in the last year, where they are and what the next step is going to be. And, you know, we're letting it slowly percolate and build and hopefully get it to a place that's going to be satisfying for everybody.
—Gary Glasberg in an interview when asked if Ziva "friend zoned" Tony in the Season 10 finale[82]

text: In the following episode, the Season 10 finale, tension exists until Ziva privately tells Tony that she is sorry if she hurt him during the ordeal, that she cares too much about their friendship, and that she does not want things to be awkward between them. He kisses her forehead and assures her that "nothing is awkward between friends".[83]

text: Despite concerns to the contrary, Glasberg denied that Ziva "friend zoned" Tony in the finale.[82] He explained, "It might not satisfy everyone out there, but I think we're getting there — she even reaches up with her hand and puts it very gently, and in a lovely way, on his shoulder before that kiss happens. I think there are gestures being made that have definitely advanced from where we were a year ago."[82] In response to complaints about the pace of the development, he said, "There are a lot of fans who would like to see that story advance much faster than we're doing it, but I firmly believe a little goes a long way and there are ways to tease it and to flirt that are just as significant and just as meaningful."[84] He maintained, "We made huge strides. Their relationship has evolved, has changed. They're a little more open with each other and a little more emotionally connected, certainly more than where we were at the beginning of the season. [The couple's closeness] may not be the big leap that a lot of people would like it to be, but I also feel like we're enjoying the pace at which this is happening. That's not to say we're not headed in the direction everyone would like to go, but I think we're getting there. It's very complicated when two agents who are working together get into a relationship, and that's something that [Tony and Ziva] would be very conscious of. So I think they would tread lightly, which is why, in theory, we're treading lightly and being very careful about the steps that we take."[69]

text: On July 10, 2013 it was announced that Cote De Pablo would not be returning to her role as Ziva David for the upcoming 11th season.   De Pablo stated "I've had 8 great years with NCIS and Ziva David. I have huge respect and affection for Mark, Gary, Michael, David, Rocky, Pauley, Brian, Sean, all of the team and CBS. I look forward to finishing Ziva's story."      However it was announced that Cote De Pablo would return for the beginning of season 11 to wrap up Ziva's storyline.   Show runner Gary Glasberg stated in an interview with EW that:  "The amazing resolution you're going to see is pretty damn heart-wrenching and we're incredibly proud of it," he writes. "Prepare yourselves for a moment in television history. Images that will end up in the archives. I couldn't be happier with how my NCIS family stepped up and did some of the most emotional work we've ever done."

text: On September 24, 2013 the episode "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" aired and on October 1, 2013 "Past, Present, and Future" aired, opening with the introduction of a new threat: Benham Parsa and also the Brotherhood of Doubt.

text: In the episode, "Past, Present and Future", Tony heads to Israel to search for Ziva but eventually finds no sign of her, although a few months later he finds her in hiding at the very farmhouse where she was born, Ziva having gone to examine herself and her past.

text: Tony and Ziva share their first on-screen kiss as themselves on the tarmac in Tel-Aviv. However, in 2013, showrunner Gary Glasberg told TVLine the characters had shared another smooch in a previous season, but it did not make the cut.[85]  The couple previously kissed in season 3, episode 8 Under Covers during a covert operation as married assassins.

text: Despite Tony's efforts to persuade Ziva to return to the United States and NCIS, Ziva instead chooses to stay in Israel, with Tony reluctantly returning to the United States although Tony manages to find Ziva's Star of David necklace in his jacket pocket.

text: In the season 13 finale "Family First," after learning of Ziva's death in the bombing of her Israel home caused by Trent Kort, the NCIS crew mourn her. Tony is then introduced to his almost two-year-old daughter, Tali. Conflicted, Tony asks Mossad Director Orli Elbaz about Ziva's motivations for not telling him about Tali. Orli tells him that she wanted to, especially as Tali grew but that she feared he would not be pleased, to which Tony tells her "Then she never knew me at all." Later in the episode, Tony finds a picture of him and Ziva in Paris, to which Tali points to each of them, saying "Ima" and "Abba" indicating that she knew who he was, her father.

text: After killing Kort, Tony and Gibbs have a heart to heart, where DiNozzo informs him that he is moving on from NCIS, with his daughter, his family.

text: Evidently we have a daughter, me and Ziva. She knew me better than I thought. When McGee called, something hit me. I got this feeling, something I'd never felt before. In that moment, I didn't want Trent Kort dead. All I wanted to do was take care of Tali. Everything she had in her life was gone. Except me. I'm it. I'm everything to that little girl now. And I've never been anybody's everything before. But that's it. I'm done now. I'm going to take Tali to Israel, look for some answers. Then I'm going to take her to Paris. Ziva loves Paris. And you gotta believe what you gotta believe. [holds out his right hand as if to offer Gibbs a handshake] I'd say thank you but it doesn't quite cover it, boss.

text: Speaking of Ziva's fate, Glasberg stated "Tremendous thought was put into every element of what you saw last night...down to the lines of dialogue, the specific wordage. At the end of the day, I leave it in the hands of our fantastic fans and audience".[86]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Over the seasons, Tony and Ziva's flirtation attracted much media attention, commentary, and praise.[24][48][87][88] Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the characters' "love-hate banter gives the show extra zip" during Cote de Pablo's first year on the show.[11] They have been called a "power couple" by Entertainment Weekly[78] and "one of TV's hottest couples" by TV Guide.[3] In May 2009, they were pictured on the cover of TV Guide Magazine and described as "TV's hottest love-hate relationship".[89]

text: Fondness for the pairing led to a dislike for some of Tony and Ziva's other love interests on the show;[36] by contrast, EJ, Tony's ex, became well-received after encouraging him to pursue a relationship with Ziva.[90]

text: The pairing's slow progression was discussed by reviewers, and Ariane Lange from BuzzFeed referred to it as "their sexual-tension-ridden not-quite-love affair".[91] Some viewers became frustrated with the show's seeming unwillingness to allow the characters to enter an actual relationship. Ryan expressed sentiment on the matter in 2009: "It's hard not to enjoy the chemistry between investigators Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly)...It makes me grind my teeth with frustration that TV writers and producers are so averse to putting will-they-or-won't-they couples together."[41] Executive producer Gary Glasberg admitted to feeling pressure from the audience to pair them officially.[64]

text: The couple was not universally accepted among viewers, and a portion of the audience felt that pairing the characters would disrupt the dynamics of the series.[92] Matt Webb Mitovich from TVLine suggested that the dispute among fans over how far "Tiva" should be taken had left producers in a "no win" situation, saying, "Quite honestly, I think NCIS and show boss Gary Glasberg face a tremendously difficult juggling act with this (would-be) couple because it is TV's most watched program, and like a game of Jenga, you can't be quite sure which slight move could send things toppling. Is NCIS No. 1 because it metes out exactly 25 milligrams of romance every third episode, and never a bit more? Is there a fear that going all-in with Tiva will soap up the show too much?"[92]

text: In 2010, Kate Stroup listed Tony and Ziva among Entertainment Weekly's "10 'Will They/Won't They' TV Couples", saying, "The chemistry is undeniable."[93] In 2012, they appeared again in the magazine's "30 Best 'Will They/Won't They?' TV Couples".[94] Similarly, the pair was included in BuddyTV's  compile of "The Top 12 Will-They-or-Won't-They Couples of 2012"[95] and TV Guide's top 15 "TV Duos Who Should Do It".[96]


document_title: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

question_text: who plays merlin in the new king arthur movie

root

text: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

text: Plot[edit]

text: Mordred, an iron fisted warlock, and his armies lay siege to Camelot, seeking to establish the dominance of magic-wielding mages over humankind. Uther Pendragon, king of the Britons, infiltrates Mordred's lair and beheads him, saving Camelot. Uther's treacherous brother Vortigern, who covets the throne, orchestrates a coup and sacrifices his wife Elsa to moat hags to become a demon knight, who kills Uther's wife and slays him in combat. The only survivor is Uther's son, who drifts away in a boat and ends up in Londinium, where he is found and raised by prostitutes.

tag: p

text: Arthur grows into a skilled fighter and man of the streets. Arthur and his friends confront a group of Vikings who had mistreated one of the prostitutes, forcing him to pay her restitution. Afterwards, the brothel is raided by the Blacklegs, Vortigern's minions, and Arthur learns that the Vikings were under the king's protection. Arthur tries to escape the city but is caught and put on a ship with hundreds of other men; the Blacklegs have been forcing all men of Arthur's age to try to pull a sword that has appeared near the castle from the surrounding stone. Arthur is able to remove the sword but is quickly overwhelmed by its power and passes out. Vortigern meets with him in the dungeon, revealing his true lineage.

text: Meanwhile, a mage identifying herself as an acolyte of Merlin presents herself to Uther's former general, Sir Bedivere. At Arthur's planned execution, the mage uses her magic to stage a diversion while Bedivere's men rescue Arthur. Taken to Bedivere's hideout, Arthur initially refuses to help them. The mage persuades Bedivere to take Arthur to a realm called the "Darklands," where he's given a vision of how Uther sacrificed himself to save Arthur and entomb the sword in stone. Arthur learns Vortigern was responsible for persuading Mordred to rebel against humanity, and he returns determined to destroy Vortigen.

text: With his friends and Bedivere's men, Arthur stages a series of ambushes against Vortigern, culminating in an assassination attempt in Londinium. The rebels sense a trap but attack anyway, fleeing to a fighters' school run by Arthur's mentor George, where they are overrun by the Blacklegs. Seeing the mage held at knifepoint, Arthur unleashes Excalibur's potential, single-handedly killing all of the soldiers. The rebels are able to escape the city except for Arthur's injured friend Back Lack, who is killed at Vortigern's hand.

text: Ashamed of his failures, Arthur tries to throw away the sword, but the Lady of the Lake returns it and shows him a vision of England's future under Vortigern's rule. Coming to terms with his responsibility, Arthur reunites with Bedivere. When they return to the rebel hideout, however, they discover all of their allies dead, Vortigern having found them and delivered an ultimatum: if Arthur does not surrender himself, the captured mage and Back Lack's son Blue will die.

text: Arthur surrenders himself, but as Vortigern is about to execute his nephew, a giant snake summoned by the mage attacks and devours Vortigern's men. While Bedivere and the others lead an attack on the castle, a desperate Vortigern sacrifices his only daughter and is transformed into the demon knight, confronting Arthur in a separate dimension. Despite his fighting skill, Arthur is beaten, and he is about to submit when he witnesses a vision of his father, convincing him to accept the sword and his character as his own. Arthur violently slays Vortigern but blesses him as he dies.

text: In the aftermath, Arthur dissolves Vortigern's pact with the Vikings and begins building a Round Table where his knighted friends will meet. Blue and the prostitutes arrive with the crown of Uther, which Arthur accepts, holding the sword aloft.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur, Uther's son, Vortigern's nephew and the would-be king of Britain who was raised by prostitutes.
Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as the Mage, a woman working for Merlin who supports Arthur and the resistance.
Djimon Hounsou as Sir Bedivere, the leader of the resistance and a former knight of Uther.
Aidan Gillen as Goosefat Bill, a skilled archer, Bedivere's friend, former knight of Uther and member of the resistance.
Jude Law as Vortigern, Uther's brother, Elsa's husband, Catia's father, Arthur's uncle and the tyrannical ruthless king of Britain.
Eric Bana as Uther Pendragon, Vortigern's brother, Arthur's father and the king of Britain.
Kingsley Ben-Adir as Sir Tristan "Wet Stick", Arthur and Back Lack's childhood friend who is later knighted by Bedivere.
Craig McGinlay as Sir Percival, a member of the resistance who is later turned knighted by Bedivere.
Tom Wu as Sir George, Arthur's mentor and a skilled fighter who helps the resistance and is later knighted by Bedivere.
Neil Maskell as Back Lack, Arthur and Tristan's childhood friend and Blue's father, who helps the resistance.
Freddie Fox as Rubio, a member of the resistance who later betrays them under torture and helps Vortigern.
Annabelle Wallis as Maggie, Vortigern's maid who helps the resistance.
Bleu Landau as Blue, Back Lack's son.
Mikael Persbrandt as Greybeard, a viking who has deals with Vortigern.
Poppy Delevingne as Igraine, Arthur's mother and Uther's wife: she is killed by Vortigern in the beginning of the film.

tag: ul

text: Kamil Lemieszewski, Jacqui Ainsley and Rob Knighton portrays Merlin, the Lady of the Lake and Mordred, three important characters from the Arthurian Mythology, respectively. Katie McGrath and Millie Brady portrays Vortigern's wife, Elsa, and daughter, Catia, respectively. David Beckham appears in a cameo. Lorraine Bruce, Eline Powell and Hermione Corfield appears as the three Syrens. Michael McElhatton portrays Jack's Eye, Arthur's scout on the kingdom. Nicola Wren portrays Lucy, the prostitute who raises Arthur.

text: Production[edit]

text: After 2004's King Arthur, Warner Brothers made multiple attempts to make a new film based on Arthurian legend: One was to be a remake of Excalibur, helmed by Bryan Singer, while the other was a movie to have been titled Arthur & Lancelot, which would have starred Kit Harington and Joel Kinnaman, as King Arthur and Lancelot respectively.[8] Warner Brothers suits worried that names were not big enough, and attempted to replace both actors with more profitable ones, before eventually dropping the project all together.[8]

text: Warner's next attempt to create a new King Arthur film was an attempt to create an Arthurian cinematic universe which would span six films, following different charters before their eventual team up.[8] For this endeavour they hired director Guy Ritchie, who has himself attempted to make a King Arthur movie prior to that. According to The Guardian, the script soon became "a strange Frankenstein's Monster-style screenplay" incorporating elements from several of the unproduced Arthurian scripts.[8]

text: Casting[edit]

text: In August 2014, Charlie Hunnam, Ritchie's choice for the role, was cast to play King Arthur.[9] Elizabeth Olsen was in talks for the female lead,[10] but on 18 September, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey landed the role instead.[11] On 14 November, Jude Law was in talks to play the lead villain role in the film.[12] On 11 February 2015, Eric Bana was added to the cast to play Uther, the father of King Arthur.[13] Mikael Persbrandt joined the film on 6 March 2015, to play a villainous role.[14] Although there were reports Idris Elba had been cast, he would confirm, in a Reddit AMA, this was a rumour.[15][16]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Filming in Windsor Great Park was underway in February 2015,[17] then later in North Wales from 2 March 2015.[18] Later on 10 March 2015, Ritchie tweeted a photo and confirmed the first day of shooting.[citation needed] In April 2015, filming took place in Snowdonia, where locations used were Tryfan, Nant Gwynant near Beddgelert and Capel Curig.[19] Early in July filming continued in the Shieldaig, Loch Torridon and Applecross areas of Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. One day of filming also took place at The Quiraing on the Isle of Skye. Filming also took place at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden.

text: Release[edit]

text: In April 2014, Warner Bros. set the film for a July 22, 2016 release, alongside Lights Out, but it was then moved by Warner Bros. from its original release date of July 22, 2016 to February 17, 2017, alongside Maze Runner: The Death Cure.[20] Warner Bros. moved the release date from February 17, 2017 to March 24, 2017.[21] The title was changed to King Arthur: Legend of the Sword in July 2016.[22] In December 2016 the release date was again moved, this time to May 12, 2017, possibly so as not to compete with CHiPs.[23][24]

text: Promotion[edit]

text: The trailer was released on 23 July 2016, during the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con and was attached to screenings of Mechanic: Resurrection, Don't Breathe, Shut In, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

text: It was originally planned for an IMAX release on 22 July 2016, as evident in the Comic-Con trailer,[25] but was cancelled due to it being postponed and only received non-IMAX presentations. The first extended TV spot was released on 22 January 2017, and was shown on the 2017 NFC Championship Game on Fox Broadcasting Company between the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers and the 2017 AFC Championship Game on CBS between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.

text: A second trailer was released on 20 February 2017 and was attached to Logan, Kong: Skull Island, Power Rangers and Ghost in the Shell. The third and final trailer was released on 1 April 2017 and was attached to The Fate of the Furious, The Lost City of Z (which also starred Hunnam) and Free Fire. All-in-all, Warner Bros. spent $135 million on marketing the film.[7]

text: The film was shown at select AMC Theatres in a special preview on 27 April 2017, in a promotional event titled "King for a Day." Demand for tickets led AMC to expand the event to 200 theatres.[26]

text: Home media[edit]

text: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was released on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and Ultra HD on 8 August 2017.[27]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword grossed $39.2 million in the United States and Canada and $107 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $146.2 million, against a production budget of $175 million.[5]

text: In North America, the film was released alongside Snatched and was initially projected to gross around $25 million from 3,702 theatres during its opening weekend.[4] It made $1.15 million from Thursday night previews at about 3,200 theatres, but after making just $5.3 million on Friday, weekend projections were lowered to $15 million.[28] It ended up debuting to $15.4 million, finishing third at the box office. Deadline.com noted that due to the film's $175 million production budget, as well as at least an additional $100 million spent on marketing, the film was destined to be a box office bomb.[29] Regarding the cost of the film, the site quoted one finance expert as saying: "Make original IP [intellectual property] for a cost effective price. If it works then spend more if necessary on the sequel. King Arthur should have been done for $60M-$80M. Warner Bros. had no reason to spend $175M-plus on this picture."[7] Comparing its opening to cost, IndieWire called the film's failings "historic".[30] The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film would likely lose about $150 million.[31] In its second weekend the film grossed $7.2 million (a drop of 53.5%), finishing 5th at the box office.[32]

text: The film debuted at No. 1 in an estimated 29 countries, including Russia and Scandinavia, with openings to follow in the United Kingdom, France, South Korea, and Australia.[33] Over its opening weekend, it made only $29.1 million worldwide, in 51 non-American countries.[34]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 28% based on 217 reviews and an average rating of 4.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword piles mounds of modern action flash on an age-old tale – and wipes out much of what made it a classic story in the first place."[35] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating, the film has a score 41 out of 100 based 45 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[36] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale; 56% of the opening weekend filmgoers were under the age of 35, and 59% were men.[7]

text: Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave the film a generally positive review: "Guy Ritchie’s cheerfully ridiculous Arthur is a gonzo monarch, a death-metal warrior-king. Ritchie’s film is at all times over the top, crashing around its digital landscapes in all manner of beserkness, sometimes whooshing along, sometimes stuck in the odd narrative doldrum. But it is often surprisingly entertaining, and whatever clunkers he has delivered in the past, Ritchie again shows that a film-maker of his craft and energy commands attention, and part of his confidence in reviving King Arthur resides here in being so unselfconscious and unconcerned about the student canon that has gone before."[37]

text: In a pan of the film for the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips questioned the long-term longevity of the projected series of six Arthur films from Ritchie: "I'm no businessman, but plans for a six-film franchise may be optimistic. Optimism is nowhere to be found in Ritchie's movie itself. It is a grim and stupid thing, from one of the world's most successful mediocre filmmakers, and if Shakespeare's King Lear were blogging today, he'd supply the blurb quote: 'Nothing will come of nothing.'."[38] Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film one-and-a-half out of four stars, stating that despite the potential for a revisionist King Arthur story with "[t]he Ritchie sense of style", the overall problem is the film's lack of modulation: "Ritchie keeps rushing us along for two hours, as if to make absolutely certain that we never have time to absorb any character or moment, much less revel in the glorious, cheeky ridiculousness of the whole thing."[39]

text: Alissa Wilkinson of Vox writes that the film is "surprisingly good, and surprisingly political" in relation to the British withdrawal from the European Union, and "occasionally, it's even pretty great".[40]


document_title: Mardi Gras in the United States

question_text: where was the first mardi gras parade held

question_tokens: where was the first mardi gras parade held

text: Mardi Gras in the United States

text: Early days in American colonies[edit]

text: Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a sedate French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers,[3] Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of Louisiane, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.[3]

text: The expedition, led by Iberville, entered the mouth of the Mississippi River on the evening of March 2, 1699, Lundi Gras, not yet knowing it was the river explored and claimed for France by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1683. The party proceeded upstream to a place on the west bank about 60 miles downriver from where New Orleans is today, where a small tributary emptied into the great river, and made camp in what is now Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. This was on March 3, 1699, Mardi Gras day, so in honor of this holiday, Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras (French: "Mardi Gras Point") and called the small tributary Bayou Mardi Gras.[4] Bienville went on to found Mobile, Alabama in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana.[5] In 1703 French settlers in that city began to celebrate the Mardi Gras tradition.[3][6][7] By 1720, Biloxi was made capital of Louisiana. While it had French settlers, Mardi Gras and other customs were celebrated with more fanfare given its new status.[3] In 1723, the capital of French Louisiana was moved to New Orleans, founded in 1718.[5] With the growth of New Orleans as a city and the creolization of different cultures, the varied celebration of Mardi Gras became the event most strongly associated with the city.[3] In more recent times, several U.S. cities without a French Catholic heritage have instituted the celebration of Mardi Gras, which sometimes emerged as grassroots movements to help accompany single people to celebrate something in late Winter which is often dominated by the commercialized and couple-centric Valentine's Day, and as a result it has been co-opted as the single people's late Winter holiday.

text: Alabama[edit]

text: Mardi Gras is an official state holiday in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Other counties in the state grant employees a day of personal leave in lieu of Mardi Gras.[8]

text: Mobile[edit]

text: Mobile, founded by Bienville in 1702, is known for having the oldest organized Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, beginning in 1703.[9] It was also host to the first formally organized Mardi Gras parade in the United States in 1830.[9]

text: Mobile's Mardi Gras celebrations revolve around mystic societies, private social organizations that have been a fundamental part of the social and business fabric of the city. The mystic societies are organizations, similar to krewes in New Orleans, that present parades, masked balls, and activities for the enjoyment of its members, guests, and the public.[10] Mystic society membership is secret.[10] The mystic societies build colorful Carnival floats and parade throughout downtown Mobile during the Carnival season with masked society members tossing small gifts, known as "throws", to the parade spectators.[11] Throws were first introduced in Mobile during an 1837 Cowbellion de Rakin Society parade. They initially consisted of sugar plumbs, kisses, and oranges.[9] Currently, throws may be trinkets, candy, cookies, peanuts, women's panties, artificial roses, stuffed animals, doubloons, cups, hats, can coolers, Frisbees, medallion necklaces, bead necklaces of every variety, and the iconic Moon Pies.[10]

text: Mobile's mystic societies give formal masquerade balls, known as bal masqués, which are almost always invitation only and are oriented to adults.[10] Attendance at a ball requires that a strict dress code, or costume de rigueur, be followed. The formal dress code usually involves full-length evening gowns for women and white tie with tails for male invited guests, and masked costumes for society members.[10] The balls feature dramatic entertainment, music, dancing, food, and drinks.[10] Balls are usually based upon a theme which is carried out through scenery, decorations, costumes, and a tableau vivant.[10]

text: Mobile first celebrated Carnival in 1703 when French settlers began the festivities at the Old Mobile Site.[12] Mobile's first Carnival society was organized in 1704, when Nicholas Langlois founded Société de Saint Louis.[13] In 1711 it was renamed the Boeuf Gras Society (Fatted Ox Society) (1711–1861).[14] In 1830 Mobile's Cowbellion de Rakin Society was the first formally organized and masked mystic society in the United States to celebrate with a parade.[12][15] The Cowbellions got their start when Michael Krafft, a cotton factor from Pennsylvania, began a parade with participants' carrying rakes, hoes, and cowbells.[15] The "Cowbellions" introduced horse-drawn floats to the parades in 1840 with a parade entitled, "Heathen Gods and Goddesses".[14] The Striker's Independent Society was formed in 1843. It is the oldest surviving mystic society or krewe in the United States.[14]

text: In 1856 six businessmen, formerly of Mobile, gathered at a club room in New Orlean's French Quarter to organize a secret society to observe Mardi Gras with a formal parade. They founded New Orleans' first and oldest krewe, the Mistick Krewe of Comus.[16][17] Carnival celebrations in Mobile were cancelled during the American Civil War. In 1866 Joe Cain revived the Mardi Gras parades by portraying a fictional Chickasaw chief named Slacabamorinico while parading in costume through the city streets on Fat Tuesday. He celebrated the day in front of Union Army occupation troops.[18] The Order of Myths, Mobile's oldest mystic society that continues to parade, was founded in 1867 and held its first parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868.[14] The Infant Mystics also began to parade on Mardi Gras night in 1868, but later moved their parade to Lundi Gras.[14]

text: The Mobile Carnival Association was formed in 1871 to coordinate the events of Mardi Gras. That year was also the occasion of the First Royal Court at which was crowned the first king of Carnival, Emperor Felix I.[14] The Comic Cowboys of Wragg Swamp were established in 1884, along with their mission of satire and free expression.[14] The Continental Mystic Crew mystic society was founded in 1890; it was Mobile's first Jewish mystic society.[12] In 1894 the Order of Doves mystic society was founded and held its first Mardi Gras ball. It was the first African-American mystic society in Mobile.[12] In 1929 the Infant Mystics, the second oldest society that continues to parade, introduced the first electric floats to Mobile.[14] In 1939 the Colored Carnival Association was founded and had its first parade; it was later renamed the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association.[12] In 1980 the Order of Osiris, the oldest surviving gay and lesbian mystic society in Mobile, held its first ball.[14] In 1995 the 1st Mobile International Carnival Ball was held, with every known Mobile mystic society in attendance.[14] In 2002, Mobile celebrated its Tricentennial with parades representing every known mystic society.[14] A documentary film, The Order of Myths, was released in 2008 with a focus on Mardi Gras celebrations and how race and class influences many aspects of Mardi Gras in the city, including the mystic societies.[19] According to statistics from the Alabama Tourism Department, Mobile Mardi Gras is the most-attended annual event in the state. The event attracted more than 800,000 people in 2010 and more than one million in 2011.[20][21]

text: Demopolis[edit]

text: Demopolis, another Alabama city with French roots, has held an annual Mardi Gras masquerade ball since 2008.[22][23] The ball, hosted by the Marengo County Historical Society, is held at one of the city's historic mansions, Lyon Hall.[22]

text: The city was founded and named by a group of French expatriates, a mix of exiled former Bonapartists and other French migrants who settled in the United States following the overthrow of the colonial government in Saint-Domingue (Haiti). The name means the People's City or City of the People. First settled in 1817, Demopolis is one of the oldest continuous settlements in the state outside of coastal Alabama.[24][25]

text: Arkansas[edit]

text: Eureka Springs[edit]

text: Eureka Gras is a celebration of Mardi Gras in the Ozark Mountain resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Begun in 2006 as a "one car parade" conducted by New Orleanian Daniel Ellis after he moved to Eureka Springs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it is now run by a so-called "Krewe of Krazo" ("Ozark" spelled in reverse) and has grown into a month-long celebration with a parade running more than an hour, multiple balls, and other events.[26]

text: California[edit]

text: San Francisco[edit]

text: Carnaval San Francisco is an annual street parade and festival in San Francisco at the end of May.

text: San Diego[edit]

text: As of 2005, there is a corporate-sponsored party in the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego.[27] In addition there is a San Diego Brazil Carnival Ball that is part of the San Diego Carnival Mardi Gras season.

text: San Luis Obispo[edit]

text: Mardi Gras celebrations in San Luis Obispo have been controversial in recent years. In 2005 leaders of this Central California city called for an end to public celebrations, as the city had become a destination for students from across the state, and celebrations had gotten out of control.

text: Florida[edit]

text: Pensacola[edit]

text: Pensacola, Florida hosts a Mardi Gras Celebration. The Pensacola celebrations also use Moon Pies in combination with beads, coins, candies & Krewe-related trades. The Pensacola festivities and the Krewes that sponsor them often are more light-hearted and family-oriented than some in other venues. The name of a number of the Krewes are puns of the names of historic Krewes in New Orleans and Mobile.

text: The annual Pensacola celebration, is among the oldest in the United States, dating back to 1874. Festivities typically took place on the eponymous Tuesday itself and the preceding week.

text: The first organized secular celebration of Carnival in Pensacola was in 1874, when a group of men including B. F. Yniestra, D. G. and F. C. Brent, D. K. Huckley and Dr. J. C. Whiting established the Knights of Priscus Association. The name Priscus came from Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome who:

text: was the first Roman king to wear a purple robe, and golden crown on his head. He established the circus or place where games could be held, also increased the number of Roman knights, and built a stone wall around the city. His majesty of our carnival, like his prototype of old Rome, knows that "A little folly now and then / Is relished by the best of men."[28]

text: The event became unorganized, having "fallen entirely into the hands of individual merry-makers and frolickers who disported themselves as their own wild merriment dictated,"[28] but was reorganized by the Clerks Union in 1900. They formed the Pensacola Carnival Association with a 12-person committee led by chairman J. I. Johnson. Priscus remained the title of the festival's ceremonial king, and Alexander Clement Blount II was named the first King Priscus of the new group.

text: Pensacola's first ladies mystic society, the "Pompadour Mystic Society" (the Pompadours), held its first annual Mystic Ball at the Armory Hall on February 19, 1909, crowning Dudley Thornton as King.[29] The "Revellers of Ariola", Pensacola's first male mystic society, was organized in 1909[30] and held its first Tableau Ball at the K of C Hall on January 28, 1910 crowning Miss Cornelia Bass as Queen of Ariola.[31] In 1936, the female krewe "Merry Markers" held its first ball in 1936.[32] With the exception of the Pompadours, these founding Carnival Season organizations remain active in Pensacola's celebrations to this day.

text: The public celebration is currently organized by Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc., and Pensacola Mardi Gras krewes parades and balls occur in the weekend prior to Fat Tuesday.

text: Parades are on Friday night ("Krewe of Lafitte"), Saturday afternoon (the "Grand Parade"), and the "Krewe of Wrecks" parade on Pensacola Beach on Sunday. No parades are held on Mardi Gras, itself.

text: Many krewes in Pensacola are smaller than in Mobile or New Orleans, so typically a parade has floats sponsored by numerous different krewes, rather than a single krewe having its own parade.

text: Older krewes holding Carnival balls but do not parade, include the Rebellaires (1947), Pierrettes, Mystic Maids sand Marionettes. Parading krewes include: Krewe of African Kings, Krewe of African Queens, Krewe of Andres de Pez, Krewe of Aphrodite, Krewe of Avant Garde, Krewe of Brewe, Krewe of Hip Huggers, Krewe of Jesters, Krewe of Lafitte, Mayoki Indians, Krewe of Nauga, Krewe of Seville, Krewe of the Silver Slipper, Krewe of Warriors, Mystic Krewe of Nereids, Krewe du YaYas, Order of Odin and Krewe of Gatsby Girls.

text: Hollywood[edit]

text: Hollywood, Florida hosts Mardi Gras festivities in the downtown area and a Fat Tuesday celebration on Hollywood Beach Broadwalk with live entertainment and Creole food. Fiesta Tropicale emerged from a Hollywood tradition that started in 1935 as Fiesta of the Nations, a celebration of different cultures featuring performances by costumed children at Hollywood Central School. In 1997, a core group of Hollywood residents re-established the Mardi Gras celebration as Fiesta Tropicale of Hollywood, Inc. where krewes built floats and second lined through the downtown business district.

text: Orlando[edit]

text: In Orlando, the Universal Studios Florida theme park hosts an annual Mardi Gras celebration. This event features concerts by top musical acts, a Mardi Gras parade, and more. The event takes place over multiple weekends from February to April at the park, and is included with the regular daily admission to the park.

text: Louisiana[edit]

text: New Orleans[edit]

text: New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city to mingle with the locals at the famed parties and parades. As many as a half-million spectators have been estimated by officials to line the route of major parades. The first Mardi Gras festivities in Louisiana were held on March 3, 1699. On that day, a group of French explorers set up camp on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about 60 miles downriver from what is now New Orleans. The group's leader, Pierre Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville dubbed the spot La Pointe du Mardi Gras. Three hundred years later, the Rex organization put a marker at the site.[33]

text: An account from 1743 notes that the custom of holding Carnival balls was established by that date, during the time when Bienville was governor. On Mardi Gras, there were masques and processions in the streets of the city, although they were, at times, prohibited by law. The celebrations were quickly resumed whenever restrictions were lifted or the enforcement of them was lax. In 1833, Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, a rich plantation owner, raised the money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration.

text: On Mardi Gras of 1857 the Mistick Krewe of Comus held its first parade. Comus is the oldest continuously active Mardi Gras organization. It originated a number of traditions that continue today (such as the use of floats in parades) and is considered the first Carnival krewe in the modern sense of the term.

text: In 1875, the state of Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal holiday.[34] Economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to the cancellation of some or all of the major parades, especially during the American Civil War, World War I and World War II, but Carnival has always been observed in the city in some way.[34]

text: The last large parades went through the narrow streets of the city's old French Quarter neighborhood in 1972. Larger floats and crowds and safety concerns led the city government to prohibit big parades in the Quarter.

text: In 1991, the New Orleans city council passed an ordinance that required social organizations, including Mardi Gras Krewes, to certify publicly that they did not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, in order to obtain parade permits and other public licenses.[35] The ordinance required these and other private social groups to abandon their traditional code of secrecy and identify their members for the city's Human Relations Commission. In protest, the 19th century krewes Comus and Momus stopped parading.[36] Proteus did parade in the 1992 Carnival season, but returned to the parade schedule in 2000. Two federal courts later declared that the ordinance was an unconstitutional infringement on First Amendment rights of free association, and an unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of the groups subject to the ordinance. The Supreme Court refused to hear the city's appeal of their decision. Today, many krewes operate under a business structure – membership is open to anyone who pays dues to have a place on a parade float.

text: The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans in late 2005 caused a few people to question the future of the city's Mardi Gras celebrations. The city government, essentially bankrupt after the storm, pushed for a massively scaled back celebration to limit strains on city services. However, many krewes insisted that they wanted to and would be ready to parade, so negotiations between krewe leaders and city officials resulted in a compromise schedule, scaled back but less severely than originally suggested. The 2006 New Orleans' Carnival schedule included the Krewe du Vieux on its traditional route through Marigny and the French Quarter on February 11, then several parades on Saturday, the 18th, and Sunday the 19th, followed by six days of parades starting Thursday night, the 23rd, until Mardi Gras Day, the 28th. Other than Krewe du Vieux and two Westbank parades that went through Algiers, all New Orleans parades were restricted to the Saint Charles Avenue Uptown to Canal Street route, a section of the city which escaped significant flooding. Restrictions were placed on the amount of time parades could be on the street and how late they could go.

text: Louisiana State troopers and National Guard assisted with crowd control for the first time since 1979. Many of the floats had been partially submerged in the floodwaters for weeks. While some krewes repaired and removed all traces of these effects, others incorporated flood lines and other damage into the designs of the floats. Most of the locals who worked on the floats and rode on them were significantly impacted by the storm, and many had lost most or all of their possessions, but their enthusiasm for Carnival was even more intense than usual and celebrated as an affirmation of life. The themes of many costumes and floats had more barbed satire than usual, with commentary on the trials and tribulations of living in the devastated city, with references to MREs, Katrina refrigerators and FEMA trailers, along with much mocking of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local and national politicians.

text: It is impossible to estimate how synonymous Mardi Gras and New Orleans have become in popular culture. In 1926, Ferde Grofe wrote an orchestral cycle called the Mississippi Suite, the last movement featuring a musical depiction of Mardi Gras in the French Quarter. Since then the influence of Fat Tuesday on American culture has only increased, as evidenced by the wealth of songs, films, and television shows about the notorious festival.

text: Alexandria[edit]

text: Alexandria, which is located in the heart of Central Louisiana (CenLa), enjoys a blend of Mardi Gras traditions in keeping with the area's reputation as the "cultural crossroads" of the state. In addition to Mardi Gras balls, parties, and other functions, it hosts several parades, including the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association (AMGA) Krewe Parade, traditionally on the Sunday before Mardi Gras, a Children's parade, and the "Krewe of Provine" Parade, usually held on Mardi Gras Day. In 2008, the "College Cheerleaders and Classic Cars" parade made its debut with warm reception. The area's parades are known for their mix of traditional Mardi Gras fun and revelry with a family-friendly environment. They attract people from as far away as Texas and Mississippi.

text: Baton Rouge[edit]

text: Baton Rouge hosts eight parades, including the Spanish Town Parade, Krewe of Southdowns, Krewe of Mutts (dog parade), Krewe Mystique, and Parades such as the Krewe of Orion, Krewe of Artemis, Krewe of Jupiter, and Krewe of Poseidon(new for 2010) which offer more of a traditional New Orleans-style parade. All parades take place downtown, with the exception of the annual Southdowns parade, which runs through the Southdowns subdivision just south of Downtown.

text: Houma[edit]

text: Houma hosts a significant Mardi Gras celebration of ten parades, two of which roll on Mardi Gras day, and the others on the two weekends preceding the big day. King Houmas rules on Fat Tuesday itself. Law enforcement officials estimated that in 2008, more than 150,000 people lined the route of his parade. Mardi Gras has been celebrated annually in Houma since 1947. "Krewe of Hercules", "Krewe of Aquarius", "Krewe of Hyacinthians", "Krewe of Titans", "Krewe of Aphrodite", "Krewe of Mardi Gras", "Krewe of Terreanians", "Krewe of Cleopatra", "Krewe of Houmas", and the "Krewe of Kajuns" make up the ten parades. Houma is about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans.

text: Lafayette[edit]

text: Lafayette is home to the state's second largest Mardi Gras celebration,[37][38][39][40] which includes eight parades of floats and bands during the Carnival season. The first parade, ten days before Mardi Gras, is the celebrity-led "Krewe of Carnivale en Rio Parada", featuring over 600 riders. Parade royalty on Fat Tuesday includes King Gabriel and Queen Evangeline, named for the hero and heroine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem; and King Toussaint L'Ouverture and Queen Suzanne Simonet, named for the great Haitian historical leaders. Mardi Gras parades have been an annual tradition in Lafayette since 1934. Recent attendance on Mardi Gras day has been estimated as high as 250,000 by police spokespersons. The first formal Mardi Gras ball and parade in Lafayette dates back to 1869.

text: In 1897, King Attakapas, the first Lafayette Mardi Gras king was crowned. He rode into town on a Southern Pacific train decorated to look like a royal throne and led the parade. After 1897, formal Mardi Gras parades and balls seemed to come and go until 1934 when the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras association was formed by representatives from civic and service organizations to ensure that Lafayette would always have a Mardi Gras celebration.

text: Lake Charles[edit]

text: Lake Charles hosts a family-friendly Mardi Gras celebration with nine parades.[41] With over 50 krewes, it is second only to New Orleans in the number of krewes in Louisiana.[42] The Lake Charles Mardi Gras celebration is unique in that it is the only place in Louisiana where the public is invited to see the costumes of the all the krewes in one place, at the Lake Charles Civic Center.[43] Mardi Gras began in Lake Charles as early as 1882 when King Momus landed on the lakefront to begin the celebration.[44] With the onset of the World Wars, Mardi Gras in Lake Charles was not celebrated as much, but was revived in the latter part of the century. This celebration begins in Lake Charles on January 6 each year. The last parade is the Krewe of Krewes Parade in downtown Lake Charles.[45] Mardi Gras in Lake Charles regularly draws 150,000 people.[46] In addition, Mardi Gras can be enjoyed in Lake Charles year round at the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu, which features elaborate costumes and an interactive float.[47] This museum houses the world's largest collection of Mardi Gras costumes.[48]

text: New Roads[edit]

text: New Roads another Mardi Gras celebration outside New Orleans.[49] The family-friendly celebration has been an annual event since 1922 and includes two parades on Fat Tuesday: the Community Center Carnival parade, one of the nation's oldest African-American sponsored events, which rolls in the morning; and the New Roads Lions Carnival parade, the first-known Mardi Gras parade to be staged as a charitable fundraiser, which rolls in the afternoon.

text: Each parade consists of as many as 35 floats built fresh each year, and 10 marching bands and drill units. Unlike the exclusivity of krewe parades in New Orleans and other cities, New Roads' parades are open to public participation, with local schools, churches, organizations, businesses and families building, entering and riding the floats. New Roads' proximity to the Baton Rouge metropolitan area results in an unusually large number of visitors to the New Roads parades, the town's normal size considering. Law enforcement officials have estimated New Roads parade attendance as high as 100,000 in years marked by favorable weather.[50][51][52]

text: Shreveport[edit]

text: Shreveport, located in the Northwestern corner of the state, has numerous krewes, including several that do not parade. Some of them include Atlas, Sobek, Harambee, Centaur, Gemini, Highland, and Asclepius. Thousands of people come to Shreveport to see the parades each year. History has it that Shreveport was said to had Mardi Gras parades beginning after the Civil War. However, the Great Depression ended the celebration for years. In 1989 the parade tradition was renewed by the Krewe of Gemini parade. With their New Orleans style floats, Gemini has grown to the biggest krewe in Shreveport, peaking at over 300 members a couple of years ago.

text: Courir de Mardi Gras[edit]

text: In parts of Cajun country, such as Eunice, Basile, Church Point and Mamou, the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras (French for the "Mardi Gras Run") is still held. Le Capitaine leads masked men on horseback to gather ingredients for making the communal meal (usually a gumbo). Participants gather in costume and move from home to home requesting ingredients for the night's meal. This rural Mardi Gras draws on traditions that are centuries old. Revelers sing "La Chanson de Mardi Gras", a song echoing medieval melodies.

text: People escape from ordinary life partly through the alcohol many consume in their festive quest, but more so through the roles they portray in costume. As they act out their parts in a wild, gaudy pageant, they are escaping from routine existence, freed from the restraints that confine them every other day of the year.

text: [53] The capitaine maintains control over the Mardi Gras. He issues instructions to the riders as they assemble early in the morning and then leads them on their run. When they arrive at a farm house, he obtains permission to enter private property, after which the riders may charge toward the house, where they sing, dance, and beg until the owner offers them an ingredient for a gumbo. Often, the owner will throw a live chicken into the air that the maskers will chase, like football players trying to recover a fumble. By mid to late afternoon, the courir returns to town and parades down the main street on the way to the location where the evening gumbo will be prepared.[53]

text: Other Louisiana cities[edit]

text: Other Louisiana cities holding Mardi Gras parades include Bogalusa, Bush, Chalmette, Columbia, Covington, Gretna, Kaplan, La Place, Madisonville, Mandeville, Metairie, Minden, Monroe, Natchitoches, Pearl River, Slidell, Springhill, and Thibodaux.

text: Because of violent activities of the American terrorist group, the Ku Klux Klan, Louisiana has a state law prohibiting the wearing of hoods and masks in public. Mardi Gras is one of the occasions when exceptions are allowed, as are Halloween celebrations and religious observance.[54]

text: Michigan[edit]

text: Detroit[edit]

text: Michigan's first Catholic settlers were French. The Fat Tuesday celebrations of modern times in Detroit stem from the more recent influence of the Polish Paczki Day.

text: Mississippi[edit]

text: Gulf Coast[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Biloxi, Mississippi holds a traditional morning parade by the Gulf Coast Carnival Association (GCCA) and an afternoon parade by the Krewe of Neptune. Nearby Gulfport, holds a traditional night parade sponsored by the Krewe of Gemini. Other parades include evening events in Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, D'Iberville, Gautier, Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, and Pass Christian, just to name a few. Damage from Hurricane Katrina led to deviations from traditional routes or parade cancellations in some locations in 2006.

text: Mardi Gras parades have since become a sign of rebuilding along the coast line. Traditions in Mississippi are closely tied into those of New Orleans, Louisiana. Typically the larger floats which casinos use in the Mississippi parades are rented from float builders in New Orleans. Schools on the Gulf Coast usually let out during the 2-day holiday so children can attend the parades. Much like Mobile and New Orleans, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has its own unique societies and Mardi Gras associations that participate in float building and annual balls. Most of these parades and balls operate along the largest main roads of the coast, Highways 90 and 49. Prior to Katrina, the Biloxi Parade consisted of a morning, noon and night parade. It has since decreased to two parades, GCCA first followed by the Krewe of Neptune.

text: Central Mississippi[edit]

text: Vicksburg, located along the Mississippi River in central Mississippi, holds an annual Mardi Gras parade,[55] along with a Mardi Gras ball.[56]

text: Missouri[edit]

text: St. Louis[edit]

text: Although founded by French settlers in 1764[57] the city has not had a significant French Catholic population since the late 19th Century. The St. Louis Mardi Gras was revived in the early 1980s by bored, drunk patrons of Hilary's bar in the Soulard neighborhood[58] adjacent to downtown, when they decided to march to another neighboring bar.[58] Over the years, what started as a private party has grown in size and scale, and has attracted major corporate sponsorship,[58][59] On the second Saturday before Mardi Gras, there is a family-oriented "Krewe of Barkus" pet parade with corporate sponsorship by Beggin' Strips.[59] Participants consist of anyone who dresses up their pet in costume, and walks their pet along the parade route. The parade is followed by the informal Wiener dog races. Then, on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday, the more adult-oriented, flesh-for-beads parade occurs, although there have been various attempts to reserve a family section at one end of the route. People from all over storm the streets with beers and bead necklaces after the Saturday parade. The streets of Soulard, Geyer, Allen, Russell, Ann, Shenandoah, and others are crowded with people from 7th to 12th Street. The Fat Tuesday parade occurs in the evening. In recent years it has been moved from just north of Soulard to downtown St. Louis. The majority of the overall Mardi Gras festivities have corporate sponsorship, primarily from Anheuser-Busch and Southern Comfort.[59] In 2006, this led to an investigation by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control into the legality of Mardi Gras Inc.'s sponsorship deals.[59]

text: Oklahoma[edit]

text: Tulsa[edit]

text: In 2010, Tulsa began holding an annual Mardi Gras parade through its downtown Blue Dome District.[60]

text: Oregon[edit]

text: Portland[edit]

text: In 2010, a group of Louisiana expatriates and friends founded the Mysti Krewe of Nimbus Mysti Krewe of Nimbus to bring Mardi Gras and Louisiana culture to the Pacific Northwest and Portland in particular. Lacking in any formal Mardi Gras festivities, the Krewe held the first Portland Mardi Gras Ball Portland Oregon's Mardi Gras Ball the Saturday before Mardi Gras. The Ball is now in its fourth year. Krewe activities have grown to include a Mardi Gras Day parade on Mississippi Avenue, a float entry in the annual Rose Festival Starlight Parade and second line parades at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival.

text: Pennsylvania[edit]

text: Philadelphia[edit]

text: There is an unofficial celebration of Mardi Gras on South Street every year. There is a noticeable police presence because of widespread drunkenness and looting that occurred among some of the younger participants in 2001. Local restaurants include New Orleans' themes, such as Fat Tuesday's, Les Bon Temps, and Nola's.

text: Texas[edit]

text: Galveston[edit]

text: Galveston, Texas is home to the largest Mardi Gras festival in Texas attracting up to 200,000 revelers to the island each year. The celebration in Galveston dates back 1867 when it consisted of merely a masked ball and a theatre performance of Shakespeare's "King Henry IV." The emergence of rival Krewes the "Knights of Momus" and the "Knights of Myth" created the first extravagant Mardi Gras celebration in 1871.[61] The island tradition now includes many night parades, masked balls and exquisite costumes. The current Mardi Gras was revived in 1985 by George P. Mitchell; unlike its New Orleans counterparts, there are no celebrations held on the Monday prior to Fat Tuesday. Since 1987, the Galveston Park Board has managed the event despite its struggles and successes.[62][63][64]

text: Prior to Hurricane Ike, promoters from the Galveston Park Board usually charge admission fees on the first weekend during the Mardi Gras season kickoff related to events within the Strand Entertainment District (bounded by 25th Street, Harborside Drive, 20th Street, and Market Street/Avenue D). Parades on Seawall Boulevard are free to the general public. Around 2007, the Park Board slashed $800,000 in their budget due to budget deficits where they decided to drop the admission fee for the 2008 season along with live music performances.[65]

text: After Ike's devastation on Galveston Island, there was no admission charge in 2009 and 2010 - it was believed at the time that Mardi Gras! Galveston was becoming like its New Orleans counterpart with no admission revenues imposed.[66] An editorial by the Galveston County Daily News in 2007 suggested that Mardi Gras should be managed and operated like Dickens on the Strand as a manageable event under a nonprofit like the Galveston Historical Foundation similar to the Port Arthur, TX Mardi Gras (produced by Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas, Inc).[67] Around April 2010, Galveston businessman Mike Dean, who runs Yaga's Entertainment, Inc. (the producer of the annual Galveston Food and Wine Festival and Chili Quest Festival), entered into a bidding process to become the new Mardi Gras promoter from 2011 – 2015 under a five-year contract, made official on November 18, 2010 as voted on by members of the Galveston City Council.[68] The admission fee has returned – which now includes both weekends prior to Fat Tuesday despite the hiring of 30 security officers to augment local law enforcement. Statistics from the Galveston Convention and Visitor's Bureau have stated that with the admission fees for both weekends, crime has dropped 50% and Galveston Police Chief Charles Wiley (prior to his 2012 retirement) is backing the admission fee despite opposition from Downtown Galveston businesses on The Strand and Mechanic Street.[69][70][71][72]

text: Revelers and vendors who usually frequent Mardi Gras on Galveston Island have concerns that the admission fee will bring fewer attendees along with financial uncertainty when the Park Board sold admission tickets prior to the 2008 season.[73] The March 5, 2011 Knights of Momus Parade attracted 20,000 revelers within the Strand while the crowd estimate during the entire Mardi Gras season is 250,000. Vendors and Downtown Galveston businesses have reported a drop in their sales despite the promoter bringing more live music, parades, and added security which includes metal detectors and bag checks.[74][75] As a downside, Yaga's Entertainment Inc. incorporated the rules and regulations modeled on Mardi Gras DFW – including a prohibition on professional video and still camera equipment within the Strand Entertainment District because of the production of live entertainment from national touring or band acts.[76][77] Ticket sales for the first weekend of the 2012 season dropped to 30% during the first weekend despite the numerous complaints [78] vented at Yaga's Entertainment, Inc. - Dean stated that the admission charge will remain indefinitely until the existing 5-year contract with the City of Galveston is up for renewal. Admission pricing at the entry gates averaged $17 where discounted $8 tickets were available from the Yaga's Entertainment Inc. website (www.YagasPresents.com). Decreased ticket revenue was also attributed to the cold temperatures and high winds on the first weekend, and heavy precipitation on the second weekend - changes for the 2013 season would include contingency planning where events can be rescheduled by time shifts.[79][80]

text: As of January 2013, the $17 admission fee is still imposed by Yaga's Entertainment - one Strand business, Crow's Southwest Cantina, has circulated a petition since Dean is allegedly profiteering but has stated that a free Mardi Gras is unsustainable. Houston TV station KTRK has stated that Mardi Gras! Galveston is becoming too expensive where local merchants are losing out just to pay to be on a public street. Galveston Convention Center and Visitor Bureau chair Leah Cast stated on FOX 26 Houston that charging the admission fees brings in a quality event inclusive of Grammy-nominated musicians and balcony parties.[81][82][83][84] A few Strand-area businesses claim that the admission fee keeps out the undesirable elements - during the February 9, 2013 festivities in the Strand Entertainment District, seven revelers who refused to leave the entertainment district were arrested by the Galveston Police Department during the street sweep where the police clear The Strand of all revelers. Angry revelers threw beer bottles, trash cans, and barricade fencing at the police where video footage were posted on YouTube. Over a year later during the March 1, 2014 Mardi Gras weekend, the same incident was repeated but Galveston Police officers fired tear gas at 19 partygoers who refused to comply with the police order to disperse.[85][86] [87][88]

text: In January 2015, the City of Galveston issued a Request for Qualifications concerning the future promoter of the Strand Entertainment District where the same criteria proposed for the 2011-15 contract will remain the same (live entertainment from national touring acts limited to recording artists, bands, along with paid admission (on Fridays and Saturdays prior to Fat Tuesday with free admission on Sundays - this was amended during the latter part of the previous 2011-15 contract) and gated checkpoints/bag checks (which is stipulated under the new contract in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings) but the contract (which lasted five years without a contract extension) is limited to 3 years where the City of Galveston can reserve the right to extend the contract for an additional two years. Some Strand businessowners who voiced their displeasure with Yaga's Entertainment would rather have the Strand Entertainment District managed like the Lone Star Rally since they do not set up gated checkpoints - their touring acts (live music) are usually performed at 2 stages.

text: Port Arthur[edit]

text: Port Arthur began celebrating Mardi Gras in 1993.[89]

text: Dallas[edit]

text: Dallas, Texas is home to a Mardi Gras celebration, MystiQal.[90]

text: Wisconsin[edit]

text: La Crosse[edit]

text: La Crosse has held a Mardi Gras celebration since 1991. Originally the celebration and its fund-raising efforts were used to provide assistance for Catholic school tuition within the Coulee Catholic Schools system. Now, in addition to the Coulee Catholic Schools, the event provides funding to the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, the Boys & Girls Clubs, and the YMCA. The La Crosse Mardi Gras includes a formal costume ball and a family and community festival.[91]