NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder confirmed that Agent Torres would have a difficult Season 20, and "Unearth" starts his rough time.





The officially Gibbs-less NCIS Season 20 is off to a slow start. Its premiere settled Season 19's cliffhanger in very disappointing fashion and cleared Parker's name. Season 20, Episode 3, "Unearth" made up for that disappointment when it focused in on Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard and Nick Torres. Ducky has been around since the very beginning of NCIS, and the episode literally celebrated his character.


The episode's subplot involved Kasie Hines planning a surprise birthday party for the NCIS fan-favorite, but it fell apart because Ducky perceptively picked up on the team's plans. That wasn't nearly as concerning as the main storyline that centered on Torres and called back to speculation that Wilmer Valderrama is leaving the CBS series. Fans ended the episode once again concerned for Torres' well-being.


Agent Torres has had a really rough time over the past few seasons. Midway through Season 18, his long-lost and presumed dead father showed up just to abandon him again. At the end of Season 18, his love interest Ellie Bishop left NCIS to become a spy. Then Gibbs' decision to also move on from NCIS sent Torres into a bit of a tailspin for part of Season 19 since Torres saw Gibbs as a mentor figure, even though Alden Parker was a great replacement.


Couple Torres' difficult time last season with the news that Valderrama had multiple projects in the works, and some NCIS fans thought he would be killed off before Season 20. The synopsis for "Unearth" mentioned that "As Torres continues therapy with Dr. Grace, he discovers that their lives are in danger," which was enough for viewers to once again theorize that Torres would die.