NCISends its 2024 run of episodes with a long-awaitedChristmas-themed episode, five years since the last one. Season 22, Episode 9, “Humbug,” continues the trend of mostNCISholiday specials by having smaller stakes, but a heartwarming story. The Major Crimes Response Team (MCRT) is tasked with stopping the release of a tell-all book that threatens a veteran’s bill from being approved. With the suspiciousNCIS Deputy Director Gabriel LaRoche (Seamus Dever)returning to “assist” MCRT with this case, the team sneakily operated behind his back to get the job done. Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) is given more of a spotlight in this episode as he helps the author of the tell-all book deal with their grief and move past it. Althoughthere isn’t a dry eye during thisNCISending, the end of the episode featuresa huge development regarding Torres' personal life.
ThroughoutNCISSeason 22, Episode 9, Torreslies about his plans for the holiday. He tells Tim McGee (Sean Murray) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) that he has plans with Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), but Jimmy tells McGee that Torres claimed he had plans with McGee. When Knight and Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) try to find out what Torres' actual Christmas plans are, he says he just wants to spend the day relaxing by himself. But the last moment of the finalNCISepisode in 2024 seesTorres texting someone he calls “babe"that they’re still on for their Christmas plans. While lessstressful than most TV mid-season cliffhangers, it’s an interesting revelation that hasNCISfans intrigued.
Who Is Torres' New Romantic Partner in ‘NCIS’?
NCISfans might be quick to assume that Torres' new girlfriend could be Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham), sincethey were part of a slow-burn romancethat lasted about three seasons. Although they finally shared a kiss in the Season 18 finale, it was done to give the audience something they’ve been waiting for since Ellie exited the series in the same episode. In an interview withTV Insider,NCISexecutive producerSteven D. Binderconfirms that Torres' “babe” in Season 22 isa character previously featured inNCIS, but his hint sadly seems to rule out Ellie. He notes, “It’s going to cause some issues with some of his team members—one in particular, may or may not be related.”
While Binder doesn’t confirm or deny that Torres' new beau is Jessica Knight’s sister, Robin Knight (Lilan Bowden), it seems fairly obvious that it will be, considering that it’s already been announced thatRobin will be returning inNCISSeason 22. If Torres' girlfriend really is Robin, this will be a big shock to Jess since she andNick agreed to help each other look for a romantic partner. It makes sense that Torres is hiding this secret fromJess and Palmer since they recently broke up, and this connection is too close to home for them. Butthe longer Torres hides this from them, the worse it could be for his friendshipswith Jess and Palmer. Although Torres has been getting a lot of development inNCISSeason 22, he still seems to keep his personal life private at work.
“There Just Might Be Fire”: ‘NCIS’ EP Breaks Down McGee’s Suspicions About LaRoche
‘NCIS’ returns on Monday, August 15, 2025, on CBS.
Torres Dating Robin Knight Could Have Consequences in ‘NCIS’
The first and last time Robin was onNCIS, she and Jess seemingly settled their differences. One point of argument, however, was that Robin tends to fall for the bad boys (her last boyfriend tried to kill Jess), so Jess might be worried that Torres is just part of that pattern. Torres gives off that image with his deep voice and constant use of a leather jacket, buthe’s a sensitive guy at his core. As much as Jess may not approve of them together, she wouldn’t want to see either of them hurt. Torres could get hurt if this is just part of Robin’s phase of bad boys. As for Robin,Torres still has a lot of baggage from his past to deal with, from his parents' struggling relationship to his undercover work, and the fact that the last person he confessed his feelings to (Ellie) abandoned him.
Now that it’s been four seasons since then, Torres confessing to Jess that he’s ready to look for love was a major step in his character development. Just like howJess is in need of a new love interest,Torres having a romantic partner is an opportunity to show the different layersof his character. Whether it be Robin or another surprisingNCIScharacter, viewers will have to wait until the series returns in 2025 to learn more after this Christmas cliffhanger.
NCISSeason 22 returns on CBS with new episodes in the U.S. starting August 06, 2025. The series is available to stream on Paramount+.
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Follows the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), as they get to the bottom of criminal cases connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
