Is Torres’ New ‘NCIS’ Storyline Setting up His Exit?

Right now on NCIS, Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) is looking at life beyond the team with his acceptance of a side job offer from his former undercover handler, Keller (Mike O’Malley). But does that mean this could be setting up his exit? He has been around for a decade, and as Valderrama told TV Insider, his character is trying to figure out just who he is.

In the Tuesday, October 20, episode, Torres reunited with Keller when one of their past cases together resurfaced. During the course of the investigation, Keller told him, “Nick Torres is the cover. Dante’s who you really are.” With that in mind, Torres accepted the CIA side jobs that Keller brought up earlier — deep cover work, off the books, high risk — at the end of the episode.

That, of course, led to some fans worried this could be setting up Wilmer Valderrama leaving NCIS. While nothing has been said that suggests he could be leaving — and this feels soon for another major cast exit after Rocky Carroll‘s with Vance’s death in the 500th — this could be what leads to his eventual exit as he figures out who he is.

“In order to find out [who he is], he has to throw himself in the deep end again… In every task force and in every team, you need a guy who is willing to go farther than anyone else. And I think this is a great and interesting and exciting setup for things to come for Torres,” Valderrama told us.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

After all, we met him as a lone wolf, embracing that undercover work that he was reminded of in Season 24 Episode 3. “I think that’s something that Torres has been craving: going back into what he’s really good at, going back to get bad guys that most can’t. And I think that’s what’s probably teasing here, that these CIA jobs or these side jobs are going to teach Torres which version of himself is he the happiest in,” the star explained. “Is it just complacent, being in the team and just doing what he’s told? Or is it being in the field and just making decisions by instinct and by presentation, whatever reaction he has to create with whatever case he gets confronted with?”

It’s easy to see the two paths this could lead Torres down — one that has him realizing that he is happy at NCIS, that the version of Nick Torres we’ve seen him become in the past decade is who he is, or one that has him maybe figuring out a combination of Torres and Dante that brings him joy and maybe takes him out of the Navy Yard.

This comes after Season 23 seemed to set up a potential exit for Torres as well, when he reunited with Bishop (Emily Wickersham, now reprising her role on NCIS: Origins) and she asked him to join her with her black ops unit. We asked Valderrama at the time if Torres could see himself being ready to leave NCIS.

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“That’s a hard question because at the moment, I would say he made the right choice,” he said. “He has an oath to this team, and he wants to see it through, and no one understands that more than Bishop. And I think she knows that that was a question that needed to be asked. I think a part of her … I don’t know what percentage of the answer, whether it’s 50% yes, I’m coming, 50%, he probably is going to stay, she expected. But what I would say is that he seriously considered it.”

That work certainly could give him the thrills that he gets working undercover, so there’s even a world where these two storylines merge into an exit for him (eventually). One thing’s for certain: We’ll be keeping an eye on every move Torres makes with these new assignments.

But what do you think? Are you worried that NCIS could be saying goodbye to Wilmer Valderrama next? Let us know in the comments section below.

NCIS, Tuesdays, 8/7c, CBS