Torres Reacts to Bishop’s Shocking Return in ‘NCIS’ Season 23 Sneak Peek [Exclusive]

3 days ago 6

Published Feb 24, 2026, 12:01 PM EST

Ryan O'Rourke is a Senior News Writer at Collider with a specific interest in all things adult animation, video game adaptations, and the work of Mike Flanagan. He is also an experienced baseball writer with over six years of articles between multiple outlets, most notably FanSided's CubbiesCrib. Whether it's taking in a baseball game, a new season of Futurama or Castlevania: Nocturne, or playing the latest From Software title, he is always finding ways to show his fandom. When it comes to gaming and anything that takes inspiration from it, he is deeply opinionated on what's going on. Outside of entertainment, he's a graduate of Eureka College with a Bachelor's in Communication where he honed his craft as a writer. Between The IV Leader at Illinois Valley Community College and The Pegasus at Eureka, he spent the majority of his college career publishing articles on everything from politics to campus happenings and, of course, entertainment for the student body. Those principles he learned covering the 2020 election, Palestine, and so much more are brought here to Collider, where he has gleefully written on everything from the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to Nathan Lane baby-birding sewer boys.

Things are about to get complicated in the world of NCIS. When Season 23 left off with its midseason finale, viewers were treated to a bombshell when Eleanor Bishop (Emily Wickersham) returned to screens not as an old friend but as a new target for the NCIS Elite team. Tracking her down became the first mission for Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) as part of the squad, making for a sort of full-circle moment since Knight became a fixture of the team in the wake of Bishop's departure for a top-secret operation in Season 18. Now that she's been designated a cyberterrorist, it's bound to stir up some old feelings, especially for her old partner and flame, Agent Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama).

In anticipation of the midseason premiere on CBS, we're excited to include the long-running procedural as part of Collider's Exclusive Preview series for upcoming spring television shows. Specifically, we can share a new sneak peek at its first episode back on March 3, titled simply "Her," that shows Torres learning of Bishop's turn as a wanted fugitive. All he knew before was that Bishop and her undercover team were hidden somewhere in Ukraine, which made her new role a shock, to say the least. He's called in for a meeting with Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) to address things since they were close, though he feels like he's being suspected of having contact with his old partner. If it were true, it would create complications, not just because it would put Torres in legal hot water, but because Vance fears it could stir up old emotions. While Torres swears that any feelings for Bishop are dead and buried, that's easier said than standing in the same room with her again.

Torres will be key to the upcoming episode of NCIS, thanks primarily to that connection he had with Bishop. He will indeed come face-to-face with her yet again, as she seeks out someone to trust while the rest of the team hunts her down. It appears that there's more to her fugitive status than meets the eye, and the Bishop's return is more complicated than an outright criminal turn. Early images have shown her emotional reunion with a few NCIS members, as well as her tying Torres up in a chair, indicating that there's still so much more to know about what the former agent has been up to since her abrupt exit. Everything seems to be pointing to her and Torres still having some lingering romantic tension, though, despite the agent's insistence that there's nothing left between them.

'NCIS' Will Finally Give Torres and Bishop Some Closure in Season 23

Most of all, the midseason premiere is focused on closure. Bishop's abrupt exit, coupled with the confession of her feelings to Torres at last, left something to be desired, particularly for one of the show's most beloved slow-burn couples. Torres has struggled to move on in the seasons since, though he finally made some progress in Season 22 when he started dating Robin Knight (Lilan Bowden). The big return, however, has the opportunity to both massively complicate things and finally allow him a proper moment to address everything with Bishop. Wickersham described the episode as a "love letter" that allowed her to play the familiar former NCIS teammate in a much different way.

"I'm so excited to return to an old family that I love so much. Excited to return as Bishop, as the new Bishop, who's gone off and lived a new life. Who's come back with a bit more baggage and added complexity. It was really fun to be in a very familiar environment with very new dynamics. The episode is a bit of a love letter, and I can't wait for everyone to see it."

NCIS returns to CBS for Season 23's midseason premiere on March 3. Check out our exclusive sneak peek in the player above and stay tuned here at Collider for more from our spring preview week on all the hottest upcoming shows.

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Release Date September 23, 2003

Showrunner Donald P. Bellisario

Directors Dennis Smith, Terrence O'Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright

Writers George Schenck, Frank Cardea, Jesse Stern, John C. Kelley, Jennifer Corbett, Christopher Silber, Reed Steiner, Nicole Mirante-Matthews, Jack Bernstein, Scott J. Jarrett, Matthew R. Jarrett, Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Don McGill, Gil Grant, Frank Military, Nell Scovell, Steven Kriozere, Brian Dietzen, Kate Torgovnick May, Jeff Vlaming, Sydney Mitchel, Katie White, Richard C. Arthur, Laurence Walsh