Wilmer Valderrama reveals how he wants Nick Torres to die in NCIS, and it’s quite bloody. Essentially a replacement for Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo Jr., Torres has been in the police procedural since 2016. The character has been a solid addition to the team and was the final official member of the squad that Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs was able to mentor. As NCIS season 22 approaches, however, Valderrama entertains the idea of ending his arc in the show in a gruesome way.
Speaking at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco (via People), Valderrama was asked how he wants Torres to die in NCIS — assuming that it’s the way he wants to be written out of the show. While there’s no concrete indication that this is in his future, the actor, surprisingly, has a clear idea of how he wants this to pan out. Read his full quote below:
Like Denzel Washington in Training Day — just go out.
I think not being the bad guy [like Harris was], of course I’d like to die as a good guy. But defending my family somehow, just in a storm of bullets, I just see a storm of bullets just washing over me, just dying heroically with violins in the background and the rain is pouring.
Can NCIS Fulfill Valderrama’s Death Wish For Torres?
NCIS Rarely Loses A Main Character
NCIS has never shied away from tackling gruesome scenes. They’ve shown all manners of remains and body parts as Ducky Mallard and Jimmy Palmer conducted countless autopsies over the years. Gunfights are also the norm, considering the nature of the series. However, it has been a while since the project actually showed the on-screen death of a major character. The first and last time was when Ari Haswari murdered Kate Todd at the end of the NCIS season 2 finale. Even then, it was one bullet to her forehead and not a full-blown attack like Valderrama wants for Torres.
Because of this, it’s difficult to say if NCIS will indulge the actor with his ideal death scene. Everyone else who has left the show since Kate has had an emotional but rather action-less departure. Alden Parker’s near-death experience in the NCIS season 21 finale didn’t dwell much on his injury, which may be an indication that CBS is somehow scaling back on this aspect moving forward. That’s understandable, considering the show’s prime timeslot and traditional network broadcasting set-up. In terms of storyline, however, it shouldn’t be difficult, considering the type of agent that Torres is.
While the main NCIS show may be dialing down on violence and gore, the upcoming NCIS: Tony & Ziva spinoff, has the opportunity to make up for this. Instead of airing on CBS, the offshoot will be on Paramount+, allowing it more creative space to be darker. Maybe if Torres transitions to the said project, he can have his dream death on-screen.