‘NCIS’ Season 24 Episode 3 Recap and Ending Explained: Torres Confronts the Man He Used to Be

The latest ‘NCIS’ episode, titled ‘Sleeping Dogs’, aired on CBS on October 20 and was directed by José Clemente Hernandez from a script by Marco Schnabel. The case was pitched as one connected to Torres and his past as an undercover operative, and it delivered on that promise.

This ‘NCIS’ recap and ending explained walks through the murders tied to a retired alias, the reveal about Torres’ former handler, and the final scene that points him toward new territory. Spoilers follow for the full episode.

The ‘NCIS’ Recap Begins With a Burned Car and a Familiar Name

The hour opens with a flashback to years earlier, when Torres kills a man in a bar who was threatening his criminal informant. In the present day, the team rolls out to a crime scene where a body has been burned in a car, and a hit shows the vehicle was registered to Dante Navarro.

Dante was one of Torres’ old undercover aliases, a hitman persona he retired for good when he joined NCIS. Only two people knew about it, Torres and his former handler Walt Keller, played by guest star Mike O’Malley.

Palmer’s early examination suggested the victim was strangled with a sharp wire, which was the alias’s weapon of choice. The details made it clear that someone was deliberately borrowing a name Torres had buried.

Away from the case, McGee’s story moved forward as he met with SecNav, who is vetting him as a possible replacement when her tour ends in two years.

Dante Navarro and the Cimino Case

Kasie found that the name Dante Navarro had surfaced in several unsolved murders from recent years that appeared unrelated. Keller explained why no pattern emerged. The victims’ names had been changed, and all of them connected back to Sergio Cimino, head of a Baltimore crime family that Torres infiltrated as Dante.

Each victim had worked for the family in some way and offered sealed testimony at the trial. Tony observed that the killer was using the alias to spread fear, since the name itself had become the weapon.

The episode also lingered on how disturbing Torres could sound in character. Kasie was shaken listening to his old recordings, and a flashback showed him pressing a man named Mikey about stolen money. Kasie and Jimmy both got chills at how much Dante seemed to enjoy causing pain.

When Torres and Keller tracked Mikey down, he admitted to stealing the money with a partner, and revealed that Grace was the name of the boat where the cash was kept. Mikey was shot dead before he could name that partner.

Ending Explained as Keller Is Unmasked

The team located a bookkeeper tied to the Cimino family, who admitted there was no money left because a federal agent had offered him ten million dollars in exchange for full immunity. The agent called himself Bob Graves, a name Torres recognized as an alias Keller used years ago. Tony was not surprised, having already noticed Keller slipping away at odd hours to make calls on a burner phone.

Kasie then traced the money to an offshore account that sent monthly transfers to a custodial account for a young girl named Sasha Norris. Torres recognized the name right away and headed to the bar from the opening scene.

Sasha turned out to be the daughter of Ray, the bar owner and informant, whose family was killed by the Ciminos after he testified. She survived by hiding under a bed, and she was the one killing under the Dante name to avenge them. Keller confessed that he had stolen the money and sent it to her every month.

When Sasha arrived she shot Keller, and Torres revealed himself as Dante and apologized for failing her father. After she lowered her rifle, Keller fired and killed her, claiming she had pulled a second weapon. Tony questioned whether it was self defense but ultimately backed Keller up.

Torres and the CIA Question

After the debrief, Torres told Parker that the case had helped him figure out who he is, then drove to Keller’s cabin and asked if the side job with the CIA was still open. That final beat reframes the whole hour, since it suggests the past he fought to leave behind may be pulling him back.

According to TV Fanatic, the case itself was not especially twisty, but it worked as a way to bring out Torres’ past and tease his future. The outlet gave the episode a critic’s rating of 4.2 out of 5. It also noted that Bishop chose CIA undercover work when she left and wanted Torres to join her, but he stayed with NCIS at the time.

There is no sign that Torres is definitely leaving the show, and the arc may instead set up trouble for him around the midseason finale. The timing is notable because Bishop is set for a reunion with Gibbs on the prequel series a week later.

With Torres asking Keller about the CIA job as the credits approached, share in the comments whether you think he follows Bishop into the dark or finds a way to keep Dante buried for good.