Special Agent Dale Sawyer is back on the case! Returning in Monday's episode of NCIS, actor Zane Holtz reprised his controversial role, with the character continuing his rivalry with long-term nemesis, Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama).
Appearing in season 22, episode 15, titled 'Moonlit', fans watched as Torres became suspicious of Sawyer and his bizarrely affluent lifestyle. After finding evidence that Sawyer may have been dealing drugs, Nick was delighted by the prospect of taking his colleague down, but as it turned out, he hadn't got the full story.
© GettyIn reality, Sawyer had been moonlighting as private security for the wealthy Shayna Reynolds (Stevie Lynn Jones) and was intercepting rather than participating in a drug delivery.
Thanks to Torres, who had already shared his suspicions with Vance (Rocky Carroll), Sawyer was quickly demoted to Probie status and forced to work with Torres and McGee (Sean Murray) to determine who murdered Naval intelligence officer Robert Mozey – aka Sawyer's partner in his moonlighting side hustle.
In a complete 180, by the end of the episode, Sawyer and Torres were on noticeably better terms after taking down Pete Braden, who they identified as the real killer. An unlikely duo, their partnership certainly came as a surprise, and while it had a hilarious buddy-cop feel, fans weren't totally convinced by Sawyer's arc this season.
On one hand, many commended the writers on their 'frenemy' dynamic, with one raving: "Nick and Sawyer pulling at my heartstrings is something I didn't think I'd have on my bingo card."
"Vance really should have fired Sawyer, but then Nick wouldn't have a nemesis for us to enjoy," joked a second.
On the other, some viewers shared their hopes that Sawyer would get his comeuppance, and forgo any chance of redemption. "I was kinda hoping Sawyer was guilty," tweeted one. "How can Sawyer be an #NCIS agent when he's so vain and shallow???" penned another.
As die-hard fans will remember, Sawyer first appeared in season 18 of NCIS and has since popped up in multiple episodes. Ahead of his return to the series, Zane has been sharing several behind-the-scenes snaps and joked that Sawyer's comeback would mean a "long day" for Torres.
Whether or not Zane will feature in future episodes remains to be seen. According to IMDb, the TV star's next role will be in Frontier Crucible – a new movie led by Armie Hammer and William H. Macey. It is currently in the post-production stage, with a release date yet to be announced.
