“Hardboiled,” NCIS season 22’s seventh episode, puts Torres’s confidential informant at the center of a case involving naval secrets. Sara Paxton plays Amber Carnahan, and critic Brittany Frederick argues that the hour gives Amber more attention than the regular team. That’s a persuasive question to bring to the episode—not an objective measure of the cast’s importance.
What happens in “Hardboiled”?
CBS’s official synopsis says, “Torres receives intel from a confidential informant regarding top secret naval information that’s at risk of being sold.” The episode aired December 2, 2024. The informant is Amber Carnahan, played by Sara Paxton, according to CBR’s review as reproduced in search results. That identification supports the episode’s guest-character focus, but the available evidence does not establish a fuller plot account as official fact.
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Does Sara Paxton take focus from the regular cast?
Frederick’s CBR review makes the strongest version of that case: she describes the episode as entertaining but says it does not make great use of NCIS’s main cast, with Paxton’s Amber drawing more attention than Torres or the team. That is a critical judgment about how the story allocates its attention, not a claim that the regular actors give weak performances.
Fangirlish offers a more layered reading. Lissete Lanuza Sáenz finds the character dynamics entertaining, including the exchanges involving McGee and Jimmy and Knight and Jimmy. That response suggests “Hardboiled” is not simply an Amber showcase: the episode can offer worthwhile ensemble moments even if its central story belongs to Torres and his informant.
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#1 Best Overall
What does the episode do for Torres?
Fangirlish reads the hour as a Torres story about giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Knight’s reassurance—that Torres’s willingness to trust can be a strength—gives that choice emotional weight and shows how well she understands him. For viewers interested in Torres’s relationships and character, that beat may be more rewarding than the mechanics of the case itself.
Does “Hardboiled” move the season forward?
Fangirlish’s main reservation is broader than this week’s case: it sees season-long threads as stalled, including McGee’s investigation of Deputy Director LaRoche, Knight’s unresolved future, and Parker’s visions. It also finds Kasie’s material comparatively limited. Those concerns matter most to viewers looking for substantial progress across the season; they do not erase the episode’s standalone Torres-and-Knight character work.
Rank #2
There is no uniform critical verdict in the small set of reviews recorded by Rotten Tomatoes. Frederick’s CBR review is summarized as entertaining but underusing the main cast, while Lisa Babick’s TV Fanatic review takes a more negative view of the series’ consistency. Fangirlish, by contrast, praises particular character dynamics while criticizing the wider season’s momentum. These are distinct critical responses, not evidence of audience consensus.
Who should watch it?
“Hardboiled” is a reasonable pick for viewers who want a Torres-focused hour and value his connection with Knight. Viewers expecting a strong ensemble showcase or a decisive step forward in the season’s larger arcs may find it less satisfying. The “overshadows the cast” thesis captures Frederick’s criticism, but it does not account for every character moment the episode offers.
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Rank #3
- Genre: TV Action & Adventure
- Number of Discs: 4
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 630
- Number of Movies: 0
Episode details and US viewing
- Episode: “Hardboiled,” NCIS season 22, episode 7.
- Original air date: December 2, 2024.
- Writer and director: Andrew Bartels and José Clemente Hernandez, respectively, as listed by CBS and Rotten Tomatoes.
- US streaming: CBS lists Paramount+ and requires a subscription. Availability can vary by location and date.
Listings differ on the episode’s rating: CBS labels its 43-minute video TV-PG V,L, while Rotten Tomatoes lists TV-14 (L,V). Check the rating shown by the service you use.
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Best Value
Rank #4
- Genre: TV Action & Adventure
- Number of Discs: 6
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 934
- Rating: NR
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