In “The Trouble with Hal,” a Halloween party at a Navy lieutenant’s home leads NCIS to a murder, a supposed treasure hunt and a family’s old keepsakes at an “extremely haunted” hunting lodge. The lodge’s eerie reputation adds atmosphere, but the episode’s real discoveries are human ones.
Episode details
“The Trouble with Hal” is NCIS season 22, episode 3. CBS lists the episode as airing October 28, 2024, with a 41-minute runtime and a TV-14 rating for violence and language. CBS’s episode video page says U.S. viewers need a Paramount+ subscription to stream it; streaming availability can change.
What happens in “The Trouble with Hal”?
A party guest who does not belong
Navy lieutenant Bryce Prescott returns from deployment to find a Halloween party at the home he inherited from his father. The guests say the house belongs to “Hal.” NCIS discovers Hal—identified in Sara Netzley’s recap as Felix Pitts—dead in the basement, killed with a hammer.
The search for Hal’s plan
The team follows Hal’s trail through his girlfriend, Mary; a former cellmate nicknamed Big Bark; and the Prescott family’s assistant, Leonard. A storage unit holds treasure-hunting supplies and old floor plans. The clues lead toward Bryce’s grandmother, Wanda Prescott, and the family’s hunting lodge.
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The “extremely haunted” lodge
Leonard had listed the house and lodge as short-term rentals and described the lodge as “extremely haunted.” Its reputation traces to a 1987 fire that destroyed the porch and some back rooms. Cold spots, odd noises, taxidermy, dolls and occult books supply the episode’s spooky mood; they are fictional story details, not evidence of paranormal activity.
Mary rents the lodge to continue Hal’s search after learning that he had received metal detectors. The hunt turns up no fortune. Instead, the team finds a small crate of family mementos: photographs, perfume, a music box Gavin bought Wanda on Coney Island in the 1950s, and a locket containing family pictures.
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Who killed Hal?
Netzley’s recap identifies delivery driver Phil as the killer. Phil uncovered Hal’s scheme and demanded a share; after an argument, he killed Hal. This account of the case’s resolution comes from the recap, rather than an official transcript.
What happens with Ducky’s office?
While the team considers what to do with Ducky’s former office, Torres argues for turning it into a gym. The others discuss uses that suit both their work and their memories of Ducky. The resulting room serves several purposes—exercise, meditation and lunch—and Palmer suggests naming it “Ducky’s.”
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How the episode advances the team’s ongoing stories
- Palmer and Knight: Their changed relationship remains a source of tension.
- Torres: After his undercover work, he resolves to train and get his mind right.
- Parker: He remains reluctant to explain his vision of a little girl.
- McGee: Still unsettled after Gabriel LaRoche gets the deputy director role, he ends the episode examining LaRoche’s files.
These character developments are described in Netzley’s recap and continue threads beyond the lodge case.
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