NCIS Season 22, Episode 3, “The Trouble With Hal”: A Halloween Mystery
Spoiler Alert: This summary includes details from NCIS Season 22, Episode 3, “The Trouble With Hal,” which aired on October 28.
Episode 3 of NCIS Season 22, titled “The Trouble With Hal,” is a lighthearted Halloween-themed mystery. It brings some ghostly humor and seasonal charm but offers little beyond the holiday spirit, making it less likely to be revisited once Halloween has passed.
In this episode, a Navy SEAL returns home from deployment to find a squatter has taken up residence in his home—and that the squatter is now dead. The NCIS team is called to investigate, leading them to uncover a curious history linked to the house itself. While the episode is fairly predictable, it gains a few moments of charm thanks to guest stars Donna Mills and Justin Bruening, providing just enough fun to entertain viewers before the credits roll.
A Halloween Episode Built for the Occasion
Like many holiday-themed TV episodes, “The Trouble With Hal” is designed to capture the Halloween atmosphere. Some recent holiday episodes, such as Chicago Med Season 10’s Halloween installment, have struggled to merge seasonal themes with the show’s tone. NCIS fares better, though it takes its time setting up the spooky premise: an eccentric billionaire’s hunting lodge, rumored to be haunted and perhaps hiding long-lost treasure. While this setup hints at intrigue, the story itself feels thin.
The path from discovering the murder of “Hal” (later identified as Felix Pitts) in Lieutenant Bryce Prescott’s basement to uncovering Prescott’s complex family history drags more than a typical NCIS plot. Predictable story beats are easy to spot—Bryce’s grandfather Gavin Prescott’s quirky taxidermy and creepy doll collection, the team’s banter over ghosts (a familiar riff from last season’s “Strange Invaders” alien storyline), and the ultimate revelation that Prescott’s family is the true “treasure.” The episode has its fun moments, but seasoned viewers may find the formula too familiar.
Lighthearted but Not Quite Memorable
“The Trouble With Hal” isn’t intended to shake up the series—it’s a Halloween one-off that embraces the holiday mood. However, even within that realm, it misses a spark. The jokes feel recycled, the actual killer’s confession happens off-screen, and the sentimental case wrap-up feels predictable. Though it may provide some Halloween cheer, this is an episode that likely won’t linger with fans once the season has passed.
