Expedition X has changed considerably since it first premiered in 2020. The locations are different. The investigations have evolved. And one of the original faces of the series is no longer there. But one member of the original field team has remained throughout the show’s run. Phil Torres. The field biologist has been part of Expedition X from the beginning, working alongside Josh Gates and originally Jessica Chobot. After Chobot left the series, Heather Amaro joined the team. That makes Torres the only original field investigator who remains on the current team. And his continued presence may be one of the biggest reasons Expedition X has managed to change without losing its identity.

Phil Torres Has Been There From the Beginning Expedition X premiered on Discovery in February 2020. The original team featured Josh Gates, Phil Torres and Jessica Chobot. Torres brought something unusual to the format. He was not simply another paranormal investigator. He is a field biologist and has a scientific background, which gave the show someone capable of approaching strange claims from a more analytical perspective. That combination became one of the defining features of the series. While the investigations focused on ghosts, cryptids, UFO reports and other unexplained phenomena, Torres often approached the evidence by asking a different question. What could have a normal scientific explanation?

Jessica Chobot’s Departure Changed the Show For seven seasons, Phil Torres and Jessica Chobot were the regular field team alongside Gates. That changed when Chobot left Expedition X. Heather Amaro became her replacement beginning with Season 8. TV Insider reported that Amaro stepped in for Chobot after seven seasons and joined Gates and Torres for the new investigations. It was a major change for longtime viewers. Chobot had developed her own relationship with Torres and the show’s audience. Suddenly, Torres was the only original field investigator remaining.

But Torres Did Not Become the Same Investigator One reason the transition worked is that Torres did not have to completely reinvent himself. His role remained recognizable. He continued investigating strange reports while bringing his scientific perspective to the field. At the same time, Amaro developed her own identity within the team. That created a new dynamic rather than simply trying to recreate the Torres and Chobot partnership. The result was a different version of Expedition X. But it was still recognizably Expedition X.

What Makes Phil Different? The biggest difference is his scientific background. When the team encounters an unusual sound, possible creature, unexplained light or alleged paranormal activity, Torres can approach the situation from a biological or scientific perspective. That does not mean he automatically dismisses everything unusual. Instead, he can investigate possible explanations before deciding that something is genuinely unexplained. That balance is important for the series. Without someone asking scientific questions, the show could easily become nothing more than a collection of paranormal claims. Torres helps keep the investigation grounded. kam His Role Has Become Even More Important As the original cast changed, Torres became something of a bridge between the show’s past and present.

Viewers who watched the first season still have a familiar face to recognize. At the same time, new viewers can see him working with Heather Amaro and Josh Gates. That continuity matters. Television audiences can become attached to the personalities of an investigation team just as much as the mysteries themselves. Torres provides that continuity. kam He Has Investigated More Than Just Ghosts One of the interesting things about Expedition X is the variety of subjects Torres has investigated.

The team has explored alleged hauntings, cryptid sightings, UFO reports and strange creatures. Recent seasons have continued that pattern. Season 11, which premiered in January 2026, included investigations involving the alleged Klickitat ape cat in Washington and stories surrounding the ghost of Blackbeard in North Carolina. Torres and Amaro have also investigated locations associated with reported paranormal activity. That range gives Torres an unusual challenge. He is not simply studying one type of phenomenon. He has to move between biology, history, environmental science and claims that are much harder to test.

MORE Even When Torres Was Missing, He Was Still Part of the Story There was one notable exception to his otherwise consistent presence. During the opening of Season 10, Torres was on paternity leave. Josh Gates joined Heather Amaro in the field for the investigation at Spike Island in Ireland. The absence was temporary. Torres returned to the series afterward. Reports at the time confirmed that he had stepped away briefly after the birth of his daughter. That moment actually highlighted how important Torres had become.

His absence was noticeable. And when he returned, the original chemistry of the field team was restored. MORE Why the Torres and Amaro Partnership Works The current field team has a different energy from the original Torres and Chobot combination. Heather Amaro brings experience in paranormal investigation, while Torres approaches mysteries from a scientific and biological perspective. That contrast can make the investigations more interesting. One investigator may focus on the historical or paranormal claim. The other can examine what might physically explain the evidence. Neither approach has to automatically win. The investigation becomes about testing the possibilities.

MORE Josh Gates Is the Constant Above Them There is another reason the transition has worked. Josh Gates remains the central figure connecting the different eras of Expedition X. Although he often operates from Expedition Headquarters, he also joins the team in the field for selected investigations. That gives the series a consistent personality even when the field team changes. With Gates overseeing the investigation, Torres providing scientific expertise and Amaro bringing a different paranormal perspective, the current team has developed its own identity. MORE Season 11 Shows the Formula Is Still Alive The show’s 2026 season demonstrates that Discovery has continued to use the Torres and Amaro combination. The current cast listings identify Josh Gates, Phil Torres and Heather Amaro as the main team. Production company Ping Pong Productions also currently describes Expedition X as following Josh Gates with expert investigators Phil Torres and Heather Amaro.

That is significant because it shows the current lineup is not simply a temporary replacement arrangement. It has become the established version of the show. MORE Torres May Be the Show’s Secret Ingredient There is an argument that Expedition X could have changed much more dramatically after Chobot’s departure. Instead, Torres provided continuity. He represents the original series. He understands the show’s format. He has years of experience investigating its unusual subjects. And he brings a perspective that is difficult to replace. That may explain why the series can introduce new investigators and still feel familiar to longtime viewers. The Bigger Legacy of Phil Torres Torres is not the loudest personality on the show.

He does not need to be. His value comes from the questions he asks. When everyone else is wondering whether something could be paranormal, Torres can ask whether there is an animal, environmental effect or physical phenomenon that could explain it. And when an ordinary explanation does not immediately work, he is willing to acknowledge that something remains unexplained. That is an important distinction. Science does not mean having an answer for everything. Sometimes it means knowing when the evidence is not enough. MORE Final Thoughts Phil Torres is now the only original field investigator remaining from the Expedition X team that launched the series in 2020.

Jessica Chobot left after seven seasons, with Heather Amaro taking over the role from Season 8 onward. Since then, Torres has continued working with Amaro and Josh Gates, including through the show’s 2026 Season 11 investigations. That makes Torres more than just another cast member. He is the link between the original Expedition X and the version viewers watch today. The team has changed. The mysteries have changed. But Phil Torres is still there asking the same fundamental question. Is there a real explanation for what we’re seeing? And perhaps that is exactly why Expedition X still works.