Almost 16 years after his debut in NCIS Season 6, Episode 22, LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna returned in Season 22, Episode 18, and it wasn’t part of a crossover. NCIS Season 6 Episodes 22 and 23 served as a two-part backdoor pilot for what would become NCIS: Los Angeles, starring LL Cool J, Chris O’Donnell, and Daniela Ruah. The first NCIS spinoff (though technically, NCIS was also a spinoff) ran for 14 seasons before being canceled. Besides its setting, what differentiated NCIS: LA from its flagship show was how it followed the NCIS Office of Special Projects (OSP) — an elite team with cutting-edge technology who were skilled at undercover assignments.
Although that series reached its conclusion, the finale teased that Sam would be joining NCIS: Hawai’i in Season 3. He moved to Hawai’i to lead the NCIS Elite team for classified missions. But in the two-part Season 3 finale, the team was ambushed and murdered by a terrorist group, leaving Sam as one of the only survivors. There wasn’t much time to see how Sam dealt with the loss of his team as NCIS: Hawai’i was canceled after Season 3. Thankfully, Sam’s story didn’t end there. When audiences see Sam in NCIS Season 22, Episode 18, it’s revealed he took a leave of absence from the agency to process the death of his NCIS Elite Team and needed a change of pace.
He pivoted to working on Capitol Hill to get congressional support for various military actions globally. Although he’s happy in his new job, when the D.C. NCIS team needs his help on a case, he’s ready to jump back into the action. At the end of the episode, Sam is reminded of the rush of being a field agent and tells NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) that he’s quitting his Capitol Hill job. Vance tells Sam that the door is always open for him to return (almost like a meta line from the writers to LL Cool J). But before he officially returns to NCIS, he has to take care of a few things first. As he leaves, he tells Tim McGee (Sean Murray), “Definitely see you around.” Hopefully, this is more than just a passing line, and Sam will officially join NCIS.
Sam Hanna Is a Perfect Addition to ‘NCIS’
Although Sam is quitting his Capitol Hill job, he’s still based in D.C., so it is possible that when he does rejoin NCIS, he could have a spot on the D.C. team. NCIS Season 22, Episode 18 highlighted how he gets along with every member of the team, including Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover). Although he interacted with all of them during the superhero-level NCISverse crossover event between NCIS, NCIS: LA, and NCIS: Hawai’i back in 2023, LL Cool J’s dynamic with everyone feels like no time has passed at all. Sam and Tim McGee (Sean Murray) share the same authority as senior field agents (they also worked closely together during the NCIS: LA backdoor pilot). Sam and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) both experienced the trauma of losing their team in a brutal attack. Sam and Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) are both tough and skilled fighters with big hearts. Sam and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) even have the same love for pastries. Sam and Kasie are a comedic pairing as Kasie has a more positive outlook but feels like she has to tone herself down whenever Sam is around. With this foundation already set, there is still more room to grow his relationships with the D.C. team in a way that still evolves Sam as a character.
One of the more surprising but quite fitting dynamics is between Sam and Jimmy. Jimmy and Sam have been having weekly karaoke sessions that also include Jimmy’s daughter, Victoria Palmer (Elle Graper). It also includes a wink-and-nod to LL Cool J’s rapping career, as Jimmy is actually the one who does old-school raps while Sam sings. During the NCISverse crossover, Jimmy, Sam, and Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) were kidnapped by a rogue group. It’s clear this traumatic experience bonded them as Sam would later go on to work with Jane on the Hawai’i team, and Sam and Jimmy formed a friendship outside of work. But the deeper bond between Sam and Jimmy is how they’re single fathers raising their kids. If Sam were to officially join the D.C. team, it’d be fun to see more of this friendship, Sam’s dynamic with Victoria, and if their kids are friends.
“Those Are The Two I Think Would Really Be Fun To Crack”- ‘NCIS’ Star Shares Which Characters They Want To Write An Episode FoLL Cool J’s ‘NCIS’ Return Gave Fans What They’ve Been Waiting Years For Another one of the key differences between NCIS and NCIS: LA is the action. Although NCIS has featured some threatening and tough opponents, most of the action is handled through shootouts. Even as the series introduced characters with fighting backgrounds like Torres, Knight, and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), they didn’t get big moments to showcase their hand-to-hand combat. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, NCIS: LA would almost always feature fight scenes, especially with Sam and Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen). Considering OSP dealt with undercover assignments and dangerous threats, it made sense that the agents would be skilled fighters. It seems the creative team for NCIS wanted to honor that when Sam showed up.
During the climactic part of the episode, the team sneaks onto an enemy submarine to rescue Sam’s friend, Mark Davis (Marcus DeAnda). When the crew is alerted, the team realizes they can’t shoot their way out of this mess because there are pipes with flammable gas around them. This leads into the most involved and longest fight scene in NCIS history, which even highlights McGee’s hand-to-hand combat skills. While not as intense as anything out of Daredevil: Born Again, it goes down as one of the most memorable NCIS moments. If this is just a taste of the kind of action Sam brings to NCIS, audiences will start craving more.
Will Sam Hanna Join ‘NCIS’ in Season 23?
As of now, LL Cool J’s guest appearance on NCIS doesn’t go beyond Season 22, Episode 18. However, it’s clear that the door is left open for his return in NCIS Season 23. Sam is willing to rejoin the agency after he takes care of a few things, which might have to do with the unresolved plot line with Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt) from the NCIS: LA series finale. In an interview with PEOPLE, LL Cool J said it was a no-brainer for him to return as Sam in NCIS: “I like the character, he’s beloved and it’s so fun playing him. I don’t see why I wouldn’t come back.”
Before the news of LL Cool J’s return to NCIS was revealed, Dietzen told Collider in an exclusive interview that LL Cool J is a “wonderful guest star” and a “fan favorite.” LL Cool J clearly enjoys playing Sam, as he’s played the character across three different shows in the NCIS franchise. Maybe the third time’s the charm, and he can finally settle into the D.C. team on NCIS and inject some new energy into the series as it approaches the 500-episode mark.
