From a backdoor pilot in NCIS Season 6 to 14 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles, LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna has become one of the franchise’s most enduring and beloved characters. While NCIS: LA gave most of its leads satisfying farewells, Sam’s story was left wide open — first teased in the LA finale and later expanded in NCIS: Hawai‘i. Now, after a standout appearance in NCIS Season 22, it’s clear: if he isn’t becoming a full-time member of the flagship series, Sam Hanna deserves his own limited series.
Sam Hanna Is One of the Franchise’s Strongest Characters
Part Gibbs, part Torres, and entirely his own authentic presence, Sam embodies the traits that have defined the NCIS universe. A former Navy SEAL who carries both pride and pain from his service, Sam brings an ideal balance of discipline, brute strength, loyalty, and heart. His hand-to-hand combat scenes on NCIS: LA remain some of the franchise’s best, and LL Cool J’s performance consistently blended intensity with warmth.
Beyond the action, Sam’s emotional depth sets him apart. Like Jessica Knight, he carries guilt over the death of his NCIS team — the ELITE agents who were killed in NCIS: Hawai‘i shortly before that series was abruptly canceled. His appearance in NCIS Season 22 revealed he’d stepped away from the field to advocate for global military support on Capitol Hill, showing how much more he offers than muscle.
And, at his core, Sam is a single father juggling danger, duty, and family — a perspective the NCIS franchise rarely explores. A spin-off could dive deeper into that side of him as his kids grow older and more aware of the risks he takes.
A Limited Series Could Finally Resolve the Hetty Lange Cliffhanger
The NCIS: LA finale left fans with a long-awaited but unfinished storyline: Hetty Lange’s mysterious “pickle” in Morocco. Sam and Callen were summoned by her note and greeted by Nell, Nate, Sabatino, and a rookie agent — but Hetty herself remained missing.
NCIS Season 22 quietly reopened that door. When Sam told Director Vance he had “things to take care of” before returning to NCIS — and Vance hinted at chatter about Hetty being spotted on the wrong side of the DMZ — it was the first real continuation of her story since LA ended.
This arc doesn’t fit NCIS Season 23, NCIS: Origins, or NCIS: Sydney. But a limited series? It’s perfect. It allows the franchise to finish one of its biggest unresolved plots, especially with Linda Hunt’s reduced availability. A shorter shoot makes a return more feasible — and gives Hetty, and the Office of Special Projects, the send-off they deserve.
A Sam-Led Series Could Bring Back Fan-Favorite NCIS: LA Characters
A Sam-centered show doesn’t have to be a one-man mission. It could reunite beloved OSP members like Nell Jones, Nate Getz, and Vostanik Sabatino — all of whom were last seen dealing with Hetty’s crisis. A limited event series gives them a chance to return without long-term commitments and wrap up their characters’ journeys.
Eric Christian Olsen’s Marty Deeks likely wouldn’t return — the actor has said he’s focused on Matlock and isn’t looking to revisit the franchise “so much.” Still, many others could easily step back into the fold.
Why Sam Hanna Deserves His Own Spotlight
Across NCIS, LA, and Hawai‘i, Sam Hanna has evolved into one of the franchise’s richest characters — a fighter, a father, a leader, and a friend carrying years of untold stories. His brief return in NCIS Season 22 proved how effortlessly he still fits into the universe and how much more he has left to explore.
A Sam-centered limited series wouldn’t just give LL Cool J a well-earned leading role — it would finally close lingering NCIS: LA threads, honor Hetty’s legacy, and deliver the action-heavy, emotionally grounded storytelling fans have been craving.
If Tony and Ziva can return in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, then Sam Hanna and the OSP absolutely deserve their own final mission.
