After what felt like an eternity, LL Cool J has officially made his way back to the NCIS franchise, and fans are eating it up. His return isn’t just a cameo—it’s a statement. For years, viewers have been hoping for the revival of that action-packed swagger, smooth charisma, and raw energy he brought as Sam Hanna. Guess what? They finally got it.
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.
