Spoilers ahead for the never-aired 15th season of NCIS: Los Angeles.
Fans of NCIS: Los Angeles got an unexpected jolt of nostalgia when LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna made a guest appearance on NCIS. But this wasn’t just a standard crossover case—Sam brought major updates on the NCIS: LA crew and dropped some bombshells that had fans doing double takes.
Sam’s New Role: From Field Agent to Capitol Hill
The first surprise? Sam Hanna is no longer an active NCIS agent. After the devastating loss of his elite team during the NCIS: Hawai’i Season 3 crossover, Sam requested a leave of absence. His next move was a complete 180: he traded fieldwork for Capitol Hill, using his expertise to advocate for critical military operations.
Armed not with weapons, but with a laser pointer and PowerPoint slides, Sam faces political pushback from skeptics dismissing his causes as “two-bit squabbles halfway around the world.” By the episode’s end, his evidence linking a congressman to a corrupt defense contractor wins the day. Sam may be out of the field, but he’s still very much in the fight—just in a different uniform.
NCIS: LA Lore and Fan-Service
The biggest treat for long-time viewers came in the form of NCIS: LA lore. When Sam and Callen were last seen, they had been sent on a mysterious “side project” in Morocco, supposedly to reconnect with their long-lost mentor Hetty Lange. That mission, however, turned into a reunion of sorts, bringing back familiar faces:
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Nell (Renée Felice Smith)
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Nate (Peter Cambor)
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Sabatino (Erik Palladino)
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And “the new guy,” played by Chris O’Donnell’s real-life son, Chip
Though Hetty herself remains missing, her influence is felt throughout the story, reminding fans that her saga is far from over.
Why This Matters
Sam’s surprise NCIS visit wasn’t just a nostalgic cameo—it offered a window into the lives of the LA team’s beloved characters while teasing unfinished storylines that fans have long hoped to see resolved. From cameos to potential future arcs—or even a dream movie—the NCIS: LA universe clearly still has more stories to tell.
Whether in the field or in the halls of power, Sam Hanna proves that in the world of NCIS, unfinished business always finds a way to surface.
