The end of NCIS Season 22, Episode 18 blew the door wide open to continue an unresolved storyline from the NCIS: LA series finale. At the end of NCIS: LA, Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt) sends Sam and Callen a letter with plane tickets to Morocco to see if they could help her with a “small side project.” When they arrive, they find Nell Jones (Renee Felice Smith), with Nate, Vostanik Sabatino (Renee Felice Smith), and a “new guy” (played by Chris O’Donnell’s real-life son, Chip O’Donnell). They share that Hetty is in “a bit of a pickle” that they’re trying to help her with. Since then, there hasn’t been any hint of this storyline. But at the end of NCIS Season 22, Episode 18, Sam misses the thrill of being a field agent and plans to quit his Capitol Hill job. Before he comes back to the agency, he says he has some things to take care of first. NCIS director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) questions if it has something to do with Hetty, who hasn’t been seen physically since NCIS: LA Season 13. Vance has heard that she’s been seen on the wrong side of the DMZ, but Sam says it’s better that Vance doesn’t know.
Let’s be real—NCIS: Los Angeles fans didn’t get the closure they deserved when it came to Operations Manager Hetty Lange. She vanished mysteriously, leaving viewers hanging with more questions than answers. But here’s the twist: A Sam Hanna spin-off could be the perfect vessel to finally tie up those loose ends—and maybe even drop a few jaw-dropping surprises. So, what if CBS greenlights a series centered around the ever-loyal, deeply layered Sam Hanna (played by LL Cool J)? Could this be the narrative bridge fans have been waiting for? Let’s dive into why a spin-off focused on Sam could be exactly what the NCIS universe needs—and how it could finally answer what really happened to Hetty Lange.
Because this storyline is so intrinsically tied to NCIS: LA, it doesn’t make sense for it to continue in NCIS Season 23. It obviously wouldn’t make sense to follow it up in NCIS: Origins since it’s set in the past, and the DMZ wouldn’t fall under the NCIS: Sydney team’s jurisdiction. With that in mind, Sam helping Hetty out could continue in a limited series. Since NCIS: LA had to wrap up their series before devoting time to Hetty’s story, a short series would be perfect to finally close the book on this storyline that fans have been waiting for. If beloved NCIS characters like Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) are getting a spin-off, Sam and his Office of Special Projects (OSP) team deserve a definitive final swan song to tie up all loose ends.
Sam Hanna’s Potential Spin-Off Can Bring Back ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ Characters. Sam can still be the lead character, while notable NCIS: LA characters like Nell, Nate, and Vostanik can return as support and be given a shot at redeeming their characters after their respective exits from the series. Due to real-life problems affecting Hunt’s ability to return as Hetty, a shorter production schedule compared to a whole season of television could make it easier for her to return and give Hetty a proper send-off. One NCIS: LA character that most likely wouldn’t be returning for this potential spin-off is Eric Christian Olsen’s Marty Deeks. In an interview with TV Line, he notes that his desire to return to the NCIS franchise is “not so much” there while he focuses on Matlock as an executive producer.
Even with his story spread across NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, and NCIS: Hawai’i, Sam’s character arc is still ripe for picking. There are so many layers to who he is as an agent, father, and friend. It seems that the NCIS writers have given NCIS: LA fans a hint of proper closure for the series that they’ve been waiting for. The Sam Hanna spin-off would not only give LL Cool J a chance to shine as the sole lead of a series, but also let his fellow cast members pop back into the franchise.
Let’s face it—Hetty’s story deserves a powerful conclusion. And Sam Hanna is the one character who can deliver it. He has the skills, the motive, and the emotional depth to carry the torch. A spin-off isn’t just a cool idea—it’s necessary. The mystery of Hetty Lange has haunted NCIS fans for years. It’s time we got answers. And Sam? He’s the only one we trust to bring them.
