As we hoped, Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) coming back toNCISmeant that we got somewhat of an update on other characters in the NCIS universe. We also learned something about Sam that wouldn’t have been included had he not been a part of theNCISseason 22episode. While I am still devastated about NCIS: Hawai’i, and would give anything to have the show back, the cancelation is a blessing in disguise for Sam fans out there.
The update about Sam came with the sad news that he chose to leave NCIS after the events of theNCIS: Hawai’iseries finale. However, Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) hasmade it clear there is always a home with him somewhere within NCIS. Yet, Sam was affected after the end of theNCISspinoffmore than he had anyone believing in the closing moments of the series, and the cancelation means that we didn’t have to go through it with him.
NCIS Season 22, Episode 18 Reveals That Sam Has Left The Agency
The Grief Was Too Much For Sam Hanna
DuringNCISseason 22, episode 18, Vance caught up with Sam to share that there is a place within NCIS if he wants to come back. This alerted us to not only that he had resigned from the team, butthat it was connected to the end of the fourth series within the NCIS universe. As the conversation went on, Vance mentioned that Sam’s resignation came off the back of losing his team.
However, when we saw Sam at the end ofNCIS: Hawai’i, he looked to be doing well. He was smiling andfocusing on the Ohana that was the Hawai’i team. This was a man who had lost many others in the line of duty, both via the Marines and NCIS, so it was a little surprising to find out that he had resigned due to the loss of this team.
It means the series didn’t show the full extent of his grief at theend ofNCIS: Hawai’iseason 3. This could have been due to having little time as the series wrapped up, and it could have been something planned for a fourth season. In the end, thewhole storyline had to be done off-screen.
NCIS: Hawai’i Getting Canceled Spared Viewers Watching Sam Leaving The Agency
It’s Always Hard To Watch A Character We Love Grieve
Had the Hawai’i-set series continued, it would have meant more of Sam Hanna and his struggles. While this would have been great for fans of the character,it would have also meant that we would have needed to watch him grieve. Watching our favorite characters grieve is always hard, as we end up feeling the emotions that they portray. We end up grieving with them, and we just want to be able to reach through the screens and pick them up. This would have been the case with Sam, especially considering the type of man that he is and the loss that he has already been through.
Due to the cancelation, we were spared all of that. With the grief happening off screen, we didn’t need to experience the formerNCIS: Los Angelescharacter make the difficult decision to leave NCIS completely. Not only would this have been hard to watch, butit would also have taken time away from the core members of theNCIS: Hawai’iteam, and it would have made a fourth and final season annoying to watch as we looked for closure for everyone else.
What’s Next For Sam After His NCIS Season 22, Episode 18 Return
Sam Is One Another Mission In The NCIS Universe
While we learned about Sam resigning, we also learned that he is up to something big. After Vance offered him a chance to return to the agency, Sam shared that he wouldn’t be able to do that. He has some personal projects to take care of, and one of them was hinted to be linked toNCIS: Los Angeles' Hetty Lange(Linda Hunt),bringing us the update that we had all been waiting for to find out that Hetty was still alive.
If Sam returns to NCIS again, there is hope of another update on Hetty and how this project is going.
At the end of thecanceledNCIS: Los Angeles, the series didn’t have time to get Hetty out of Syria, but Nell’s team was able to extract her.Vance knows that she is working on a project with the DMZ, which means that it is something official but also dangerous. Due to this, Sam made it clear that he wouldn’t confirm anything, but we know Sam well enough to know that he wouldn’t just give up on protecting people. If Sam returns toNCISagain, there is hope of another update on Hetty and how this project is going.
NCIS
Cast
NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
NCIS: Hawaii
NCIS: Hawaii is the fourth spin-off of the police procedural series NCIS. It follows a team of Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents as they investigate a wide variety of difficult and shocking crimes. Vanessa Lachey stars as Jane Tennant alongside Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman, Noah Mills as Jesse Boone, Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler, Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara, and Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik.
NCIS: Los Angeles
NCIS: Los Angeles began in 2009 and currently has 14 seasons. Created by Shane Brennan, the release is the second installment in the NCIS franchise and the first major spinoff. The premise follows a group of special agents within the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as they aim to investigate and protect people in the Lost Angeles area.
