LL Cool J Is Returning To The NCIS-verse, And I’m Excited About What’s Being Lined Up For The Los Angeles And Hawai’i Alum

For 14 seasons, LL Cool J helped hold down the NCIS: Los Angeles fort by playing Sam Hanna. After the series ended in 2023, he then reprised his character for a handful of episodes of NCIS: Hawai’i, which ended after just three seasons. While it’s great that both CBS shows can be revisited whenever fans with a Paramount+ subscription are in the mood, here’s something for the folks out there for the Sam enthusiasts: he’s returning to the NCIS-verse, and I’m excited to learn how it’ll happen.

It’s been announced that LL Cool J will reprise Sam Hanna in the NCIS episode that’s airing April 21 on the 2025 TV schedule. This episode will see the team investigating three combat vets who are found murdered in a Washington DC motel room. While they do manage to track down a suspect, this individual refuses to talk to anyone except Sam. LL Cool J helped break the news of his return with the social media video seen below:

This will actually mark a homecoming of sorts for LL Cool J. Remember, more than a decade and a half ago, the NCIS Season 6 two-parter “Legend” served as a backdoor pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles. Then in NCIS Season 20, he returned for the episode “Too Many Cooks,” which was part of the crossover with Los Angeles and Hawai’i. Now he gets to return to the show that launched this procedural franchise, and in a prominent capacity rather than cameoing like his respective Los Angeles and Hawai’i co-star Daniela Ruah and Vanessa Lachey did in the franchise’s 1,000th episode last year.

There’s only so much time we’ll get to spend with Sam Hanna within the roughly 42 minutes comprising this episode, but I’m eager to learn what the character has been up to since he was last seen in NCIS: Hawai’i. Maybe he can also share some tidbits on what’s going on with his Los Angeles cohorts these days, like G. Callen, Kensi Blye and Marty Deeks. Perhaps most importantly, I hope that Sam’s role in this NCIS episode isn’t just to get information out of this suspect. I want to see him out in the field with Parker, Torres, Knight and McGee too.

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Get the most out of a Paramount Plus subscription and sign up to its more premium plan, Paramount Plus With Showtime. As part of getting two catalogs of content, throwing together both Paramount Plus and Showtime Originals, you'll be able to watch the entirety of the NCIS franchise. Revisiting all of LL Cool J's tenure as Sam Hanna will be easier than ever, and by saving with the annual plan, it works out to as little a $10 a month.

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LL Cool J reprising Sam Hanna is just one of several things left on the docket for NCIS Season 22. Others include learning more about Parker’s mysterious visions of Lily, as well as eventually revisiting the Kansas City mob storyline set up at the beginning of the season. Furthermore, NCIS Season 23 was officially greenlit last month, so maybe there will be an opportunity for Sam to stop by again.

Get your fill of new NCIS episodes Mondays at 9 pm ET on CBS. NCIS: Origins airs immediately afterwards, NCIS: Sydney airs Fridays at 8 pm ET, and don’t forget that the Paramount+-exclusive spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva is also expected to premiere later this year.