Fans of NCIS: Los Angeles have long awaited the return of Linda Hunt’s Hetty, who last appeared in the Season 13 premiere and has had very little screen time in the last few seasons in general. Showrunner R. Scott Gemmill has been teasing a possible return for Hetty in Season 14, and he's now provided an update on the plan for her return. And as it turns out, it could have something to do with Callen and Anna’s wedding.
Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and Anna (Bar Paly) finally got engaged in NCIS: LA’s Season 13 finale. So could the wedding bring some surprise guests? R. Scott Gemmill previewed the upcoming season with TVLine, specifically the plan to bring back Linda Hunt’s beloved character of Hetty Lange. Apparently, the idea is that Callen "realizes he has unfinished business, and wouldn’t want to get married without Hetty present." Gemmill went on to say:
The plan is to go and rescue her at some point, find out what she’s gotten herself into. We’re just trying to figure out schedule-wise when we can pull that off. That was the plan last year, too, but it didn’t come to fruition. We had a bit of a [COVID variant] surge, but things seem to be settling down a bit. Hopefully, nothing new comes along, and we can make that happen this year.
I'm definitely curious to see what might happen, considering Hetty went back to Syria in the Season 13 premiere and could be in a rough spot. The wait for her return has been difficult, to say the least. Although R. Scott Gemmill confirmed that she wouldn’t be back before Season 13 ended, he's apparently been working hard to follow up Hetty's absence in Season 14. Thankfully, it now sounds like it's close to happening -- but when exactly it does is still the question.
To be honest, it's hard to imagine Callen and Anna have their wedding without Hetty there, since she’s been such a big part of the former's life. With scheduling being figured out for Linda Hunt, one has to wonder if the show's narrative will remain fluid. I mean, should COVID setbacks keep happening, will Callen and Anna keep delaying their wedding within the show?
As mentioned, Linda Hunt has appeared sporadically throughout the last few seasons of NCIS: LA. Hetty hadn't been around at the start of Season 10 due to Hunt being involved in a car accident, though the star eventually provided a positive update around that time. Hunt was later ready to go for the final episodes of the season, though plans later changed. COVID later created concerns for the NCIS star, but she was able to come back for some big moments, like Nell and Eric’s heartfelt goodbye in the Season 12 finale.
Hopefully, Hetty’s return will happen sooner rather than later, and Callen and Anna’s wedding will be one for the books. I'm sure many fans like myself are eager for the day that R. Scott Gemmill and co. make an official announcement about the stern and lovable character heading back to the drama series.
Don’t miss the Season 14 premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles on Sunday, October 9th at 10 p.m. EST on CBS! Also, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for more on the shows that are premiering or returning in the coming months.
