As we wait through the network TV hiatus that happens every summer, it's hard not to think about the shows that were canceled or ended in 2024. One of the biggest surprises (at least for this fan) was the cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i. Even lead actress Vanessa Lachey was blindsided by CBS' decision. The network axed the spinoff after three seasons, leaving the show on a cliffhanger. Season 3 was also filled with key developments, and it even featured LL Cool J, who joined following the NCIS: Los Angeles series finale. Now, the EPs are revealing why LL was brought over before the show ended.
After the rapper and business mogul made a surprise appearance on the Season 2 finale of Hawai’i, it was announced that he’d be joining the cast in a recurring guest capacity. Sam Hanna was in Hawai'i to help Jane Tennant and her squad and, at the same time, he was working a new team that proved to be pretty big for the two-hour finale. Co-showrunners Jan Nash, Christopher Silber and Matt Bosack explained to TVLine that it wasn't actually their decision to add the veteran actor for the third season:
The idea of Sam joining our show was pitched by the studio/network after LA ended. We were fully on-board, both because Sam was a great character, but also because LL COOL J is a wonderful human. The chemistry he shared with our amazing lead, Vanessa Lachey, was so compelling, we had hoped to keep it going for many seasons to come.
Even before NCIS: Los Angeles ended, fans were likely hoping that their favorite OSP agents would be making appearances on the other shows within the larger franchise. So it was a pleasant surprise when LL Cool J was confirmed to be joining Hawai’i.
There was no telling what would happen and how Sam would be included, but it was as entertaining as ever. The fact that the network and studio pitched the idea shows that anything can happen, and just because a series is over doesn’t mean it’s the last time you see a character.
Ahead of NCIS: Hawai’i Season 3, Vanessa Lachey got candid about having Sam Hanna back in the NCIS universe. She shared that he was going to evolve the team “into a different layer and level,” and she was right. He was hiding something when he first came on, but it only made the story that much more exciting. When it was found out that he was working on a new team, it got intense, and it was fun seeing them all work together.
LL Cool J was not the only NCIS: LA star to make an appearance in the franchise after the finale. Daniela Ruah made a brief cameo in the 1,000th episode of NCIS, and she also directed an episode of the Mothership and Hawai’i. Whether any more characters from LA or even Hawai’i could make appearances on NCIS or beyond is unknown. However, it seems to be possible, especially after learning how LL ended up on the now-canceled spinoff.
It is a shame that fans won’t be seeing more of Sam, Tennant, or the rest of her team following NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancellation and cliffhanger. Fans were quick to start petitions to save Hawai’i, but as of now, that doesn’t seem like that will happen. As long as the franchise continues, though, you never know who could return.
