NCIS fans were made up as an iconic character made a return in the latest episode.
LL Cool J returned to the hit franchise to reprise his role as Sam Hanna. The 57-year-old rapper first appeared in the original NCIS series back in 2009. Later that year, he appeared in the Los Angeles spin-off, which he remained in until its final season in 2023.
He also appeared in NCIS: Hawai'i before it was canceled after three seasons. But on Monday, Sam returned to the franchise, revealing that he's now working as a congressional liason in Washington D.C. after losing his Elite team in Hawaii.
The 57-year-old rapper first appeared in the original NCIS series back in 2009(Image: CBS Television)
During the episode, Sam also provided some major updates about his former colleagues in LA and Hawaii. When Jessica Knight, played by Katrina Law, makes a remark about Sam's new "lone wolf" job position sounding more like a role that G. Callen would do, He reveals that his partner's no longer a long wolf.
"Funny enough, G is actually not a lone wolf anymore. Him and Anna are expecting a new pup," he says. He also revealed that Jane Tennant's son Alex is in college.
Most fans loved Sam's return as they took to X to gush about his reappearance. "Oh Sam Hanna how I've missed you," one wrote. A second said: "SAM HANNA BACK ON NCIS!!! I love this SO much! We need more crossovers like this!"
Others called for Sam to make a permanent return. "Great to see Sam Hanna back on NCIS. Hope this isn't a one-off," one wrote. Another commented: "Something tells me LL Cool J is going to become a permanent character on #NCIS….especially after that last scene."
A third begged: "Bring…Sam Hanna…..BAAAAAAACCCKKKKKKKKKK…..NOWWWWWW!!!!!! #NCIS." But not everyone was happy with his return.
"Still annoyed that pretty much everyone got a mention from Sam *except* Kensi and Deeks. Couldn't give us the tiny bone we've wanted forever? Rude," one wrote.
Another said: "Sam Hanna's new work on NCIS is hurtful to fans of #NCISHawaii. However, Sam has not been lucky with his series cancelations. Is NCIS going to get a ratings boost from his addition? Doubtful. Could it be fatal to NCIS? Entirely possible."
Sam was last seen on NCIS in the third season of NCIS: Hawai'i. His elite team were killed and he requested a leave of absence before moving to D.C. Before his guest star role, LL told People: "It just felt right to me. It felt like, 'You know what? Let's have some fun. Let's do this.
"The story definitely wasn't over at all, that's for sure," he added. "We're finding out more about Sam, but remember, this is a different thing because Sam was transferred here."
