NCIS: New – Sam Hanna trades his Los Angeles badge for the streets of New York, joining a new team to solve a personal murder case.
The familiar silhouette of Sam Hanna is back, but the backdrop has shifted. After headlining 14 seasons and more than 300 episodes of “NCIS: Los Angeles. ” the veteran Navy SEAL—portrayed by LL Cool J—finds himself navigating the streets of his own birthplace in “NCIS: New York.” For the character. a man who has spent the better part of two decades defined by his life on the West Coast. the homecoming is not a victory lap. but a collision with the past.
“You get a chance to see some of the vulnerabilities, the uncertainty,” LL Cool J observed of his character’s return. “Because don’t forget: He hasn’t been home in so long. He’s almost like a stranger in this place.”
When we first see Sam, he is thousands of miles away in Dubai, embedded in an international terror operation. The anchor pulling him back to New York is the death of Jack Halloway. a lifelong friend and a man whose wedding party Sam once stood in. When Halloway is found dead in New York. his death staged to mirror a suicide. Sam cannot reconcile the act with the man he knew—a man anticipating a new baby and thriving in his personal life. He steps into the jurisdiction of NCIS special agent Nick Schaeffer. played by Scott Caan. with a clear promise: he is only here for the case.
What follows is an investigation that moves quickly from a crime scene to an expansive conspiracy. The team. led by special agent in charge Robyn Wells. includes agents Addy and Wyatt. and a computer expert named Sean. who is currently working with the agency to avoid prison time for hacking into a police pension fund. A guest appearance from flagship “NCIS” scientist Jimmy Palmer confirms the foul play. solidifying the need for a deeper investigation into a plot involving contracted killers and the attempted kidnapping of an oligarch’s daughter.
As the investigation into the Bushwick club operation unfolds, the personal layers deepen. Sam and Nick, despite their physical differences, find a rhythm rooted in their shared history as native New Yorkers. They trade jokes. but they also trade burdens: Nick speaks of his family’s history of loss in the line of duty as police and firefighters. while acknowledging Sam’s own grief following the death of his wife in “NCIS: Los Angeles” Season 8.
Once the case concludes and the victim receives his final government honors, the professional partnership shifts into a personal appeal. During a drive through the city. Nick challenges Sam’s reluctance to stay. arguing that Sam’s previous attempts to run from his past have only left him searching for the stability he finds in service.
“I think you’re the best at what you do and I want to work with the best,” Nick tells him.
For a man who viewed himself as a stranger in his own hometown, the pitch strikes a chord. Sam’s final concession—a simple, “All right, let’s see how it goes”—marks the start of a new chapter in the “NCIS” franchise.
“NCIS: New York” airs Tuesdays on CBS and is available to stream the following day on Paramount+.
NCIS: New York LL Cool J Sam Hanna Scott Caan CBS television entertainment