Spoilers ahead for the Season 2 finale of NCIS: Hawai'i, called "Dies Irae."
NCIS: Hawai'i ended its second season with a thrilling finale that could cause concerning changes to Tennant's unit, but CBS has officially confirmed some Season 3 news to get excited about: LL Cool J will be back as Sam Hanna after making a cameo appearance in "Dies Irae." Just one day after NCIS: Los Angeles fans had to say goodbye to him in that show's series finale (available streaming via Paramount+ subscription), he's confirmed to recur in the spinoff next season, and I'm so ready.
LL Cool J will be a recurring guest star in Season 3 of NCIS: Hawai'i, according to CBS in an announcement immediately following the end of the Season 2 finale. The news comes just over three months after the NCIS: LA star teased that maybe he'd "come play a little bit" in the Hawai'i-set series in the wake of his own show ending. Fans certainly didn't have to wait long after LA's ending to get more of Sam Hanna! Maybe the actor will be able to bring the meaningful mementoes from NCIS: LA to NCIS: Hawai'i.
And it sounds like I'm not the only one who's ready for more of LL Cool J on NCIS: Hawai'i, as star Vanessa Lachey had a message about the upcoming addition to the cast as recurring guest star:
One of the most beautiful things about working on NCIS: HAWAI’I is the show’s ability to bring the franchise together. We have had so much fun spreading the aloha to NCIS and NCIS: LA with the triple crossover. Now, we have the amazing opportunity to bring Sam Hanna to Hawai’i to help the island solve some cases and maybe have a few laughs in the process. Welcome to the ohana, Todd! It’s going to be a fun ride!🤙🏽
Sam did previously work with Tennant and Co. as part of the three-show crossover earlier this year between LA, Hawai'i, and the original NCIS, but it seems that he'll be flying solo without Callen this time despite how the series finale ended. Of course, Sam's appearance in "Dies Irae" did tie back to the LA finale in a way that suggests not a whole lot of time has passed in-universe.
The last-ever episode of NCIS: LA ended with Sam and Callen traveling to Morocco to help Hetty on a "small side project," and Sam revealed in the Hawai'i finale that he'd made his way over to Venezuela from Morocco when he got wind that they'd need some help. He was able to use his sniper skills to save Tennant and Whistler's lives, and was willing to do more to help if they needed it (or would accept).
At first, it seemed like it could have been a one-off cameo from Sam, but now we can count on seeing more of him in Season 3. Hawai'i executive producers Matt Bosack, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber shared their own excitement in a joint statement:
All of us at NCIS: HAWAI’I have been huge fans of LL COOL J for years and couldn’t be more thrilled or honored to be adding his spectacular talent to our ohana for season three.
At the time of writing, no details are available about how many episodes will feature Sam in Season 3 or in what capacity. It'd be fun if he somehow ended up on Tennant's team after the finale indicated that expansion could be on the way, but that may be overly optimistic of me given that LL Cool J is being billed as a recurring guest star. Unfortunately, there's also no guarantee of when the show will be back.
While NCIS: Hawai'i was renewed all the way back in February, the WGA writers strike means that there is no guarantee that fall TV season will begin as early as usual, and there's no sign that this show followed in the footsteps of fellow CBS series The Equalizer and already filmed the next season's premiere before going on summer hiatus.
Whether or not the show returns in mid-September as usual, at least we know that we can count on more of LL Cool J as Sam Hanna! That's certainly enough to tide me over for the time being. You can revisit his time on NCIS: LA with episodes streaming on Paramount+, and find some upcoming viewing options on our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
