NCIS Stuns Fans By Bringing Back Beloved Star And Sparking Wild Theories That The Long Running Hetty Mystery Is Finally About To Be Solved
NCIS is bringing back a major franchise character-and it might finally give fans the long-awaited update on Hetty Lange.
The NCIS universe has shrunk in recent years, with the end of NCIS: Los Angeles and the surprise 2024 cancellation of NCIS: Hawaii. A 2023 crossover reunited characters across shows, and NCIS: Hawaii even brought in LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna for a recurring role. Now, Hanna’s return is confirmed again-this time to the flagship NCIS series.
When Is Sam Hanna Returning?
LL Cool J will play Sam Hanna in NCIS Season 22, Episode 18, which airs on Monday, April 21, according to TVLine and the actor’s Instagram. While the plot is yet unknown, Hanna will most likely be assisting on a case, bringing his trademark approach to the mix. Fans are hoping that the episode will provide closure on the Hawaii cliffhanger in which Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) confronted a menacing old mentor.
But the biggest opportunity here? Addressing Hetty Lange’s fate.
What Happened to Hetty?
Linda Hunt’s iconic Hetty was largely absent during NCIS: Los Angeles’s final seasons due to health concerns during the pand3mic. The finale hinted at a rescue mission, with Callen and Hanna heading overseas to find her-but viewers never saw what happened next.
Bringing Hanna into NCIS could finally put an end to that tale. While Hunt may not appear onscreen, an update on Hetty’s whereabouts would provide long-term admirers with much-needed closure.
As NCIS continues to honor its shared universe, this guest spot might just tie up one of the franchise’s last major loose ends.
Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David are officially back-and this time, they’re not just partners, they’re parents. NCIS: Tony & Ziva, a brand-new spinoff coming to Paramount+, reunites Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo in a fast-paced, romantic, and emotional thriller set against the backdrop of Europe.
The 10-episode series picks up years after their off-screen reunion, with Tony and Ziva raising their 12-year-old daughter, Tali (played by Isla Gie), in Paris. But life in the City of Light doesn’t stay peaceful for long.
When Tony’s private security firm is att4cked, the family is forced to go on the run-racing across Europe to stay ahead of an unknown enemy and uncover who’s after them.
What unfolds is a mix of espionage, danger, and classic Tiva tension. The couple must confront their complicated past, navigate new challenges, and learn to trust each other again-all while keeping their daughter safe.
“This is for the fans who’ve stuck with us all these years,” Weatherly and de Pablo said in a joint statement. “It’s an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter.”
In a teaser, de Pablo teased what fans can expect: “Intrigue, romance, the background of Europe, and impossible situations—complicated, but with a little something about love.”
Though the show stands on its own, it’s full of nods to longtime NCIS viewers. Tony originally left the series in Season 13 after learning Ziva-thought to be dead-had secretly given birth to Tali. Ziva returned in Season 16, revealing she had faked her death and gone into hiding. Their eventual reunion happened off-screen-until now.
The Paris setting is more than just scenic-it’s a heartfelt callback to their early days undercover together in France, a full-circle moment longtime fans will appreciate.
Weatherly told Variety that filming with de Pablo again felt “surprisingly natural. Informed by the past, illuminated by the present, and trying to see a future together.”
NCIS: Tony & Ziva premieres September 4, 2025, with the first three episodes streaming on Paramount+. New episodes will follow weekly, leading up to the finale on October 23.
