A Fan Favorite Character Returns in Exciting New ‘NCIS’ Season 22 Footage

Fans of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles are rejoicing following a new promo for the original series’ latest episode. In the Season 22 episode “After the Storm,” a certain special agent appears only two seconds into the clip. Although you only see the back of his head for a few seconds, that’s all viewers of the franchise need to identify him before they see him fully. Special Agent Sam Hanna is back, and apparently, he’s the perfect person to solve this episode-specific homicide case. The suspect will only talk to the fan-favorite character, and in good nostalgic fashion, Agent Hanna is there to get the job done.

Played by hip-hop mogul LL Cool J , in the 21-second clip, Special Agent Sam Hanna gets straight to business. As previously mentioned, viewers can only see him from the back, but the screen is split, showing the point-of-view of other agents telling Hanna they basically need his assistance. “There’s a suspect in a multiple homicide,” one starts off, and the others follow, completing the statement separately with “won’t speak to anyone but you,” and “this is a puzzle that only you can solve.”

The clip then cuts to a full screen of a “Special Investigation File” being slapped onto a desk and, behold, it’s Sam Hanna, who says, “I’m here…TALK!” Although nothing about the case is shared, Hanna’s appearance alone was enough to make viewers’ day. In the comments of the official promo posted on YouTube, people are commenting about how much they’ve missed Sam in the NCIS universe. From “Sam’s Back!” to “Special Agent Sam Hanna we have missed you [so] much [and] everyone from NCIS LA,” it’s safe to say the legendary series might see a spike in viewership for this upcoming episode.

Why Is Special Agent Sam Hanna Such a Fan-Favorite?

LL Cool J portrayed the character in NCIS: Los Angeles, the second installment of the television franchise. Debuting on September 22, 2009, it follows the LA-based Office of Special Projects, which was a stellar division of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The team specialized in undercover assignments and consisted of Agents Sam Hanna, Grisha “G.” Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Nate “Doc” Getz (Peter Cambor), Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah), and more.

The NCIS franchise is one of the most successful television franchises in history. NCIS: Los Angeles had 14 seasons, which meant there was a lot of room for characters to develop into a fan-favorite or “most hated.” LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna fell into the category of someone viewers always wanted to see on their screens. The character was a Senior NCIS Field Agent on the spin-off, meaning he was highly qualified to solve crimes on his own if it was a one-man job.