'NCIS' Season 23 welcomes LL Cool J as Sam Hanna hints at his next chapter ahead of spin-off series
Ever since 'NCIS' teased the return of LL Cool J as Special Agent Sam Hanna, fans couldn't wait to see how his storyline would fit into the team's latest investigation. Titled 'Reboot,' Episode 17 aired on April 21 on CBS and featured several Easter eggs as Sam worked with the NCIS team to find a killer inside the building. Fans were delighted to see that the episode had several nods to moments from previous seasons and other spinoffs from the NCIS universe.
Episode 17 begins with Kasie overseeing a crucial system upgrade at the NCIS office, which is being carried out by four "tech trolls," in Parker's words. The computer systems and security cameras are shut down for the next two hours. Things seem under control until one of the technicians, named Darryl, is found dead, sending the NCIS team into full investigation mode. Dr. Jimmy Palmer, the team's Chief Medical Examiner, notices that Darryl's neck was broken, and it is later revealed that he was likely killed by someone inside the building.
The episode also mentions Henry, the office ghost, after hearing noises from Ducky's empty office. Sam emerges from the room and mentions that he had a layover on his trip to Dubai and thought he would crash on Ducky's couch for a short while. When he learns about Darryl's death, he offers to help with the investigation and even ropes in Jimmy, telling Parker, "You should've seen him in Hawaii in that dungeon they had us in," referencing their time together on 'NCIS: Hawai'i' Season 2.
Sam joins Parker in the evidence locker to look for a new computer fan after the server starts heating up. Sam asks Parker how the team is holding up after Director Leon Vance's death. He admits that the loss has hit everyone hard, saying, "It doesn't seem real. A lot of us are still in denial." In response, Sam shares that he is unsure about the next chapter of his life. "I've been waiting to make a move for a while now. I haven't been able to settle on a direction quite yet," he says as a slight nod to his move to New York, where he will lead his own team in the recently announced spin-off series, 'NCIS: New York.'
One of the tech trolls, Harold, raises suspicions during questioning, but it's the janitor Tommy who ends up being the real culprit. Sam and Parker confront him as he frantically types on Kasie's laptop. He confesses to killing Darryl to get access to his computer so that he can make changes to the system. Tommy cries out, "He's going to kill my family," suggesting that he is being blackmailed by someone else. Tommy admits that he was ordered to plant the device in the NCIS computer if he wanted to see his family alive. Sure enough, when Sam and Parker arrive at his house, they find Tommy's wife and kids tied up. However, the kidnapper runs away with Tommy's wife's phone before Sam and Parker can get to him.
Back at the NCIS office, Kasie checks her computer after the reboot is done. She discovers that the system is not upgraded and a folder named 'Edna' is missing. The episode ends on a cliffhanger as Kasie realizes that she was the real target and says, "I think I'm the reason why Darryl is dead." Tune in next Tuesday at 8 p.m. on CBS to see how the story unfolds in the next episode, 'Bad Impressions.'
