Over and out: ‘NCIS’ leaves City of Angels on CBS
If TV series were human, very few of them would make it beyond kindergarten, let alone into their double-digit years. One CBS series, however, bids farewell to viewers far beyond its original life expectancy. Now a would-be ninth grader,“NCIS:LosAngeles” inevitably draws the curtain on 14 years of crime resolution, militarygrade technology, covert operations and romantic undertakings in the sunshine of the Golden State. The two-part series finale begins Sunday, May 14, on CBS.
“NCIS: Los Angeles” was the very first spinoff of CBS’s “NCIS,” which was, in itself, an early-2000s spinoff of the ‘90s series “JAG.” With “Los Angeles” first introduced to viewers in 2009, the location-specific NCIS franchise offshoots began popping up left, right and center, next with “NCIS: New Orleans” in 2014, then with “NCIS: Hawai’i” in 2021. “New Orleans” subsequently left the air after seven seasons in May 2021, while this season marks the end of an era for “Los Angeles,” making “Hawai’i” the last spinoff standing.
The series, which counts Chris
O’Donnell (“Vertical Limit,” 2000), LL Cool J (“Deep Blue Sea,” 1999), Eric Christian Olsen (“Fired Up!,” 2009) and Daniela Ruah (“A Espia”) among its core cast, has seen many changes during its run on the Viacom-owned network. One of the most heartbreaking was the loss of the team’s big-heart, short-statured leader, Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt, “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” 2018).
Needless to say, as the show comes to a close May 14 and 21, longtime fans are hoping for some answers, if not one final appearance.
For those who have not yet seen the show (you now have 321 episodes to catch up on prior to the two-part finale), the premise is as follows: a special agency called the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a.k.a. NCIS, handles cases that involve serious crimes involving military personnel. From kidnappings, grand theft and disappearances to murder and other serious violent crimes, leading agents G. Callen (O’Donnell) and Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) are on the case.
Don’t miss the two-part finale of “NCIS: Los Angeles” airing Sunday, May 14, and early Sunday, May 21, on CBS.