NCIS: New York Exposes Sam Hanna’s Blind Spot

Published Oct 28, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT

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While many of NCIS: New York's viewers are coming into the series with a pre-existing relationship with LL Cool J's Sam Hanna, the new city is bringing a whole new blind spot into play for the longtime character. Throughout NCIS: Los Angeles' 14-season run, one of Sam's most defining qualities was the fact that he was from New York City. While the Los Angeles based show featured Sam and the rest of the NCIS field team in sunny California, it was always a known fact that Sam was from New York, and his attitude was often different from his peers.

Despite New York being a part of Sam's overall identity during the run of NCIS: Los Angeles, the series didn't always point to his upbringing or make it a part of the show's fabric. With the series having come to an end in 2023, Sam began appearing on other NCIS franchise shows, making an appearance on NCIS: Hawai'i while it was still on the air and returning to the flagship series, but it wasn't until the announcement of his leading NCIS: New York that a homecoming was truly imminent for Sam. With a new series bringing Sam home, New York was no longer just a part of his character.

Now, New York has become a central piece of the newest series in the NCIS franchise. NCIS: New York brings Sam to a whole new team, reuniting him with the city that built him, and at the same time has unearthed a blind spot that he didn't have during his time in Los Angeles.

Sam’s Hometown Loyalty Could Cause Issues For NCIS: New York

CBS

Throughout NCIS: New York season 1 episode 4, "Homecoming," viewers got the chance to see Sam return to his neighborhood during a case, finding himself reminiscing with Nick (Scott Caan) as he re-familiarized himself with the area. Throughout the episode, Sam's relationship with Curtis Allen (Malik Yoba) comes to light, and while the pair reminisce about times that Curtis kept Sam out of trouble, there's something darker at play. With Sam pursuing someone else entirely as the case unfurls, it becomes clear that despite the fact that he's a capable agent, his blind spot for his old neighborhood is an issue.

Curtis, it turns out, is the criminal that NCIS has been tracking throughout their case, and despite the fact that Nick felt it was a possibility, Sam seems entirely floored by his old friend's behavior. Though Sam ultimately led the charge to take Curtis down, it was clear that he was experiencing some internal struggle around having to reconcile himself to the fact that someone he once trusted implicitly was now at the center of a massive crime. Sam's loyalty to his neighborhood and those who he knew in his past could be a major issue for his work as he moves forward in New York.

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NCIS: New York Should Continue Exploring Sam’s Past Connections Regardless

Even though there are going to be moments where Sam feels a pull to the loyalty he's built up for his home and those who have surrounded him in the past, NCIS: New York should continue to push the envelope with his character. In Los Angeles, Sam was able to remove himself from the sense of community he'd built in New York, and while he had his family with him, the stakes were lower in a sense. He didn't have to present himself as a New Yorker in a familiar place, choosing his work over people who may not be on the right side of the law.

In his new venture, New York has become a piece of the puzzle that Sam's never had to deal with before. While there's only been one case where Sam knew someone involved thus far, the fact that the series has put an emphasis on Sam being from New York so quickly makes it clear that this is the first instance, not the only one. The cases Sam and the rest of the New York field team will be presented with as NCIS: New York moves forward will definitely continue to be complicated, and should explore those complicated loyalties.