NCIS Is Starting Sam Hanna’s New York Spinoff The Wrong Way

Published Oct 16, 2026, 1:45 PM EDT

Alexandria is a British-Canadian writer with a passion for network TV. 
She has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Aston University, Birmingham. After initially working as a software tester, she rekindled a passion for writing and has written for blogs and publications like Hidden Remote, Make a Living Writing, and The Daily Voice. She has interviewed various actors and showrunners, with her most memorably being Tony Shalhoub and Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

When LL Cool J's Sam Hanna came into NCIS: Hawaii, his storylines quickly took over, and he wasn't even the main character. Now that he has his own show again, there's a risk that NCIS: New York is going to follow a similar path, and it's setting up the NCIS spinoff for failure.

After two episodes, the new series has already become the Sam Hanna show. Despite the NCIS: New York pilot offering a refreshing change, the show has barely scratched the surface of its central ensemble. While Sam is one of the leads, and it makes some sense for him to have a decent amount of screen time, there are five other main characters who need attention.

Leaning on just one character to carry the whole series is short-sighted. Some will certainly love to see Sam get more time, especially to see him deal with the loss of his ELITE team at the end of the unfairly canceled NCIS: Hawaii. There's also even hope that there will be another update about Hetty. However, it's shortchanging the other actors on the series, making them feel more dispensable. Viewers need to feel connected to every character in the new series to make tense situations more nerve-wracking.

The great news is that there's an easy way to help this latest NCIS spinoff succeed, and there is time. It only takes one small change, bringing something that feels more like the early days of NCIS: Los Angeles, when it was a real ensemble cast.

NCIS: New York Can't Just Rely On Sam Hanna

CBS

At the start, NCIS: New York brought Sam onto a dark and deeply personal case. This circumstance naturally led to him taking the lead, getting involved heavily as he searched for answers and proof that the man he knew wasn't into something illicit. It made sense, building up on a partnership between Sam and Nick, while also creating a reason for Sam to stay in New York City and finally join a team once more.

The second episode had the opportunity to switch things up. At first, it looked like viewers were going to get to know more about Addy and Sean, and see how integral they were to the case. There was even a chance to see Nick take down the suspect. However, Sam became the one to get a suspect to talk and then talked down the younger brother they'd been after all episode.

Relying on Sam is quickly going to get frustrating. Other CBS shows, such as Fire Country and FBI: International, have struggled in the same way, leading to forgotten characters and frustrating and unrealistic saves. NCIS: New York is at risk of becoming a one-man show, making it hard to see why there's even a full NCIS team to solve crimes.

Why NCIS: New York Has A Greater Chance At Succeeding By Diversifying Its Stories

CBS

Previous NCIS shows, from the flagship to the first set of spinoffs, found a way to balance the ensemble cast. NCIS: Los Angeles even starred LL Cool J, but everyone had the chance to get to know others quickly. Callen, Kensi, and Deeks quickly became fan-favorite characters, sometimes taking the lead on the investigation and often being in the interrogation room to get answers from suspects. In fact, Callen was a co-leader on the team, and his backstory was one of the biggest questions and developments throughout the first season.

NCIS: Los Angeles lasted 14 seasons, and much of that was due to the way the storylines were diverse. It was hard to tell who would find the needle in the haystack to crack the case, as that changed on a weekly basis. Each NCIS: Los Angeles team member had their own strengths, weaknesses, and connections that would help to figure out why the murders happened, and who committed them.

NCIS: New York needs to learn from this example. It needs to give the characters nobody knows time to breathe, showing off their skills in the field — or in Sean's case, with technology. The second episode has already teased a little backstory for some, whether it's through failed relationships or a criminal background that needs to be further explored. Viewers need to feel a connection to the other characters, so that if they are backed into a corner or their lives are on the line, there's a reason to care about them surviving.

Right now, people are only going to care if they like the actor rather than the character. As they see their favorite actor isn't getting vital screentime, they'll start tuning out and hoping for a better show to come along. Plus, focusing on other characters brings a change in dynamics, adding more tension and excitement. People want to tune into NCIS: New York each week to see a team working together and not just to see how Sam Hanna will save the day yet again.

Cast

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  LL Cool J

  Sam Hanna

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  Scott Caan

  Nick Schaeffer

NCIS: New York, released in 2026, follows Special Agent Sam Hanna as he returns to New York City. Partnering with agent Nick Schaeffer, they lead a new NCIS team tasked with high-stakes missions to protect the city's crucial infrastructure and maintain national security.