The Office of Special Projects has been without a permanent operations manager for some time now, and something’s gotta give in NCIS: Los Angeles Season 13.
Nell Jones (Renée Felice Smith) took over temporarily while Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt) was MIA on an unknown mission in Season 12, but the former analyst left NCIS in the finale. And while Hetty did return (Hunt’s absence was due to the pandemic), she’s still in the middle of something. So what does that mean for leadership at OSP going forward?
As much as we might like to see Hetty around as often as she used to be — which could mean her assuming her old job — NCIS: LA first has to address just where she’s been. After all, in the finale, she did tell Retired Navy Admiral Hollace Kilbride (Gerald McRaney, upped to series regular for next year) that they needed to have a chat. That’s clearly not over, but we have a feeling that, depending on Hunt’s availability, the rest of the team will be read in and part of how that ends.
Whatever happens there, it’s entirely possible that Hetty doesn’t return to NCIS in the same capacity. And if that’s the case, someone has to take over. Could it be Kilbride, who was spending more and more time at OSP? That would certainly be entertaining, considering his reactions to everything involving the team, but would he want to take the job? Could it be Callen (Chris O’Donnell), especially given Kilbride’s line about Hetty brainwashing him and the agent insisting, “She didn’t groom me for anything”? After all, back in Season 11, Sam’s (LL Cool J) plan for the future of the team did include Callen taking over for Hetty while he handles training younger agents.
Then again, someone new could always come in. NCIS: LA did just say goodbye to two cast members (Smith and Barrett Foa, who played Eric Beale). New blood has come in in the past to take charge in some capacity, though it hasn’t always worked out quite so well (such as Nia Long‘s Shay Mosley). Maybe it’s time for that to change, especially since if it’s not Hetty, Kilbride, or Callen, it’s hard to imagine anyone else from the regular cast taking on the role.
What do you think? Who do you want to see in charge next season?
