NCIS: Los Angeles

NCIS: Los Angeles is a spin-off from NCIS (series) and it follows the exploits of the Office of Special Projects (OSP), an elite division of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) that specializes in undercover assignments, located in Los Angeles with the agents assigned to that area investigating cases concerning Naval or Marine personnel that occur in or around Los Angeles itself.

The series originally began as two backdoor pilot episodes, Legend Part 1 (episode) and Legend Part 2 (episode), both of which aired as a part of NCIS Season 6.

The first NCIS spin-off was announced in 2008 and was introduced via two-part back-door pilot episodes in season six of NCIS. Louise Lombard, who played Lara Macy in the pilot episodes, was not included in the main series. Cast members from the original NCIS made appearances on the series with Rocky Carroll recurring in the first three seasons, and making an appearance in season six. Cast members from non-NCIS shows had also made appearances, specifically in a crossover event with Hawaii Five-0.

NCIS: Los Angeles received generally mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, but became a solid ratings hit for CBS at the time of its premiere. The series received six Teen Choice Awards for Choice Action Show, Choice TV Actress Action for Hunt, and Choice TV Actor Action for LL Cool J.

Production

In November 2008, it was reported that a first NCIS spin-off series set in Los Angeles would be introduced with a two-part backdoor pilot during the sixth season of NCIS. Special Agent G. Callen was initially a CIA operative created by Shane Brennan for a series that was never produced. After taking over show runner duties previously held by Donald P. Belisario on NCIS, he used the potential of a spin-off to bring his story to fruition.

Brennan intended for the series to hold a Miami Vice-esque vibe through its two co-leads, Callen and Agent Sam Hanna. However, the character of Lara Macy was written to serve as a parallel for Gibbs, the lead of the original NCIS team. Macy was portrayed by Louise Lombard in the backdoor pilot, but she was not featured in the actual spin-off, and Brennan was able to produce the show as he originally envisioned it.

The show was known as “NCIS: Legend”, while in production (referring to the episodes of NCIS in which the spin-off was introduced), and other names considered included OSP: Office of Special Projects, NCIS: OSP and NCIS: Undercover. Filming started in February 2009, with the characters being introduced in the two-part NCISepisode titled "Legend", the first part of which aired on April 28, 2009.This episode served as a backdoor pilot for the series, in a manner similar to the way NCIS was introduced by way of a two-part episode of JAG.

In May 2009, CBS picked up the series. On January 20, 2023, it was announced that the series would end after the fourteenth season, with the series finale airing on May 21, 2023.

On September 22, 2009, the first ever NCIS: Los Angeles solo episode, "Identity" premiered directly after NCIS. The show's title was the subject of much speculation, as the so-called back-door pilot episodes did not reveal it with the titles hypothesized by fans were NCIS: OSP, OSP, NCIS: Los Angeles, and NCIS: LA. The title was officially announced in a press release along with the scheduling of the series.

On April 30 and May 1, 2012, NCIS: Los Angeles had a crossover episode with fellow CBS drama series, Hawaii Five-0 in the episodes titled, Pa Make Loa (episode) and Touch of Death (episode) which centered around the Hawaii Five-0 Task and OSP teams working together to stop a potential outbreak of smallpox. Both episodes aired as a part of Hawaii Five-0 Season 2 and also NCIS: Los Angeles Season 3 and are also available on the respective series's DVD.

In Summer 2014, it was revealed that NCIS: Los Angeles had been moved from its original slot of Tuesdays at 9pm to Mondays at 10pm with the third NCIS spin-off series, NCIS: New Orleans getting NCIS: Los Angeles's former timeslot instead which ultimately meant that NCIS: Los Angeles aired a day before NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans.

On March 19, 2013, NCIS: Los Angeles intended to introduce a spin-off series titled "NCIS: RED" but CBS opted to pass on the series and as such, NCIS: RED remains the only series within the NCIS universe not to have gotten the green light for an official series.

On September 2021, NCIS: Hawaii aired for the first time and as such, NCIS: Los Angeles aired a day before both NCIS and NCIS: Hawaii.

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 13 began airing on October 10, 2021, and concluded on May 22, 2022 with NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14's premiere episode aired on Sunday October 9, 2022, at the new time of 10pm.

On January 20, 2023, it was announced that NCIS: Los Angeles would end with its fourteenth season with the series finale airing on May 14, 2023.

Premise

NCIS: Los Angeles follows Special Agents Sam Hanna and G. Callen, undercover agents assigned to the Office of Special Projects, a special branch of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that specializes in undercover assignments. Sam is an ex-US Navy SEAL and former member of SEAL Team Six and dedicated family man. Callen is a former foster child who became a "legend" under the watchful eye of Operations Manager Henrietta "Hetty" Lange.

At the start of the series, Sam, Callen, and Hetty are supported by Special Agent Kensi Blye, a hand-to-hand combat specialist, trained sniper and forensic whiz, rookie agent Dominic Vail, Operational Psychologist Nate Getz and Technical Operator Eric Beale. Vail is abducted by terrorists halfway through season 1 and, following a period of being held hostage, is killed during his rescue mission near the end of the season. Getz, meanwhile, enters training to become an agent in the back-half of the season, and is reassigned during season 2, returning for occasional guest appearances afterwards.

In season 2, LAPD Detective Marty Deeks, after helping on several cases late in the prior season, joins the OSP team as a liaison between LAPD and NCIS, replacing Vail as Kensi's partner. He holds this position until departmental reforms in season 12 end up terminating it, after which he completes FLETC training and officially joins NCIS as an Investigator. Over the course of the series, Deeks and Kensi slowly evolve from partners to lovers, with the two marrying in season 10. The two then become foster parents to immigrant teenager Rosa in season 13 and are revealed to be expecting their own baby in the series finale. Also joining the team in season 2 is Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones, a brilliant agent whom Hetty hopes to have take her place eventually, and who forms a close relationship with Beale.

During season 3, Assistant Director Owen Granger, an old friend of Hetty's, is assigned to the team as oversight with her, and manages to develop a cordial relationship with the team despite a frosty start. In season 8, Granger falls ill with cancer, coinciding with Ferrer's real-life battle with the disease; following Ferrer's death, Granger is written to have fled the hospital while in recovery from a failed assassination attempt, and is later confirmed to have died from his illness during the following season. In season 9, Executive Assistant Director Pacific Shay Mosley is assigned to the OSP after Hetty leaves on a personal mission to free an old colleague in Vietnam; the team later rescues her when the mission goes wrong. Mosley, meanwhile, sends the team on an unsanctioned mission to Mexico to rescue her son from her criminal ex-husband at the end of the season; while successful in its goals, the mission results in the death of Mosley's trusted assistant, the wounding of most of the rest of team, and the OSP being put under the microscope during the beginning of season 10; Mosley later accepts full responsibility, resigns and goes into hiding with her son to escape a cartel allied with her ex (whom she had killed during the mission).

During seasons 11 and 12, rookie agents Fatima Nazami and Devin Rountree are recruited to the OSP, while Beale and Jones depart for the private sector at the end of the latter season. With Hetty leaving to do damage control from a prior mission, Admiral Hollace Kilbride, who has assisted the OSP in multiple cases, is assigned in her place as Director of Special Operations in season 13. The series ends with Callen marrying long-time love Anna Kolcheck, and him and Sam taking a "side project" mission to find and rescue Hetty with a new team, which includes old teammates Nate and Nell.

Characters

Protagonists

Name	Portrayed by	Occupation
G. Callen (2009—23)	Chris O'Donnell	NCIS Special Agent assigned to the Office of Special Projects located in Los Angeles and who is also the lead agent in charge of the OSP field team. Callen grew up in the foster care system and as such, lived in many foster homes and has no idea what the "G" in his name stands for. He specializes in undercover work.
Kensi Blye (2009—23)	Daniela Ruah	NCIS Special Agent assigned to the Office of Special Projects located in Los Angeles and the Junior agent of the OSP team. After being partnered with NCIS Special Agent Dominic Vail who was killed in the line of duty, Kensi was partnered with LAPD/NCIS Liaison Officer, Detective Marty Deeks with whom she is married to as well. In addition to being trained in forensics, she lives for the thrill of going undercover and is often the sniper of the team.
Sam Hanna (2009—23)	LL Cool J	NCIS Special Agent assigned to the Office of Special Projects located in Los Angeles and a former Navy SEAL who is fluent in Arabic and is Callen's partner. He is the Senior agent of the team. Hanna was also married, he has a son and a daughter.
Eric Beale (2009—21)	Barrett Foa	Tech Operator assigned to the Office of Special Projects located in Los Angeles. He is also the boyfriend of Nell Jones. Beale enjoys surfing and wears corrective eyewear. He is also German-American and specializes in accessing everything and anything technology related such as traffic cameras or databases that the team need in regard to a case.
Nate Getz (2009—2017)	Peter Cambor	Operational Psychologist originally assigned to the Office of Special Projects located in Los Angeles. Is tasked with making sure that the field agents are suitable for undercover work and that their mental health is good. He is currently on assignment in the Middle East but occasionally returns to Los Angeles to assist his OSP colleagues.
Henrietta Lange (2009—23)	Linda Hunt	Operations Manager of the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. The character made her first appearance in the series premiere on 22 September 2009. Despite her small size, Hetty is very intimidating and does not hesitate to use the resources to ensure the safety of her Agents. She replaced Lara Macy following an assassination attempt on G. Callen and has remained in the position of Operations Manager to this day.
Marty Deeks (2010—23)	Eric Christian Olsen	A Detective with the Los Angeles Police Department who currently serves as the LAPD liaison to NCIS and who is assigned to the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. He became Kensi Blye's second partner after his predecessor, NCIS Special Agent Dominic Vail was killed in the line of duty. He and Kensi develop a romantic relationship and later get married. The character made his first appearance in the nineteenth episode of the first season on 6 April 2010. A Los Angeles Police Department detective, Deeks like Eric Beale enjoys surfing. Deeks has a bomb-sniffing dog named "Monty".
Nell Jones (2010—21)	Renée Felice Smith	Intelligence Analyst with NCIS who is assigned to the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. She works with Eric Beale who disliked her at first but there are hints suggesting the two might have fallen for each other. She has expressed an interest in presumably becoming a field agent and as such, has gone out into the field on many occasions. She is also Eric Beale's girlfriend. The character made her first appearance in the fourth episode of the second season on 5 October 2010.
Shay Mosley (2017—18)	Nia Long	NCIS Executive Assistant Director for Pacific Operations; in this capacity, she is charged with overseeing the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles. She was involved in a romantic relationship with arms dealer, Spencer Williams and had a son together until he was kidnapped. Mosley orchestrated a dangerous off the books mission to Mexico to save he son that resulted in the team being severely wounded and facing serious repercussions. She later goes into hiding from the Mexican cartels when they place a bounty on her and son's heads. She is the successor to the late Owen Granger.
Fatima Namazi (2019–23)	Medalion Rahimi	Fatima Namazi is a NCIS Special Agent.
Devin Rountree (2020–23)	Caleb Castille	Devin Roundtree is a NCIS Special Agent. Prior to joining NCIS, Rountree worked as a Special Agent for the FBI.
Hollace Kilbride (2014–23)	Gerald McRaney	Retired Admiral.
Lara Macy (2009)	Louise Lombard	Former Special Agent in charge, NCIS: OSP the time of events chronicled in the two episodes entitled Legend Part One and Legend Part Two respectively. Following an attack on G. Callen, Macy was subsequently reassigned to a posting overseas in France. Unfortunately, while back in the U.S, she was murdered by a member of the Reynosa Cartel with her body being set alight and left in a fire pit with her death being the main focus of the last two or three episodes of NCIS Season 7. Both the NCIS Major Case Response Team and Office of Special Projects were left devastated by her death.
Dominic Vail (2009–10)	Adam Jamal Craig	Special Agent assigned to OSP Los Angeles, the character made his first appearance in the series premiere on 22 September 2009, but in the episode "Missing" he was kidnapped, and then reported missing. No one had seen him until "Found" when it was revealed that he was still alive and held hostage by terrorists. The special agents were able to successfully find him only to be caught in a gunfight with terrorists. Dom died during the escape attempt when he jumped in front of Sam to save him from the shooter with his death leaving the OSP team completely devastated. Dom's role as being Kensi Blye's partner was eventually taken over by LAPD Detective Marty Deeks while his position of being the newbie or the Probie of the team presumably remains vacant to this day.
Owen Granger (2011–17)	Miguel Ferrer	Assistant Director of NCIS assigned to the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles, Presumed dead after being diagnosed with terminal cancer resulting from his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Following his collapse while working he was transported to the hospital. Rather than remain hospitalized Granger against medical advice discharged himself leaving a note for Henrietta.

Shading indicates that the character is deceased.

Seasons

NCIS: Los Angeles Seasons
Season	Episodes	Originally Aired
Season	Episodes	First Aired	Last Aired
1	24	September 22, 2009	May 25, 2010
2	23	September 21, 2010	May 17, 2011
3	23	September 20, 2011	May 15, 2012
4	24	September 25, 2012	May 14, 2013
5	24	September 24, 2013	May 13, 2014
6	24	September 29, 2014	May 18, 2015
7	24	September 21, 2015	May 2, 2016
8	23	September 25, 2016	May 14, 2017
9	23	October 1, 2017	May 20, 2018
10	24	September 30, 2018	May 19, 2019
11	22	September 29, 2019	April 26, 2020
12	17	November 8, 2020	May 23, 2021
13	20	October 10, 2021	May 22, 2022
14	21 + 1	October 9, 2022	May 21, 2023