Who Should Be the Next Hetty on ‘NCIS: LA’ — Callen or Nell? (POLL)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 11, Episode 9 of NCIS: Los Angeles, “Kill Beale Vol. 1.”]
Is NCIS: LA already planning to say goodbye to Hetty (Linda Hunt) (again)?
It seems that may be the case, though that time may still be years off. As the team learned what Eric (Barrett Foa) has been up to in his time away in San Francisco, ostensibly consulting for a security tech company, the person everyone expected to become the next Hetty makes it clear she may no longer be interested in the job.
Over the years, everyone has pretty much expected Nell (Renée Felice Smith) to step into Hetty’s shoes when the time comes; she’s even pretended to be her in the past. But after Hetty does what she always does during cases after Eric is kidnapped — share what she feels the team needs to know, nothing more, as she did when she kept Kensi (Daniela Ruah) and Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) in the dark about protecting Jack until they came face-to-face with him in Season 7 — Nell calls her out on it.
While Hetty feels that Eric can handle whatever happens as a result of the case, Nell isn’t so sure and refuses to bury her concerns. She even notes that Hetty continues to call him “Mr. Beale” and reminds him “his name is Eric.” “In this job —” Hetty begins, but Nell cuts her off. “I don’t care about the job. Analyzing intelligence, manipulating data, that’s one thing. But manipulating people as if they’re mere assets? No. I will never be good at that,” she says. “And I realize this now. Hetty, I can’t be you. And honestly, I don’t think I want to be.”
And with that, Hetty must look elsewhere for someone to take over for her (eventually). Could Callen (Chris O’Donnell) be that person? “It was a tough call,” he allows when she asks if she made a mistake with Eric. He’s not sure if he would’ve made the same decision, and she wonders if it should be his call. “I don’t want your job,” he tells her, and that’s something everyone — Callen, Nell, even Hetty — can agree on.
(Bill Inoshita/CBS)
“But somebody’s got to do it,” Hetty points out, asking him to “think about it” because she won’t be there forever.
Over the years, other characters have come in and been in charge of the team, and for the most part, that hasn’t worked out, even if everyone warms up to one another in the end. (See: Mosley, Rogers, Lauren Hunter) They can’t all be Hettys or Grangers, in one leadership position or another.
But promoting within, having someone in charge who knows how this team operates, knows its inner-workings, does seem to be the best move. The only problem is that it’s a job no one wants and a job that usually puts the person at odds with the others. We see that in cases like this one, as the others can worry about Eric’s well-being whereas Hetty has to look at the bigger picture.
Right now, it seems that Hetty, more than ever, is planning for a time when she needs someone to take over for her permanently. Does that necessarily mean that she’s going to leave (again)? No. But perhaps recent events have made her take stock of her life and the job and plan accordingly.
Now that it looks like Nell won’t be taking over as everyone expected, Callen may be a possibility. Should it be one of them who becomes the new Hetty? Should it be someone else from the team? Or should it be someone new? Vote in the poll below.
NCIS: Los Angeles, Sundays, 9/8c, CBS
Conversation17 Comments
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If Hetty leaves...the show would not be the same. So if Hetty goes, so will I.
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Relax, a new interview today with ECO on CarterMatt basically confirmed she's staying.
(and yes, the show WOULD NOT be the same without her)
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If the character of Hetty does ever retire completely then Hillbride would be the best one to come in and take over. But hopefully for the sake of family, Hetty will always be there.
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I see this as another possibility, sadly, it's the beginning of the end of the show. That was my takeaway from the episode. For me, if Hetty leaves, most likely, I will stop watching the show.
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Was Linda Hunt more seriously injured in the auto accident than we were lead to believe?
Hetty was gone for most of last season and missing in action for some episodes this season.
That said Callen is NOT the person to replace Hetty. He wants to be in on the action and can't sit on the sidelines.
Look what they did with Pride on NCIS New Orleans. They tried to give him a desk job but right at the beginning he found an excuse to get back to NCIS headquarters and somehow take over most cases. Can't have someone else run my team.
Callen will be the same way. Both he and Pride have a fear of missing out (FOMO) problem.
Nell is the better choice of the two.
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Wish I could answer your top question, but since no one is talking about it, I can't.
And NEITHER Callen or Nell is fit to take over, why? She's not leaving!
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I think so. They even mentioned how in "Mother" there were many scenes and they were taxing on her. I don't think it soon. I also feel this a way to transition the audience to accepting a new person in the office.
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Odds, are: You'll all be wrong!
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What a bunch of baloney. are people HONESTLY believing that it's REALLY gonna happen now?? that rumor needs to PERMANTELY die!! just wondering how long it'll be until it gets revealed that, OH, SHOCKER, she's not leaving!
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Wow, you must have a lot of anger inside of you. These are theories, it’s normal for people to have those after a episode like yesterday’s. Like it was normal that people thought Deeks was going to die on season 10. Just relax, you always look angry whenever someone talks about Hetty. Here, on tumblr...jeez
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Whoa whoa whoa, I'm almost never mad when I talk about her on my blog! I'm just saying, this dumb 'rumor' keeps reappearing and reappearing, AND IT NEVER ENDS UP BEING TRUE! just think it's really dumb to bring it back and freak everyone out before the 250th! (and BTW, Deeks was never leaving. Plus everyone freaking out about Season 10 being the last was really stupid, cuz anyone who was checking it's ratings during that time knew almost instantly it was getting renewed!!) (and it'll get renewed for Season 12)
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good good. let that anger flow through you
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some people forget it's just a tv show I guess
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I never expected Nelle to take Hetty's place. She's not even a good agent, let alone a good assistant direcdtor. Look at the problem she had taking a life. You can't let that stuff bother you and take the position of Hetty Lang. I always thought it made sense for the lone wolf Callen with no connections to anyone to take her place.
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Being that Callen has been with Hetty since childhood I believe he has alot of her knowledge and ability to run it like she would. . So I say callen.
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Callen.
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Gerald McRaney has been a guest star he would be a great replacement
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