‘NCIS: LA’: Renée Felice Smith on Nell’s ‘Big Decision’ and Filling in for Hetty
Preview
Might there be a change coming for the Office of Special Projects after the NCIS: Los Angeles Season 11 finale? The preview certainly makes it look that way … but promos can be deceiving.
“Nell has a very big decision to make,” Renée Felice Smith tells TV Insider of her character, who has been acting as interim operations manager while Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt) has been off … somewhere doing … something. “Now she’s really questioning what she wants in her life.”
Retired Navy Admiral Hollace Kilbride (Gerald McRaney) tells her she needs to “sign or resign” in the promo for the May 23 finale, while the logline teases that Eric Beale (Barrett Foa) has “an interesting offer” for her. What will she choose? She did try to quit in Season 11, at which point Hetty told her to take time and figure out what she wants. And while she was reluctantly pulled in to fill in for her boss this season, she has thrived in the role. Might she be ready to make a bigger commitment to it by the end of the finale as a result?
“A lot like myself, I think Nell has real respect for Hetty and therefore never wants to disappoint her. I feel that she really needed to kind of look within and figure out what this leadership role was going to mean for her and she needed to unwrap it a bit and tailor it, for lack of a better word, to fit kind of the Nell way,” Smith says. “As far as Nell’s concerned, ‘Why are you drinking whiskey when at the end of the day, you enjoy gin? Why are you trying to fit in someone else’s shoes? Why not just wear your own shoes?'”
Having Nell face her own doubts reminded Smith of one of her favorite scenes, one her character shared with the agency’s former Assistant Director Owen Granger (Miguel Ferrer). “Granger says to Nell, ‘Never belittle yourself or your accomplishments. You deserve the respect you’ve gotten. You’ve earned it,'” she recalls. “It’s kind of hard for someone who is a perfectionist myself, and obviously we know Nell is an overachiever, to admit that they’ve [succeeded].”
Maybe it’s a good thing that the finale also features Hetty’s in-person return (after appearing on video a few times, due to the pandemic). She could have some insight to share that will help Nell make this decision.
CBS
“It was quite emotional to have Linda Hunt back on set again for our final day of the season, and that scene was shot on our final day of the season,” Smith says of the one glimpsed in the photos (like the one above). “We just had the best time filming it. Linda is a dear friend of mine, and anytime I can watch her work, it’s like a masterclass. I’m just a student and I bow down to the great Linda Hunt.”
Meanwhile, the Russians are popping up everywhere in Season 12. In the finale, for instance, the team investigates the shooting of a militarized dolphin equipped with a Russian microchip. It doesn’t sound like this is the end of it, either.
“The Russians obviously remain a threat. Callen [Chris O’Donnell] is obviously deeply involved in that threat,” Smith points out. “And looking back to the deep fake episode, we know that technology is now out there where people can impersonate others. The threat is very much still present. And I think you’ll continue to see more of that throughout the series.”
NCIS: Los Angeles, Season 12 Finale, Sunday, May 23, 9/8c, CBS
Conversation11 Comments
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S
Why not Nell? She’s proven to the team and some what to herself that she can do the job. It’s just, does she want it for good. Yes, we’ve missed Hetty! But why can’t Hetty still be her mentor at times, where she can give her experience on matters, especially since the Russians are back heavily in the picture now and Callen is going to need Hetty as well.
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G
On the mother ship NCIS when Abby left she was replaced by Kasie. Kasie at the time of her becoming the forensics tech was a grad student who was taking dictation as Ducky was dictating his book.
Kasie grew into her job.
Why can't Nell?
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G
Though I hate to see Hetty leave.
Even fully vaccinated the pandemic is still a major disruption in our lives.
Rather have Linda safe than Hetty return.
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J
Yeah, that deal with Kasie was just bizarre. A federal agency isn't going to take an inexperienced outsider and put her in charge of anything, much less a lab that does such crucial work.
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D
Well the issue is whether Hetty is really back or not or what her situation is going to ultimately be because if Hetty really is back full time then the Nell question becomes moot at least for now.Personally I think Nell could certainly be the person in charge but also that it needs to be as Nell not as a second Hetty.The character should be allowed to develop as Nell using what she has learned from Hetty to become her own version of a leader,a sort of mashup of the two which means shedding some of these Hetty like things and developing her own habits etc.
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R
I absolutely love this show and love each character as they are it would be sad to change any of the characters
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O
I agree! Why can't Nell? The pandemic her car accident and recovery Thank God she's still alive Linda Hunt is probably returning to say goodbye and turn the reins over to Nell Which Hetty has the right to do and retire
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G
No thanks. Nell is a very poor substitute for Heddy...she's totally unbelievable as "the boss".... Sorry!!!
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T
Yeah um. Hetty is the real leader of this team. Nell is just a poor copy of her best abilities.
This show is ruined without Hetty in charge.
Which is why Nell needs to decide to be with Eric at the end of this episode and Hetty needs to take her office back.
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T
And also, a 10 year techie with no leadership experience being in charge of a team of special agents, is completely laughable, even by whatever ridiculous standards this show has.
We need Hetty back in charge, otherwise. This show is ruined for good.
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R
You are so right about it all. It feels like Nell is playing dress-up. Where did the writers ever think that they could pull this off. Please please bring Hetty back, if not full time, most of the time for shorter scenes. Anything would be better than this.
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