‘NCIS: Los Angeles’: Who Should Take Over When Hetty Retires?
As much as fans (and the team) may not want to admit it, the day will come when operations manager Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt) retires from the Office of Special Projects (OSP) on NCIS: Los Angeles.
But when that day comes, it’s unclear who will be taking over (because someone has to). Hetty does have her own ideas in mind — like Special Agent G. Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and intelligence analyst Nell Jones (Renée Felice Smith) — but so far, the current team members seem reluctant to do so.
“It could be somebody completely new that we haven’t seen before, but there are a bunch of different characters that have come through the show that could come in that they may not like, but that would make sense for the team,” executive producer Frank Military noted.
Scroll down to see who we think could take over for Hetty, ranked from least to most likely.
NCIS: Los Angeles, Season 12, Fall 2020, CBS
Sam Hanna (LL Cool J)
While Sam has made it clear that he doesn’t want the job and we can’t see him behind a desk — there’s a reason why we’re ranking him as a possibility as very unlikely — it is always possible that events lead to him stepping up. And with his years of experience, both as an agent and as a leader, he could certainly handle the requirements of the position.
Grisha Aleksandrovich Callen (Chris O'Donnell)
He’s one of Hetty’s choices, and his partner agrees. In fact, Callen taking over is part of Sam’s long-term plan for the team. They’ll train younger agents in the way they do things, and in Sam’s mind, that’ll help the office be “the best it’s ever been.” But it’s hard to imagine NCIS: LA not having those two be partners in the field, so it’s unlikely we’d see Callen in Hetty’s position before the series ends. (She has been grooming him for the position, after all, so we imagine that coming to fruition at some point.)
Nell Jones (Renée Felice Smith)
Everyone has been expecting the tech analyst to take over for Hetty, but in Season 11, Nell realized she didn’t even want to work at NCIS anymore, as an analyst or a field agent. Rather than accept her resignation, Hetty told her to use her vacation time to think about her future. That’s exactly what Nell is currently doing, and it’s very possible that when she returns, she’ll begin taking the steps to be Hetty’s eventual replacement. Plus, as much as we’d miss seeing her with Eric (Barrett Foa) in the Ops Center, we’d still get to see them around the office.
Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (Catherine Bell)
Bell has brought her JAG character over to the spinoff of her series’ spinoff (NCIS), and the Marine Lieutenant Colonel did take over Hetty’s office when she worked with the team in the Season 11 finale. Could that be foreshadowing what’s to come? Military did name her as a possibility, and it could be quite fitting to have someone the team knows and respects and who’s part of the franchise’s origins fill those big shoes. But Bell’s role on Hallmark’s Good Witch could be a factor.
Hollace Kilbride (Gerald McRaney)
The retired Navy Admiral has not only taken on a leadership role with the team before, he’s also worked with them in the field, which could come in handy in Hetty’s position. After all, he knows how the team operates, and like Mac, they respect him. (They haven’t always had that luck with people coming in and out of OSP.)
Someone new
This is probably the most likely option, as it’s how open spots generally tend to be filled on this show. (For example, Nia Long’s Executive Assistant Director Shay Mosley took over for Miguel Ferrer’s Assistant Director Owen Granger.)
Conversation73 Comments
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B
This has been my fav show for11 years. Sorry to to say, that with out Heddy you can close the doors. Heddy IS show.
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G
What kind of fans are you? Everyone knows it's Hetty, not Heddy. If you don't believe me try turning on your closed captioning.
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J
Or read the darn article. Her name is mentioned TEN TIMES.
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O
Amazing hot petty some readers are. Must have relly boring lives.
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G
No, it just shows some of us value truth and accuracy. Also some of us are more intelligent than others.
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P
shows just what a contarian you areIt
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J
Yes, "hot petty" some can be. Some of us have lives too busy to deal with people who don't spell names correctly... especially when those names are literally right in front of their eyes.
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G
Thank you! Real fans get it.
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G
I think Gerald McRainey would be perfect. I would like for Fallen to stay in the field for now because I like seeing him in action. Gerald is a great actor and would be a good boss because he respects the team and wouldn't want to change them
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J
Who's Fallen??
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G
Think she means Callen.
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G
He was very good in the episode where Hetty was in Washington. I worked on his last series "Major Dad" and he is very dedicated to his craft.
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P
I bet you were the #1 "gofer"....haha haha
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G
So true, Heddy makes the show.
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G
It's Hetty, not Heddy.
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O
My God.....will you stop with the spelling lesson? Such a bore.
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G
Real fans value accuracy.
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P
No....you re just a know it all that has to prove that you are always correct.
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B
AMEN!!
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G
No, I am a intelligent person who would rather be seen to be so. Unlike others who prove they are not with every post.
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B
I wish H E T T Y would stay but I wouldn’t mind Mac or Nell taking her place if I had to choose
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G
I agree, there is no show without my Lady Heddy, the show is number one with the entire crew, take that one person away, and there's no more NCIS.
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B
How about A.J. Chetwick to replace Heddy, if it can’t be Haddy, I would like him.
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G
It's HETTY.
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O
Henrietta Lang
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J
And it's CHEGWIDDEN. Again, the name is right above in the article.
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G
Thank you again!
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D
AJ is too old .. He's got good retirement benefits as a retired Admiral.. Good Wife would interfere with Catherine Bell... That show will like be renewed ( it's the top show on Hallmark) and is filmed outside Toronto..
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T
Same here. plus, this article means nothing. just one website offering it's opinion on something that would kill this show indefinitely.
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D
it's Good Witch.. not Wife though she is a wife on the show!!
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D
Bull was renewed so skip that...
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G
Think once Hetty gone time for Series Finale.
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G
You got G Callen name wrong
Shay Mosley shot her self in the head when she ran away with her rug rat she's a fugitive from the Mexican SHTF
LT COL Mackenzie was a Col at the end of JAG but she is military NCIS LA OSP is a civilian government agency outside the chain of command of the military she would have to resign her commission again to take the post
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G
Ziva
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I was thinking her or Tony if Bull is cancelled! Maybe both somehow!
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J
Oh please no. It would never happen, but adding her to this show would be a bad idea.
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S
I doubt any main character will be moved to a role that is often in the office or a lesser visible part of episodes so if someone like Callen gets the job the job will likely change.Nell is a possibility but in the real world that would never happen.I'm betting it's someone new.
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P
As for my fixation with accuracy how effective would the team be if Callen and the others were as inaccurate as you guys?
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P
As for my fixation with accuracy how effective would the team be if Callen and the others were as inaccurate as you guys are?
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P
As for my fixation with accuracy how effective would the team be if Callen and the other agents would be if they were as inaccurate as you guys are?
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Reply
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G
Lange
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G
Bored with your own posts? Or yourself?
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G
As much as I like Tuhon, he was a professional assassin and is a wanted man. The FBI, DOJ, SecNav and the White House all want him turned over to Equatorial New Guinea for prosecution i.e. a death sentence. Which is why Hetty did not want to know what he planned to do afterwards. Also a great set up for a future episode for that character.
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G
No I was a production secretary. And I think with 22 years in the entertainment industry I know quite a bit more than you do about what goes into make a TV show.
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G
Also have worked on Happy Days, Brothers, Still the Beaver, Knight Rider, Equalizer, and Murder She Wrote. I even have entries in IMDB. Do you?
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G
Contarian? Arelt? Perchance you need to use spell check more often. Or buy a dictionary/thesaraus.
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T
She said no last season.
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G
People have been known to change their minds.
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T
Agree. No one even knows yet of when production will start on Season 12. just 1 opinion article that'll mean squat for what really DOES happen.
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T
AGREE!! she's what Gibbs is to NCIS and what Pride is to NCIS New Orleans!
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T
I was gonna avoid this article because 1 website's opinion means squat on what will actually happen in the future, but seeing all these comments, well, figured I'd once again repeat myself.
Mac belongs in a JAG reboot.
Callen and Nell already said no and I highly doubt they will change their minds.
Do we really want to risk another Mosley incident with a new EAD?
Hetty is the real heart of the show (Frank Military said so days after the finale). This show would never have lasted this long if it wasn't for her. These last 2 seasons have proven what happens when the show's beating heart is sidelined, and it's ugly!!
If she goes, this show is dead. it'll be nothing. and no fan favorite ships will be able to save it.
#TeamHettyForever
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G
And arelt? What's that? Just goes to show some fans have very limited vocabularies. As for what I did, I was a TV production secretary for Producer-writer. In fact I was a production secretary for various shows for 10 years of a 22 year career in the entertainment industry. So I know quite a bit more than you do about television and all its aspects. Including but not limited to character development, casting and actors.
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G
Contrarian? Is that an actual word? And "hot petty"? Really? Relying on spell check too much?
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B
SUSIE Q.
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O
, Callen, Admiral A J Chedwigen Commander Harmon Rabb
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G
He's a CAPTAIN now not a Commander promoted at the end of JAG
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J
These "speculation" articles aren't really helpful or informative. IMO.
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P
Then STOP reading them.
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P
Bishop from the mothership NCIS should take charge. She is getting special training from Odette that is best suited for the mission of OSP instead of being an investigator for Gibbs.
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R
Either Nia Long's character or Gerald Mccraney's character should take over for Hetty.
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W
I vote for Mac to come back if a JAG reboot doesn't happen. If not as Hetty's successor, then in some role. Gerald McRaney's character would be a good choice as well.
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G
Some new person most likely. Kilbride would be my pick. But first get rid of the new agent!!! He's terrible.
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O
For be fantastic to have Mac. She is such a strong character
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G
She is military NCIS LA OSP is a civilian government agency outside the chain of command of the military she would have to resign her commission again
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G
I think TUHON would be a good fit for NCIS Los Angeles for h e t t y
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I think its a mistake for her to leave but i like Admiral Chegwidden taking over. Hes made multiple episodes and could provide a fun counterweight...and a Jag character to ncis
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G
I'm just glad tomorrow is Sunday. All NCIS: LA all day. Put your closed captioning on and you'll see how the characters names are spelled.
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P
You are such a contarian!
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Poor boring old woman will drive herself to drink trying to prove some minor point. What a bore.
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Nell, obviously. She was able to authoritatively rally the troops at the beginning of "Spoils of War," and she has been an effective agent in the field. Not to mention her ops skills and genius level IQ. The only thing that might be considered a negative is her relative youth. From wattysmom.
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(yawn)
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Catherine Bell
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