I apologize. February has always been a bad month for me and this was one of the worst. You just have to check out the previous blog entry to see why….
With the February inductions, we honor Black History Month… even now, with only the one day left to do so.
As for our honoree this month….
From Wikipedia:
Sam Hanna (portrayed by LL Cool J) is a fictional character in the show NCIS: Los Angeles. He is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and a Senior NCIS Special Agent. He first appeared in the NCIS season six episode "Legend (Part I)".
The son of Marine Colonel Raymond Hanna, Osama "Sam" Hanna attended a military school and excelled in football, playing wide receiver. Like the actor, Hanna is a native of New York City.
Outside his job, Hanna has a varied range of interests, including boxing, origami, acting, vinyl records, and antique cars. He also tends to follow the latest health food and fitness fads. He suffers from coulrophobia (fear of clowns) and has a fear of maggots.
Prior to joining NCIS, Hanna served in the U.S. Navy, from which he retired with the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8), although this contradicts his service record as shown in the episode "Betrayal" which states that he left as a Chief Petty officer (E-7). When in uniform in the 20th episode of season 4, he is seen wearing the rank of a Senior Chief. He was a member of the Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) (formerly "Team Six") based in Dam Neck in Virginia.
Despite his inability to swim when he first enlisted, he went on to have a distinguished career as a SEAL and various characters have referenced his "legendary" status within the SEAL community. Much of his career is vague due to the highly classified nature of most of his missions, although it has been mentioned that he served in Bosnia (Yugoslav Wars), Chad (Pan Sahel Initiative), Iraq and Afghanistan and was stationed at the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado at some point.
His area of expertise is the Middle East and he reads and speaks Arabic fluently and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Qur'an. He is also multilingual, having a working knowledge of Japanese, Persian, Danish, Hebrew, Korean, and Spanish. Due to his background in the SEALs, he is able to withstand torture due to SERE training required for all special forces operators and detach himself emotionally during investigations.
Hanna has a strong sense of duty and becomes particularly indignant when the criminal is from a military background. In the episode "Vengeance", he was forced to interrogate a group of SEALs about their involvement in the death of a Navy officer suspected of leaking classified information and was visibly affected, leading Hetty to observe that she felt like she was "making him interrogate his family".
In the two-part crossover episode with 'Hawaii Five-0' it is revealed that he is friends with head of the Five-0 Task Force and former SEAL Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, although the story of how they met has yet to be addressed.
O'BSERVATION: With the remake of 'Hawaii Five-0' cancelled, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it.
From NCIS Fandom Database:
Samuel "Sam" Hanna is an NCIS Senior Special Agent and former Navy SEAL. He’s also a member of the OSP in LA, which is Run by Operations Manager Hetty Lange. He is partnered to his good friend, Grisha “G.“ Callen.
He is the husband/widower of Michelle Hanna, and the father of Aiden Hanna and Kamran Hanna.
He was born in the 70s. As a child, he was sent to Military Academy by his father Colonel Hanna who served in the Marines. He disciplined Sam very hard and was disappointed when Sam joined the Navy instead of the Marines.
After finishing the Academy, Sam achieved his dream of becoming a SEAL and becoming a part of SEAL Team 6. During his time as a SEAL, Sam served in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Chad and Iraq. While on a mission in Bosnia, Sam along with another member of his unit, Bryan Dickerson were captured and tortured before being buried alive. [Dickerson, who had been shot, died of his wounds before the rest of the unit rescued them.]
Here are the shows which qualify Sam Hanna to be inducted into the TVXOHOF….
SAM HANNA
NCIS
[1] Gibbs and company start looking into the murder of a Marine. Gibbs and McGee go to Los Angeles for a joint gig with the NCIS Office of Special Projects in LA due to a suspected link. The investigation continues on both coasts.
[2] Gibbs and McGee continue with the OSP in LA. Rifkin shows up and interferes with the NCIS investigation. Two sleepers in a terrorist cell die, but OSP agents swarm a shop and grab others. Gibbs intercepts Rifkin and tells him to go home.
NCIS: LOS ANGELES
This year, the NCIS corner of the TV Universe had a three-way crossover in one night. These were the episodes in broadcast order:
Three - Three! - Shows In One!
NCIS
The entire NCISverse are in Washington D.C. to celebrate the retirement of their former professor. However, their worlds intertwine when the NCIS agents are forced to investigate the same professor's suicide.
NCIS: HAWAI’I
DEEP FAKE (2023)
In Washington D.C. to celebrate the retirement of a former professor. NCIS agents are forced to investigate the professor's suicide. Tennant, Jimmy Palmer and Sam Hanna are kidnapped, and it all ties into the mysterious suicide.
NCIS: LOS ANGELES
A LONG TIME COMING
In Washington D.C. to celebrate the retirement of a former professor. The NCIS agents are forced to investigate the professor's suicide. Each member learns a hitman is out to kill each and every one of them - with $200,000 bounties on them.
Sam Hanna is a multidimensional in the TV Universe. These are his appearances – so far – in other TV dimensions….
TOOBWORLD2 (Earth Prime-Time & Again)
HAWAII FIVE-0
O’BSERVATION:
From the NCIS Database Wiki: At some Point, Sam met and befriended fellow SEAL LCDR Steve McGarrett, who promised him a steak dinner. Sam is also a good friend of fellow SEAL Tom Olsen.
That fact applies only to the Sam Hanna in an alternate Toobworld. This would not hold true for the Sam Hanna of Earth Prime-Time as that Steve McGarrett was of an earlier generation.
THE TOONIVERSE
CASINO NORMALE
I have not seen this episode, but it sounds like this was a "Not Quite Zonk", in that NCIS: Los Angeles is a TV show and doesn't exist as "reality" in the Tooniverse. LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell provided the voices, so if they are ever considered for membership as themselves, this cameo would count.
This trivia note in the IMDb makes me question LL Cool J's listing as “Sam Hanna”:
REFERENCES
NCIS: Los Angeles (TV Series 2009–2023)
Roger mentions he got a role on the show.
O'BSERVATION:
All episode summaries are from the IMDb.
At any rate, Sam Hanna’s appearances on the three series anchored in the Main Toobworld guaranteed him a place in the Hall.
Welcome, Mr. Hanna. Thanks to that three-way crossover, you’ll be seeing more members of the various NCIS teams joining you one day.
