NCIS: Los Angeles: Who will take over whenever Hetty retires?

"Let Fate Decide" -- Pictured: Linda Hunt (Henrietta "Hetty" Lange). Callen and Sam work with Navy Capt. Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott) to apprehend spies aboard the USS Allegiance. Also, Hetty partners with Marine Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie to neutralize a missile attack in the Middle East, and Kensi and Deeks are trapped in a mobile CIA unit in Iraq while under attack by ISIS, on the 11th season premiere of NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Sept. 29 (9:30-10:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Erik Voake/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
"Let Fate Decide" -- Pictured: Linda Hunt (Henrietta "Hetty" Lange). Callen and Sam work with Navy Capt. Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott) to apprehend spies aboard the USS Allegiance. Also, Hetty partners with Marine Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie to neutralize a missile attack in the Middle East, and Kensi and Deeks are trapped in a mobile CIA unit in Iraq while under attack by ISIS, on the 11th season premiere of NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Sept. 29 (9:30-10:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Erik Voake/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Hetty has taken a step back on NCIS: LA over recent years. During the Season 11 winter finale, there were talks of her retirement. Who will take over after?

Over recent years on NCIS: LA, Hetty has taken a step back. However, she’s still an important part of the show, with the 250th episode focused on her past. Yet, the Season 11 winter finale made it clear that eventually she’ll retire and there were talks of who would take over.

Retirement will be a natural career progression for the character. As much as we love Hetty on the series, it’s understandable that the character (if this was real) would want to retire from the job eventually. And the TV show needs to be somewhat realistic in that. However, there needs to be someone to take over her role who we love and respect already.

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Callen and Sam seem to be the best choices out of the two. It’s not surprising that they were the ones to talk about it what comes next. Sam suggests that Callen be the one to take over Hetty’s position, allowing Sam the chance to mentor youths and create a stronger, better team.

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Callen believes that he’s not the right man. Everything that he would bring would be an accumulation of Hetty’s teachings. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hetty is a great teacher, but Callen isn’t her. He has his own mind and is able to develop her teachings to create something else, another type of team. With Sam by his side to mentor youths, they could level each other out and bring an excellent team.

So, in short, it should be Callen who takes over Hetty’s position, but that doesn’t mean he has to do it alone. NCIS: LA works with both Sam and Callen together, and that’s the way the leadership needs to continue whenever Hetty retires.

Who do you think should take over from Hetty? Would Callen make a great leader? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

NCIS: LA returns with all-new episodes on Jan. 5 at 9/8c on CBS.