Entertainment NOW

2 • May 14 - 20, 2023 Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media I f TV series were human, very few of them would make it be- yond kindergarten, let alone into their double-digit years. One CBS series, however, bids farewell to viewers far beyond its original life expectancy. Now a would-be ninth grader, "NCIS: Los Angeles" inevitably draws the curtain on 14 years of crime reso- lution, military-grade technology, covert operations and romantic undertakings in the sunshine of the Golden State. The two-part se- ries finale begins Sunday, May 14, on CBS. "NCIS: Los Angeles" was the very first spinoff of CBS's "NCIS," which was, in itself, an early- 2000s spinoff of the '90s series "JAG." With "Los Angeles" first introduced to viewers in 2009, the location-specific NCIS franchise offshoots began popping up left, right and center, next with "NCIS: New Orleans" in 2014, then with "NCIS: Hawai'i" in 2021. "New Orleans" subsequently left the air after seven seasons in May 2021, while this season marks the end of an era for "Los Angeles," making "Hawai'i" the last spinoff standing. The series, which counts Chris O'Donnell ("Vertical Limit," 2000), LL Cool J ("Deep Blue Sea," 1999), Eric Christian Olsen ("Fired Up!," 2009) and Daniela Ruah ("A Espia") among its core cast, has seen many changes during its run on the Viacom-owned network. One of the most heartbreaking was the loss of the team's big- heart, short-statured leader, Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt, "Solo: A Star Wars Story," 2018). Needless to say, as the show comes to a close May 14 and 21, longtime fans are hoping for some answers, if not one final appearance. For those who have not yet seen the show (you now have 321 episodes to catch up on prior to the two-part finale), the premise is as follows: a special agency called the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a.k.a. NCIS, handles cases that involve serious crimes involving military person- nel. From kidnappings, grand theft and disappearances to murder and other serious violent crimes, leading agents G. Callen (O'Donnell) and Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) are on the case. In each episode, they team up with their cohorts — this includes the IT team, their international connec- tions and even occasionally the local police — to solve the crime at hand and restore peace and safety to the Los Angeles area and their military family at large. As one would imagine, after more than 300 episodes and 14 years, so many stories have been told; some completely fictional, others fictional but rooted in true crime. Headed toward the end of the series, however, devoted fans are most interested in the two-part finale, called "New Be- ginnings." According to CBS's April 19 news release, Part 1 of the finale follows the agents as they help the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a.k.a. ATF, when one of their team goes missing along with some "mili- tary-grade weapons." On a more personal note, "Callen and Anna (Bar Paly, "Pain & Gain," 2013) continue to plan their wedding, Roundtree's (Caleb Castille, "Wu- Tang: An American Saga") sister interviews for medical school and Sam encourages his father to take part in the drug trial." In Part 2, airing Sunday, May 21, in an earlier-than-usual time-slot (keep an eye on your local listings), CBS reports "[T] he NCIS team continues the case with ATF and the stolen military- grade weapons. Also, Callen and Anna decide on an impromptu wedding." The final episode will be followed by an "Entertain- ment Tonight" retrospective special (also available to stream on Paramount+) featuring cast interviews, exclusive footage and behind-the-scenes moments. The decision to cancel the show before the 15th season may come as a surprise to some, while oth- ers, such as CBS's finance depart- ment, may have seen this move coming for quite some time. It's no surprise that the cost to produce a star-studded, high- octane, major-network series is astronomical to begin with, but with each season – as with each yearly review in the world of the average office job – infla- tion, seniority and other factors contribute to higher outgoing costs for the company (which is, in this case, ViacomCBS). Filming in Los Angeles carries its own hefty price tag, but when paired with declining ratings in the age of streaming and the rising salaries of its leading stars, which could reach several million per episode, "NCIS: Los Angeles" has simply gotten too expensive to continue producing. That said, fans can rest assured that the show's writers and pro- ducers, having foreseen this out- come, have no intention to leave any loose ends following the final episode. "Wrapping up a series is always bittersweet," show- runner/executive producer R. Scott Gemmill said. "We were blessed to have 14 seasons together, so bringing it to a sat- isfying end was extremely chal- lenging after so many years. Fortunately, CBS was gracious enough to give us an extra episode in order to send off our characters in a way befitting their stories that hopefully the fans find both satisfying and hopeful." Don't miss the two-part finale of "NCIS: Los Angeles" airing Sunday, May 14, and early Sunday, May 21, on CBS. Cover Story Chris O'Donnell as seen in "NCIS: Los Angeles" Over and out: 'NCIS' leaves City of Angels on CBS Farmers Insurance 2 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12.

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