NCIS: New York Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Pilot

The NCIS universe expands with a new team in the city that never sleeps.

LL Cool J’s return as Special Agent Sam Hanna delivers a compelling character-driven story and proves why Hanna will remain integral to the franchise. The series has plenty of room to grow in team dynamics and character development, but overall the pilot establishes a strong presence within the franchise.

NCIS: New York Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” opens with Special Agent Sam Hanna discovering the death of his friend and Navy reservist, Jack Holloway, which leads him back to his hometown of New York City to investigate. The episode captures the franchise’s investigative structure while adding nuance to Hanna’s character as he grapples with Holloway’s death.

The pilot instantly makes Sam Hanna the driving force of the series.

Hanna’s instinctive hand-to-hand combat skills and Navy SEAL training are immediately put to use during the action-packed hallway fight sequence in Dubai. Even though Hanna’s muscular physique may intimidate new characters, what matters is his characterization: his gentle side and how much his family and friends mean to him.

The heartfelt scene of Hanna presenting the folded U.S. flag to Holloway’s widow is a gratifying moment of closure. The investigation concludes in the best way possible, honoring Holloway’s life and representing who he was and how he will be remembered. Hanna was going to bring his friend to justice no matter the circumstances, especially after missing what would’ve been his last phone call from Holloway. 

Throughout the episode, Hanna unfailingly dispels the notions that Holloway committed suicide or that his widow was the suspect. So it is only fitting that Hanna pays one final visit to his widow to show his willingness to defend his people and honor Holloway’s name. Hanna makes note of how Holloway rightfully earned his position as a Navy reservist and reinforces to the entire team that he didn’t deserve to die.

On a much lighter note, the pilot introduces a friendly dynamic between Special Agent Wyatt Sellers and Special Agent Addy Ross that could develop into a romance. NCIS has a long history of epic romances, and NCIS: New York will not shy away from it. For a long-lasting, successful romance, the characters must first grab our attention as individuals, which won’t take long for Sellers and Ross since most of their scenes are together.

The pawn shop and park scenes soft-launch subtle tension between Ross and Sellers. The pair has great chemistry; you can sense how comfortable Ross is teasing Sellers about the ring size and his failed engagement.

We get some backstory: Sellers is a transplant from Alaska, and Ross has some unresolved daddy issues. The scene where Ross and Sellers talk about their fathers shows a different side of Ross as she slowly lowers her walls.

For a brief moment, we see a new serious side of Ross, but it’s overshadowed by the murder investigation. Sellers’s reaction to Ross’s statement makes us understand her character and her general reluctance to discuss her feelings and personal life. Hopefully, the series can flesh out these other characters more and their backstories so they can hold their own against the leads.

Their dynamic shows a clear dichotomy in their lifestyles, and in future interactions, the pair could build a strong bond and maybe even learn a thing or two from each other despite their differences. There’s potential for a relationship between the two, but time will tell whether they can capture our hearts and stand alongside the other NCIS verse couples. 

The NCIS universe is known for creating iconic duos, so it was only a matter of time before the newest spin-off would introduce its own. The episode establishes a strong partnership between Hanna and Schaeffer with various avenues for potential dynamics with the rest of the team. After watching the pilot, Hanna and Schaeffer might become one of those iconic duos, given how great their chemistry is.

The scene beneath the bridge between Hanna and Schaeffer marks a new beginning and shows how the characters will bring out the best in each other. The pilot reveals Hanna’s reluctance to be assigned to a new office, but his special bond with Schaeffer shows that their shared New York City origins won’t be the only thing that brings them together as a powerful team.

Nick Schaeffer says it best: New York needs Sam Hanna, giving Hanna a deeper motivation to return to his city and be the one to bring people to justice. Schaeffer and Hanna have some similarities in how they approach the job and want to work with the best of the best.

In the car scene, Schaeffer gives his condolences to Hanna for his deceased wife, a lovely nod to NCIS: LA to further the connection between the shows within the franchise and form an exceptional rapport between Schaeffer and Hanna. Even if Schaeffer may not show it, he respects Hanna and has taken the time to learn about his partner, which will be essential to building a friendship in this new partnership.

While there’s room for growth in this new team and city, the show has the potential to be great and acts as a wonderful standalone series. It’s exciting to think about what’s to come for this new NYC team. This series has already made a seamless transition to Sam Hanna’s New York roots and made room to dig deeper into his past New York City life.

Stray Thoughts

• Sullivan reminds viewers of Wade from Kim Possible only because he’s the designated computer guy and isn’t really in the action. He has some funny moments, including making fun of the suspect for having three parking tickets.
• Hearing “Empire State of Mind” was inevitable. The ending shot of the NYC landscape, with the song playing, was beautifully done.
• We got a small crossover between NCIS and NCIS: New York; hopefully we’ll see some more characters from the franchise appear on the show.
• The catfish interrogation scene with Schaffer was a funny exchange.

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NCIS: New York airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount+.

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