NCIS: Los Angeles season 9: Prepare for big Linda Hunt story

Are you eagerly awaiting a big Linda Hunt story on NCIS: Los Angeles? If so, CarterMatt comes bearing good news!

While you may be waiting until March to see the resolution of the current Hetty arc with an episode entitled “Goodbye Vietnam,” the January 14 episode could offer up the most development in Hetty’s storyline since it first began. As you know she’s been separate from the team since the premiere, much to the chagrin of many fans out there. Personally, it feels like she’s been gone for too long and this could’ve been addressed during the 200th episode … but we’ll be patient (for now) and see how this all wraps up.

You can see a new photo featuring Hunt from the January 14 episode below (via TVLine), one that shows that Hetty is long overdue for a good old-fashioned rescue! Luckily, this episode will feature Sam, Callen, Kensi, and Deeks receiving some of the biggest clues they’ve had to date in regards to her whereabouts. They will travel to Vietnam in this episode in hopes of bringing Hetty back. Carl Lumbly and John M. Jackson will also be reprising their roles as Charles Langston and Chegwidden in the episode. (In between NCIS: Los Angeles and Supergirl, Lumbly’s a rather busy guy these days!) Both Langston and Chegwidden have a clear history with Hetty that will be worth unpacking further.

Will Hetty ever be the same after this? While you can argue that she’s been through so much already that being held prisoner in Vietnam shouldn’t shake her, but she’s still human and everyone has a breaking point. Hetty still bleeds and feels and hurts like anyone else and seeing how she comes to grips with this trauma should enable Hunt to have some of her best performances on the show to date. We’ll always be a proponent for giving cast members meaty material, especially to mix up the monotony that can happen being a star on a long-running police procedural. A series like NCIS: Los Angeles can often feel as though you are taken on the same case about a dozen times a year, but this is not some ordinary case.

Are you ready to see a big Linda Hunt story?

What are you angling to see from Hetty coming up? Share now in some of the attached comments!

Remember also that the NCIS: Los Angeles fall finale (and Christmas episode) is airing on CBS Sunday night. You can check out a sneak peek over here, and also like CarterMatt on Facebook to ensure that you never miss an update. (Photo: CBS.)