'NCIS: LA' Preview: This Case Is Personal for Sam

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LL Cool J's character's ("Sam Hanna") job on NCIS: Los Angeles is to inspect crimes, but he feels obligated to exceed the confines of his job when he learns of a crime involving a relative of a dear friend. Here's a sneak peek at the drama-filled episode.

"Sam has a friend who gave him what's known as Lokhay, which is when a village elder in Afghanistan takes someone into their village and protects them and accepts them as family no matter what goes on," Cool J teased of the episode during ET's set visit.


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"Subsequently, some people from that village come to the States and some things happen and it gets pretty crazy."

Although Sam feels a strong urge to provide assistance, he still has to work, which causes conflict when he attempts to use his work resources to help out with his personal case, which would usually be handled by local police.

His conflict between his work and personal life isn't eased by his emotional tendencies.


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"Sam is...a little sensitive," Cool J assessed. "When he commits to things, he goes hard. ...Sometimes people don't think clearly when their emotions are heavily involved, and I think Sam has that issue."

This isn't the first occasion that Sam's passion has interfered with his work. Back in NCIS: LA's second season, his compassion for a Navy Commander whose daughter was kidnapped led him to exceed his duties.

Watch the preview above, and check out the full episode of NCIS: Los Angeles tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS.