'NCIS: LA' Season Finale: 'JAG' Fans Celebrate Catherine Bell's Return in War Crimes Case

​

Things are different for Bell in this episode, as she is back in uniform as Mac for the first time in 15 years. "Mac is back in uniform, as an NCIS special officer, to take on a very big case that the Navy is very interested in, involving a SEAL who may be having murder charges brought against him," Bell told TVLine before the episode aired. "It's about a 'SEAL gone rogue,' which is not good."

​

The case qualifies as "ripped from the headlines," since it was inspired by the case of Edward R. Gallagher, a Navy SEAL Special Warfare Operator who was charged with war crimes. Although he was acquitted of some charges, he was convicted of bringing disorder or discredit to the armed forces. However, Bell said showrunner E. Scott Gemmill "purposely said we're not unpacking that case, because this is a different situation, but this situation is definitely bad news. So the guys go over [to Afghanistan] to check it out and it gets a little intense for all of us."

​

NCIS: LA is ending its 11th season with 22 episodes, two shy of the show's usual number. Production was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and CBS ultimately decided not to resume production. The show has not been officially renewed, although the show's success with the ratings make it seem likely. While the show's season ran a bit short, LL Cool J was still proud of how things turned out.

​

"It always feels like mission accomplished. We always try to put our best foot forward to bring the stories to life in a way that's going to be exciting for people and interesting for the fans of the show. And it's good, it's a great feeling," LL Cool J told Forbes. "You have another season under the belt, and that's always a good thing and we'll see what happens after that. You never know what's gonna happen [but] it's always great to complete the task."

​

​