You know that feeling when a long-running show finally stops playing it safe? That was NCIS LA season 10. Honestly, by the time a procedural hits double digits, it usually starts feeling like a comfortable pair of old shoes—predictable and maybe a little worn out. But 2018-2019 was different for the OSP crew.
It started with a literal bang in Mexico and ended with a nostalgic gut-punch that brought the whole franchise full circle. If you were watching back then, you remember the stakes felt higher. Characters we'd lived with for a decade weren't just "in peril" for a 42-minute block; they were fundamentally breaking.
The Mexico Aftermath and the Mosley Problem
The season kicked off exactly where the previous year’s cliffhanger left us: stranded in Mexico. Our team was battered, bleeding, and being hunted by a cartel. To Live and Die in Mexico didn't just resolve the plot; it set a somber tone for the next twenty-four episodes.
We lost Agent Harley Hidoko. That hurt. It also signaled the beginning of the end for Executive Assistant Director Shay Mosley, played by Nia Long. Look, fans had a complicated relationship with Mosley. She was polarizing. Her decision to send the team on an unsanctioned mission for personal reasons—rescuing her son—fractured the family dynamic we loved.
By episode six, "Asesinos," she was gone. The show shifted back toward its roots, but the scars remained. We saw a rotating door of leadership with Deputy Director Louis Ochoa and the cranky but strangely lovable Retired Navy Admiral Hollace Kilbride stepping in. Kilbride, played by the legendary Gerald McRaney, eventually became a staple, but back in season 10, he was the guy keeping the legal vultures at bay.
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Deeks and Kensi: The Wedding We Waited For
Let's talk about the heart of the season. "Till Death Do Us Part." If you’re a "Densi" fan, this was the Super Bowl.
After years of "the box," the flirting, and the near-death experiences, Marty Deeks and Kensi Blye finally tied the knot in episode 17. It wasn't some quiet courthouse affair, either. It was pure NCIS: Los Angeles chaos. We’re talking about a vintage car crashing through a wall and Hetty Lange making a grand, long-awaited entrance behind the wheel.
Linda Hunt’s absence for most of the season—due to a real-life car accident—made her return at the wedding incredibly emotional. When she stood there to officiate the ceremony, it felt like the show’s soul had finally come home. It’s one of those rare TV moments that actually lived up to the hype.
Why the JAG Crossover Actually Mattered
Some people think crossovers are just cheap ratings grabs. Sometimes they are. But bringing back David James Elliott and Catherine Bell as Harm and Mac from JAG was a masterstroke of TV history.
NCIS itself was a spin-off of JAG, making this a grand-progenitor reunion. Seeing Harm and Mac on the USS Allegiance in the season finale, "The Guardian" and "False Flag," wasn't just fanservice. It provided a glimpse into the future of these characters we hadn't seen in fifteen years. It also pushed Callen and Sam into a massive, global-scale conflict involving ISIS sympathizers and a potential world war.
The chemistry between the old guard and the LA team was seamless. It reminded us that the "NCIS-verse" is massive, connected, and deeply rooted in military tradition.
Real Stakes and Evolving Characters
What people often get wrong about NCIS LA season 10 is the idea that it was just another year of "case of the week" stories. It wasn't. This was the year Callen really had to face his father’s legacy and his eventual death. It was the year Sam Hanna had to find a new version of himself after the loss of Michelle, often leaning into his role as a mentor for younger agents like Fatima Namazi.
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Fatima, played by Medalion Rahimi, was a breath of fresh air. She brought a different energy to the tech-heavy side of the investigations, eventually becoming a series regular.
The season also didn't shy away from the bureaucracy. Special Prosecutor John Rogers, played with a perfect "guy you love to hate" vibe by Peter Jacobson, was a constant thorn in their side. He represented the reality that even heroes have to answer for their "off-the-books" adventures.
Key Highlights from Season 10:
- The Fate of Hidoko: Confirmed early on, setting a high cost for the Mexico mission.
- The Bar: Deeks and Kensi’s bar became a recurring setting for the team to actually decompress.
- The Russian Plot: A recurring thread involving Anna Kolcheck that sent Callen on a wild chase to Cuba.
- Nell and Eric: The tech duo faced massive personal hurdles, specifically Nell dealing with her mother’s illness, which hinted at their eventual departures later in the series.
A Legacy of Resilience
Looking back, season 10 was about survival. Not just surviving explosions or cartels, but surviving change. The show proved it could lose its leader (Hetty/Mosley), lose an agent (Hidoko), and still find its footing. It leaned into the "Found Family" trope harder than ever.
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If you're revisiting the series, pay attention to the quiet moments. The banter between Sam and Callen in the Challenger. Eric’s frantic typing when the world is ending. Kensi’s face when she finally sees Hetty at the end of the aisle.
These aren't just tropes. They are the reasons the show lasted 14 seasons.
If you want to dive back in, start with the Mexico arc to see the consequences play out, then skip ahead to the wedding for the payoff. You can find the entire season on streaming platforms like Paramount+. It’s worth the watch, even just to see Hetty drive that car through the wall one more time.