Looking back at five seasons with Hetty Lange ‘rowing the boat’ as the operations manager for the Office of Special Projects of NCIS Los Angeles, it seems like we’ve had at least 1001 different lives, aliases and connections passing by.
At this moment, she is 66 years old (born on February 29, 1948). And wow, looking back and seeing what one’s accomplished, all those things would hardly fit in one lifetime!
Whatever happened during her long career, right now this tiny little lady cares a lot for the team she’s handling.
Although she did call herself the puppet-master [Between the Lines | #5.17] and someone else came up with the name ‘Dutchess of Deception’ [Found | #1.21], the team has different names for her. The little Ninja? Sure thing! In a stealthy way she perfectly caught all the inside information of her own boys and girls.
Perhaps Eric is willing to explain how Hetty developed all her computer skills, because in [Cyber Threat | #3.02] Deeks calls Hetty ‘Little Mother’. Then she appears on his computer screen and he slams it shut. That’s where Nell mentions: “And just because you don’t see her doesn’t mean she’s not here.” You are so right on that, Nell!
Remember [Personal | #2.17]?
Hetty is asking Eric: “Mr. Beale, would you pull up 1894 Parkson Avenue. Traffic cam at the west end of the street.”
Sam wants to know “What are we looking at, here?”’ and she retorts “Footage from an hour before the shooting, please.” Callen and Sam react surprised and Sam asks “Just pull that address off the top of your head?”
Hetty’s answer is “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t keep track of my agents. And by the way, you’re over-watering your lawn.”
Later on in that same episode, she has Nell digging up information on Deeks’ family.
So, she knows about Sam, about Deeks. She also knew about Kensi’s father and former fiancée Jack (aka the White Ghost). She knows about Callen, his mother and sister. She knows of Nate’s private life, because she sends him to this special assignment [Human Traffic | #2.01]:
Hetty: “Second unrelated question, do you have plans for this weekend?”
Nate: “Plans?”
Hetty: “Plans”.
Nate: “Uh, are you asking me out? No, that’d be weird. No, no plans.”
She probably has a special drone circling above Eric Beale when he comes back from the beach, don’t you think?
Nell, on the other hand, might know more about Hetty than many of us think. After all, it is Nell who knows codes to Hetty’s drawers in the armory, it is Nell whom Hetty trusts to take care of a very special broche.
That is what we know Hetty knows of her team. But what do we know about Hetty?
In [Lone Wolf | #3.06] Deeks mutters he needs a do-over and Hetty responds “There are no do-overs in life, Mr. Deeks”. Deeks’ rather quiet reply is “This from a woman with a dozen aliases…” And yes, of course she ‘heard that’ 🙂
Deeks however is right.
Did you éver get a chance to glance in that one drawer of Hetty’s desk? No? Well, then feast your eyes on this. A dozen aliases? Far from that… She stores 25 drivers licences in her desk – 3 from Texas, 3 from Illinois, 3 from Florida, 3 from Massachusetts, 4 from Virginia, 4 from California (one’s in her pocket) and 5 from New York.
She listens to the names Sylvia Cole, Gloria Woods, Herta, Gloria Edwards or, as a last name only, Pavlenco.
From what we know, Hetty met with Mikhail Gorbachev and played a game of chess with him. There was Oliver North (up in Nicaragua where she had to put on some calamine oil on him). Mr. Blue Eyes himself – we’re talking of Frank Sinatra, kids! Ho Chi Minh, George Hamilton. Sure, why not? And now, did or didn’t she meet Lady Gaga in real life or is she ‘just a fan?’
During her long career, we’ve found out – or rather, Nell found out on the computer – that she:
- -is fluent in Russian, German, Mandarin, Spanish, Czech, Romanian, Hebrew, Arabic, Hungarian, and Pashto;
- -is skilled in Hapkido, Wushu, and Eskrima;
- -earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Sorbonne;
- -is a graduate of the ‘Ecole de la chambre syndicale de la couture Parisienne’;
- -attended the Defense Language Institute;
- -won a bronze medal competing in the small-bore rifle event at the 1964 Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo, Japan;
- -is a recipient of the Defense Intelligence Agency Award of Merit, and a CIA Intelligence Star;
- -is a member of the Order of Orange Nassau;
- -had a prior career in motion picture and stage costuming;
- -is a published novelist;
- -is a pilot;
- -holds the women’s senior division record for the ascent of K2;
- -is allergic of nuts and feathers.
Just recently [Fish out of Water | #5.16], we learned that Hetty has no problems with NCP coding and she reveals that she attained a degree in computer science at UCLA in 1969. When Nell points out that is the same year and place the Internet was invented, Hetty plays coy, suggesting that Hetty may or may not have been involved in the invention of the Internet.
Knowing all those things, there are still so many mysteries when it comes to Henrietta Lange. It’s not just that – she still has many secrets she probably never shared, so far.
We all remember how some were revealed incidentally.
In [Raven&the Swans | #4.24] she told Callen in the end how she saved more orphans and offered them a career in the agency-alphabet-soup. And wouldn’t we want to learn more about the past of her with Granger? They obviously share some cases they worked on together…
From what we’ve seen, some people tend to underestimate miss Henrietta Lange. They’re very wrong doing that, because this legendary 4’9″ ‘tall’ lady has a reputation indeed.
Hetty: “It’s my dragon head Kwan Dao. You know, one of the 18 arms of Wushu. It is the Chinese Martial Art with 18 arms or weapons.
I prefer the steel whip or the Meteor Hammer. But you have to stay in practice with all of them.”
Callen: “No doubt. I mean, you never know when a horde of murderous Mongols are going to come galloping over Laurel Canyon.”
She knows how to hold a shotgun [The Livelong Day | #5.17] and how to use a knife [Tuhon | 5.15]. And although Hetty is not actually showing how to use it, she had this very special weapon that she puts in her sleeve… [Familia | #2.24], she uses it in Prague.
As she said once “You just shoot the ducks. I just row the boat.” [Random on Purpose | #1.09]
Now we do hope Hetty will be around to row the boat in season 6. How about you?
Do you think she’ll return? After all, she mentioned herself “Everything is not okay …”
Feel free to let us know your thoughts!
Later this week there will be some more things we appreciate about Hetty Lange. Please do tell us what we shouldn’t miss; mention them in the comment box.
Thank you, ChrisDaisy, Mary, VickiBee and sindee for your input, trust & support!
