The episode of “NCIS: LA” in question, “The Fifth Man,” aired on October 9, 2012, and to hear those involved describe it, the process of making it happen was high-octane maternal feel-goodery.
For one thing, the mothers were treated to five-star accommodations, with People reporting that they were escorted onto the set to find high-end trailers and an astroturf patio, all for them to be moms in, on, and around. LL Cool J, who played Special Agent Sam Hanna on the series, compared the setup to Yankee Stadium, while his mother, Ondrea Smith, proclaimed, “I could get used to this.”
The end result was brief: the mothers of LL Cool J, Chris O’Donnell, Eric Christian Olsen, and Daniela Ruah can be glimpsed in one scene, playing poker together at a casino. It’s the sort of thing that you only get to do for your mom maybe one time in life, or at least that’s probably what LL Cool J has to keep explaining when his mom asks him why she hasn’t gotten an offer to appear in the next “Deep Blue Sea” sequel yet.
