CBS’s NCIS Los Angeles Weaves Stolen Bitcoin Into Script, LL Cool J Is on the Case

Bitcoin’s ubiquity is almost sealed, as more and more entertainment shows weave the world’s most popular cryptocurrency into plotlines. A current example is CBS’s NCIS Los Angeles, starring LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, where the digital asset plays a leading role. $10 million of it are stolen from a mining farm, and agents are dispatched. The episode, “Outside the Lines,” will air Sunday, 22nd April, 9pm (ET/PT).

Also read: Coinsecure India Down After $3 Million in Bitcoin Missing

LL Cool J Sets Out to Find $10 Million Worth of Stolen Bitcoin

Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Los Angeles combines everything Americans adore: military, cops, true-ish crime, and glamor. The series, now in its 9th season, is a spinoff, focusing on a branch inside NCIS, the Office of Special Projects (OSP). It’s an elite division with a charter for counter-terrorism. Much of the show involves undercover operations as a result.

Chris O’Donnell (Special Agent G. Callen) and LL Cool J (Special Agent Sam Hanna) are the marquee names, and work together. Mr. O’Donnell, 47, is perhaps best known for his role as Dick Grayson/Robin in the mid 1990s cinematic versions of the Batman franchise. Here, he’s leader of the OSP. LL Cool J, 50, made his name as an East Coast rapper in the 1980s with songs such as “I Need Love” and the early 90s smash, “Mama Said Knock You Out.” For the last nine years, his main role has been as a former Sea Air and Land Team (SEAL) member, and an Iraq/Afghanistan veteran, working under Mr. O’Donnell’s character.

“Outside the Lines,” episode 9.19 (the series’ 211th), broadcasts on Sunday, 22 April, 9pm (ET/PT) on CBS, was written by Joseph C. Wilson (JAG, NCIS). It follows characters Harley Hidoko (Andrea Bordeaux) and Sam (LL Cool J). A rather hefty theft involving a cryptocurrency mining farm of more than $10 million worth of bitcoin is the episode’s central theme. Hidoko embraces the task, as she is new to Los Angeles, and chances are criminals would not be able to identify her. Sam, on the other hand, cannot be so sure about his identity, as he’s worked the area for years. There is a real chance any undercover operation would be compromised by him.

Every Year, More Bitcoin Recognition in Pop Culture

As good soldiers, no matter what happens, even if Sam is discovered or captured, Hidoko knows she must continue the mission: recover millions in bitcoin. Still, they’re also taught to never leave a man behind. Thus, the probable tension.

This, of course, isn’t the first time bitcoin’s been on television. In 2016, Mr. Robot and CSI Cyber also used the idea. Last year, online service Crackle had it as a recurring theme in its show, Startup. At the end of last year, insanely popular situation comedy The Big Bang Theory also featured a bitcoin theme. This year, daytime talk show queen Ellen DeGeneres dedicated a funny segment to it, as did John Oliver.

Do you make it a point to watch shows that feature bitcoin? Let us know in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, NCIS Los Angeles

Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section.