Review: NCIS: New Orleans “In the Blood”

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Warning: Post contains major spoilers

“NCIS: New Orleans” opens with an unnamed man forced at gunpoint to open a shipping container. Upon opening the crate, it’s virtually empty. But before his captors can shoot, they’re killed by sniper fire.
Cut to a bar where Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Dwayne Pride  (Scott Bakula) in a bar watching a woman, his mother, play piano. Pride’s angel (Ellen Hollman) questions, “Mom does play other songs, right? I mean, maybe something a little more upbeat?” Pan to a small child reading a Hardy Boys book, who’s dragged out of the bar by his father. Shortly thereafter, Pride wakes up from his dream.

Special Agent Chris LaSalle (Lucas Black) summons Pride to the murder scene outside of the aforementioned shipping container. It turns out the men killed were members of a white nationalist group, True Guard. While it’s initially unclear why NCIS New Orleans is involved, that soon becomes evident. “Why did the sheriff call NCIS?” Pride wonders. “They didn’t, I did,” explains coroner Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder). In the shipping container, Pride finds boxes with his childhood toys inside. Dwayne realizes his estranged father, Cassius (Stacy Keach) is involved.

“Cassius Pride,” Special Agent Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito) informs Special Agent Hannah Khoury (Necar Zadegan). “New Orleans legend, fixer to politicians and gangsters alike, had his finger in every corrupt pie in the city.” Khoury quips, “Guess that apple fell far from that tree, huh?” Patton Plame aka Triple P (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) corrects “Whole other orchard.” Evidence points to a James Boyd (Jason Alan Carvell), the man who opened Cassius’s shipping container. A continued string of flashbacks shows that this is Pride’s half-brother.

During their investigation, it comes out that a purported $3 million from the greatest heist in New Orleans history was held in the shipping container. The River Grand Casino heist is rumored to have been planned by Cassius Pride. However, Cassius claims he wasn’t involved.

Observations: 

“NCIS: New Orleans” season 5 episode 5 proves largely Pride-centric. It centers on both Dwayne and his father Cassius, also introducing Dwayne’s half-brother Jimmy. I enjoyed Loretta’s increased presence during “In the Blood,” and moreover seeing Agent Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich) in the lab with Loretta is incredibly enjoyable.

The finale features Pride buying Jimmy a beer at hit bar, the Trutone. It’s clear that Dwayne aims to right the wrongs of his father, Cassius. “You know, it’s gonna take me a minute to see him as Pride’s brother,” Patton confesses. “You think Pride can trust him?” Gregorio wonders. “I hope so,” Sebastian offers. “He deserves something good in his life right now.” This moment provides a bit of foreboding: The clearly still struggling after a near-death experience Dwayne Pride is eager to care for his own. But does is he too trusting when it comes to his newly discovered half-brother Jimmy?

Flashbacks relay much of the backstory. I enjoyed this approach a lot, and the storytelling is masterful. For instance, it’s abundantly clear that Jimmy is Pride’s half-brother from Dwayne’s recollections. So when Boyd appears in Pride’s apartment, it’s not a revelation at that point. Truly, “In the Blood” adopts the show, don’t tell mantra.

Overall, “NCIS: New Orleans” scores a hit with its 100th episode. It’s fitting that most of the show focuses on the Pride family since Dwayne is the face of the franchise. Additionally, “In the Blood” once again successfully sees Pride in the field, where he feels most comfortable. Nevertheless, Khoury appears an apt fit as leader of the NCIS NOLA field office.