Review: NCIS New Orleans ‘Judgement Call’

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Warning: Post contains spoilers

“NCIS: New Orleans” opens with an explosive episode in “Judgement Call.” The FBI leads a joint raid on Call to War, a white supremacist group with a bomb containing a deadly nerve agent. Special Agent Hannah Khoury (Necar Zadegan), Special Agent Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito), Agent Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich), Special Agent Chris LaSalle (Lucas Black), and NCIS NOLA Investigative Computer Specialist Patton “Triple P” Plame (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) participate in a stakeout. Just before FBI Special Agent Harper (Adam David Thompson) gives the go-ahead to storm the house, Khoury notices a pair of women in the kitchen. Disobeying orders, Hannah enters the house before the task force infiltrates. Though she successfully saves the two ladies, the bomb goes missing.
Over at the NCIS field office, NCIS Deputy Director Van Cleef (Richard Thomas) grills NCIS Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula). “Special Agent Pride,” Van Cleef opens in his gravelly drawl. “You’ve had quite a spring. Joined a secret task force to take down a dangerous private intelligence organization. Ran a rogue mission to rescue a captured FBI Agent in foreign territory. Got yourself kidnapped, drugged, and then freed, and took out the leader of said private intelligence organization all without official authorization. Did I miss anything?” While is appears Pride is once again on the chopping block, Van Cleef shocks by explaining “the ends justify the means.” Rather than fired or demoted, Pride is offered an official commendation. Granted, since the Apolloyon operation was compartmented, the medal, while put into Pride’s record, is redacted.

Meanwhile, Pride and his extra special lady friend Rita Devereaux (Chelsea Field) visit Pride’s mother (Joanna Cassidy). Mrs. Pride suffers from dementia. “Now what was the name of that girl that had you wrapped around her little finger?” she wonders. “Linda Mom,” Pride reminds her gently. “But Cassius met her [Rita] first,” Dwayne’s mother asks. “Cassius is dead, Momma,” Pride points out. The reunion is interrupted when NCIS headquarters phones Pride. While Khoury, Lund, LaSalle, Gregorio, and Plame continue searching for the missing chemical weapons, Dwayne returns. “You’re being held back pending an immediate review of your actions,” Pride warns. “You’re suspended.”

Observations:

“NCIS: New Orleans” S06E01 “Judgement Call” features quite a bit of set up. At the onset, there’s a lot of establishing current story arc. It’s clear that Pride and Rita’s relationship plays prominently into “NCIS NOLA” season 6. Hannah continues to seek counsel from her estranged ex-husband, Ryan (Hal Ozssan). When Khoury reveals that she’s been suspended, she initially blurts out that she’ll leave NCIS for a job in the private sector, acknowledging that it’ll mean more travel. But when their daughter, Naomi (Venus Ariel), runs into the room excitedly shouting that she made the soccer team, it’s clear Hannah isn’t leaving New Orleans. Disappointingly, Pride’s half-brother Jimmy Boyd (Jason Alan Carvell) doesn’t put in an appearance in “Judgement Call,” though hopefully, he resurfaces later in the season.

The team dynamic starts off strong. Post-suspension, Tammy sneaks off to the bathroom with Hannah to offer words of encouragement. “There’s literally, like, a dozen other private places,” she complains. Nevertheless, Gregorio’s support is clearly welcome. “I just want to say what’s happening to you is really messed up, and we all agree you’re being railroaded.” It’s a pleasant subversion of character personality having Hannah disobey orders rather than Pride. Whereas Pride typically goes rogue, Khoury assumes that responsibility this episode.
A major sub plot during “NCIS: New Orleans” season 5 was Pride’s PTSD. Although I enjoyed that initially, it got a bit too esoteric at times. Apparently, his PTSD continues. “I’m not sleeping,” Pride confesses to coroner Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder). At the finale of “Judgement Call,” Pride suffers a vivid nightmare, unlikely to be his last during the season. So far, I’m onboard with Pride’s PTSD, as long as it’s not as heady as the Angel apparitions from season 5.

“NCIS New Orleans” season 6 episode 1 concludes with Hannah demoted, and Pride returning as the head of the NCIS NOLA field office. As Van Cleef revealed, problems with Hannah began well before her tenure with NCIS. “This goes far beyond her time in New Orleans,” Van Cleef warns. When Pride questions Khoury, she claims no knowledge of what he’s referring to. Nevertheless, her face conveys otherwise. It seems Hannah’s past is poised for a startling revelation.