Review: NCIS: New Orleans ‘Overlooked’

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Warning: Post contains spoilers

“NCIS: New Orleans” season 6 continues with episode 4 “Overlooked.” It’s one of the more poignant and emotional episodes on multiple fronts. As “Overlooked” opens, a birthday party gets unceremoniously interrupted by an ICE raid. During the raid, Petty Officer First Class Elena Martinez is unlawfully detained. Therefore, NCIS New Orleans is called in to investigate. Special Agents Hannah Khoury (Necar Zadegan) and Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito) arrive on scene and discover the aftermath. Once Gregorio and Khoury realize what’s happened, the pair tracks Martinez to a private detention center, Duvall. Since ICE can’t handle the influx of detainees, third-party detention centers are utilized. Upon arriving, Martinez refuses to leave, insisting that there’s something nefarious going on at Duvall.
Elena claims that Duvall is secretly trafficking female detainees. After probing a bit, the NCIS NOLA team uncovers an earlier FBI investigation. While much of the information isn’t available, it turns out FBI Agent Raymond Isler (Derek Webster) was in charge of the Duvall case. Thus, Special Agent Dwayne  “King” Pride (Scott Bakula) pays Isler a visit. Raymond happens to be on a leave of absence from his FBI post. After being shot during the events of “The River Styx.” Isler reveals that he’s needed time to recover, particularly since, considering his past addiction to painkillers, he’s been recuperating sans medication. When Pride asks for Raymond’s help, Isler gladly agrees. “It’s unfinished business,” Isler concurs. After Isler re-opens the case and assists NCIS in the investigation, Investigative Computer Specialist Patton “Triple P” Plame (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) is quickly able to implement wiretaps and tracks what shapes into a wide-spanning human trafficking ring.

Meanwhile, in Mobile, Alabama, Agent Chris LaSalle (Lucas Black) and Agent Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich) search for LaSalle’s missing brother Cade. Earlier, Chris uncovered that Cade went missing while helping his girlfriend’s son who was roped into selling drugs. When Cade’s credit card provides a hit, this leads LaSalle and Sebastian to a homeless man claiming to have found Cade’s wallet in the woods. Sure enough, Lund and LaSalle procure Cade’s abandoned wallet.

Pride’s half-brother Jimmy Boyd (Jason Alan Carvell) confides in Jefferson Parish medical examiner Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder) that he’s worried about Pride. Jimmy reveals that Pride closed out their bar the night before, meaning he was up until at least 3:30 or 4 AM. Boyd touchingly asks for Loretta’s opinion as a doctor, explaining his concern that Pride is burning the candle at both ends.

Observations:

It’s refreshing to see television shows such as “NCIS: New Orleans” making a statement against the current immigration policy, and horrifying conditions in detention centers. “NCIS NOLA” isn’t the only series to provide ICE-critical episodes. “Law & Order: SVU” episode “Zero Tolerance” offered a harsh critique of US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Likewise, the final season of “Orange is the New Black” grappled with an ICE detention center as a main subplot.

“NCIS: New Orleans” S06E04 “Overlooked” doesn’t beat around the bush. When Martinez and Gregorio ask to speak to the Duvall guards that handled Martinez, the head of private detention center Duvall counters “I have to protect the civil rights of my employees.” Martinez aptly argues, “What about the human rights of your detainees?” Further, Khoury reveals that although she was born in the United States, her parents are immigrants. “You know, my parents were refugees,” Hannah informs Pride. During the Iranian revolution, Khoury’s parents sought asylum in the US since they supported the separation of church and state in Iran, a stance that made them targets under the new political regime. After Duvall is raided, Gregorio asks an ICE agent what will happen to the detainees. The ICE agent explains that they’ll be shipped off to more private detention centers such as Duvall.

Poor LaSalle appears ill-fated. Anyone he loves seems to die, or disappear. An autopsy of charred-beyond-recognition remains by Loretta reveals that dental records match those of Cade. “NCIS: New Orleans” clearly isn’t afraid to kill off major characters. It seems LaSalle’s brother is dead, just like “NCIS NOLA” saw Pride’s father murdered. Still, the line about the remains being burned beyond recognition makes me wonder if somehow, they’re not Cade’s.

While the episode plot and storyarc are pretty depressing during “Overlooked,” there are a few positives. Isler returns, and hints to Gregorio at the end of the episode that he might continue collaborating with NCIS. Similarly, Jimmy’s presence adds a much-needed charm to the series. The relationship between Boyd and Pride emerged as an intensely touching storyline, and Jimmy offers a range of emotions, from comedic relief to genuine caring. “Overlooked” is not an “NCIS: New Orleans” entry to be, well, overlooked.