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Warning: Post contains major spoilers
“NCIS: New Orleans” season 4 concluded with the epic two-part finale “Checkmate, Part I” and “Checkmate, Part II.” At the end of “Part II,” Amelia Parsons (Ellen Hollman) leaves NCIS Special Agent Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula) shot and left for dead. “NCIS: New Orleans” episode “See You Soon” picks up where the cliffhanger left off.
Meanwhile, in the realm of the living, LaSalle frantically knocks at the door. Breaking in, he finds Pride’s nearly lifeless body. Calling an ambulance and backup, LaSalle notices Parsons and gives chase. Though he manages to shoot her, Amelia escapes. Lund and Wade tend to Pride’s medical needs, and Gregorio phones in details on the suspect, Parsons.
“I’ve been to a lot of crime scenes,” Sebastian recalls staring at the spot where Pride lay earlier. “Usually this much blood, the victim doesn’t make it.” Gregorio counters, “Usually doesn’t count here…Dwayne Pride is stronger than a couple of bullets.”
Observations:
If the question on your mind since “Checkmate, Part II” has been “Does Dwayne Pride die,” then no, he doesn’t. That shouldn’t be a surprise. While there’s a robust team surrounding Bakula in Black, Pounder, Ferlito, Kerkovich, and Mitchell, Bakula remains the face of the series.
As Pride struggles to hang on in the hospital, Sebastian, Tammy, and Chris attempt to stay focused and positive. “Until we hear from Doc Wade, we can either stay wallow in doubt or stay on task,” Patton advises. It’s fascinating to see how the team members cope with Pride’s shooting. Notably, Sebastian takes a major emotional hit. It’s LaSalle who assumes the role of Dwayne Pride in his boss’s absence.
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) puts in a guest appearance in a video conference with LaSalle. Gibbs reveals that Parson was a CIA contractor, and her husband John Stone (Maury Sterling) was killed in a fight with Pride. As such, Amelia’s quest to bring down Dwayne is personal, not professional. In a surprise move, Gibbs encourages LaSalle to take this case personally as well.
To draw Parsons out of hiding, LaSalle concocts a Pride-worthy plan: abandon the media blackout and reveal that Dwayne’s alive with his life in the balance. The episode concludes with Parsons arrested and in custody at a federal prison hospital. Chances are, we haven’t seen the last of Amelia.
Laurel Pride (Shanley Caswell) returns, though she gets far too little screen time. As he’s loaded onto a helicopter for transport for treatment in Houston, Dwayne receives one final visit from Sutter who offers the ominous “See you soon, Dwayne.” It’s unclear what this means, but though Agent Dwayne Pride isn’t dead, his battle with a near-death experience likely continues as a subplot throughout the season.
Ultimately, “NCIS: New Orleans” episode “See You Soon” is an action-packed, emotionally-wrought series entry. Though there’s no real fear that Dwayne Pride is dead, it’s nonetheless a gripping romp. Plus, “See You Soon” sets up a unique season ahead. “Hope everything will be back to normal,” LaSalle tells Gibbs. Wisely, Gibbs comments “Survival, that’s one thing. Normal, that is a whole other game…give Dwayne some time…he’s gonna need it.” Likely, “NCIS: New Orleans” season 5 will accordingly be anything but normal.
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