Review: NCIS New Orleans ‘The Man in the Red Suit’

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Warning: Post contains spoilers

“NCIS: New Orleans” season 6 episode 14 “The Man in the Red Suit” opens with Special Agent Dwayne “King” Pride (Scott Bakula) in the midst of the Algiers Street Fair. Surrounded by jubilation, Pride appears disoriented, confused, and agitated. Looking up, Dwayne sees the Man in the Red Suit (Neal Bledsoe), an enigmatic figure who has been plaguing King in visions and dreams. Cut to reality, and Pride sits at a table at the Tru Tone surrounded by his closest friends and confidants: co-workers and Special Agents Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito), Hannah Khoury (Necar Zadegan), and Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich), as well as Dwayne’s half-brother Jimmy Boyd (Jason Alan Carvell). After finally revealing what’s been preventing him from getting a good night’s sleep, Pride announces that he’s taking a short medical leave for a specialized treatment program. It’s a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy program wherein Pride microdoses LSD in a controlled environment.

Pride’s dear friend, Jefferson Parish medical examiner Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder) and therapist Dr. Beth Tanaka (Angel Desai) watch over Dwayne as he undergoes therapy. Despite their protestations, King continues pushing for additional sessions. With each progressive micro-dosing experience, Pride uncovers another key to unlocking the secret of the Man in the Red Suit. Initially, it’s a mysterious set of playing cards. Befuddled, Dwayne eventually recognizes them as musical chords which reveals the memory of learning to play the piano from a man known as Red who, it’s insinuated, had an affair with King’s mother while his father Cassius was in jail.

At NCIS NOLA headquarters, the “new guy,” Special Agent Quentin Carter (Charles Michael Davis) arrives a week early. And Carter does not start off on the right foot. Walking into HQ, Sebastian asks security guard Roy, “The Pelicans won last night Roy, why the grumpy face.” The disgruntled Roy reveals, “Y’all have company. Made himself right at home.” In the kitchen, Gregorio, Khoury, and Lund find Quentin fixing himself a latte. Bewildered, Hannah wonders aloud, “Can we help you?” Sassily, Special Agent Carter rebutts “Unless you’re willing to fetch me some whole milk instead of this abominable 2% then no you cannot.” Bluntly, and asking what we’re all thinking, Tammy blurts out “Who the hell are you?” Cockily, Carter smirks “Apparently I’m the man who’s gonna bring a little class to this backwater post. The first thing on my to-do is to replace this piece of crap [espresso maker]. Man cannot survive on subpar cappuccinos.”

Although Carter wasn’t slated to arrive until the following week, Quentin shows up early and begins asserting his dominance from the get-go. “Looks like this desk is available,” Carter proclaims plopping down his briefcase on the late Chris LaSalle’s (Lucas Black) abandoned desk. Pausing, Carter offers “This was the desk of your guy. The one you lost.” Gregorio corrects, “His name was Christoper LaSalle.” When a call comes in about a Marine, PFC Daniela Ortiz (Raquel Dominguez) who attacked a convenience store cashier, Carter plucks up the keys stating matter-of-factly, “I’ll drive.” Ortiz was injured and cut off from pain meds. However, while on meds, she developed an addiction.

Observations:

“NCIS NOLA” S06E14 finds its investigation storyline taking a backseat to Pride probing the Man in the Red Suit. This story arc sees major developments, with the revelation of who Red was, and apparently his fate. However, it’s unclear why Dwayne’s visions truly began. I suspect the Man in the Red Suit isn’t completely resolved.

New NCIS New Orleans member Special Agent Quentin Carter, by his own admission, doesn’t get off on the right foot. He blusters into the headquarters insulting everything from the memory of Chris LaSalle to the NOLA team, going so far as to refer to it as a backwater outfit, and even slams their coffee maker. Oddly, Pride specifically requested Carter from Pearl Harbor. “I was told you’re unpredictable. But…a week early to your new post?” Dwayne greets Quentin as Carter clears off LaSalle’s old desk. “Yeah well I like to keep busy Special Agent Pride.” Special Agent Carter has been placed at five different posts in five years. Described by his superiors as fast and furious, skilled as pissing off the rank and file, but more than capable of closing high-profile cases, Carter is an unconventional, cocky, lone wolf of an agent.

Supposedly, Pride requested Quentin to transform him into a team player. Indeed, Carter is a capable field agent as he demonstrates brilliantly in talking PFC Ortiz out of committing suicide. But he’s brash and unlikable, rubbing both his co-workers and us audience members the wrong way. Still, I suspect that over the course of his tenure, despite some sizable shoes to fill in replacing LaSalle, Carter will evolve, ultimately meshing with Pride’s close-knit NCIS NOLA team. The episode culminates with a solemn “Roll Tide,” from Dwayne as he takes down LaSalle’s Alamaba University Mardi Gras beads.