Review: NCIS: New Orleans ‘The Order of the Mongoose’

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Warning: Post contains spoilers

“NCIS: New Orleans” season 6 episode 8 “The Order of the Mongoose” finds NCIS Agent Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich) moonlighting as a bodyguard. Sebastian assists in looking after a Thai government minister’s son, Tan. Thai militants have threatened Tan’s mother. “I requested an FBI agent for additional security,” Tan’s bodyguard complains. “I suppose NCIS was all that was available.” Lund quips, “Lucky you.” While at a concert watching The Revivalists, the fire alarm goes off. In the resulting pandemonium, Tan goes missing.
Initially, there’s concern that Thai militants captured Tan. The Thai minister, in the wake of a push for a more progressive Thailand, has received death threats from a military regime Thailand First. However, no ransom threats trickle in. Special Agent Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito) suggests that perhaps Tan wasn’t captured, he slipped off on his own. But surveillance tape shows Tan slipping off with a woman. Special Agent Hannah Khoury (Necar Zadegan), Tammy, and Pride probe the case.

Meanwhile, Jefferson Parish medical examiner Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder) works in a free medical clinic. Loretta working at a clinic on “NCIS: New Orleans” as a means of coping with Special Agent Chris LaSalle’s (Lucas Black) death. “Ouch!” a patient exclaims. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Wade apologizes. “I’m just not used to my patients being able to move.” Special Agent Dwayne “King” Pride (Scott Bakula) checks on Loretta: “I’m just glad you’re…channeling your feelings over Christopher’s death into something useful,” Pride praises. When a patient walks in with a sprained wrist, Loretta notices a ton of bruises on her face. Though the victim claims she fell while mopping the floor, Wade sees right through the lie. As such, Loretta plots to help the woman escape her abuser. She turns to Special Agent Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito) for legal assistance considering Tammy’s past law expertise.

Observations:

“NCIS: New Orleans” S06E08 “The Order of the Mongoose” is a pretty Sebastian-centric episode. I appreciate the concentration on Lund who emerged as one of the most intriguing characters. Initially, the geeky lab rat Sebastian primarily served as comic relief. Yet as the show progressed, Lund’s role grew with his character blossoming into a competent, confident field agent. Still, Sebastian balances this out with self-deprecating humor. He presents a pleasant mix of hilarity and thoughtfulness.

There’s a neat set of twists during the case. With the Thai minister’s overbearing nature and siloed information, it’s necessary for the entire NCIS NOLA outfit to band together. I enjoyed the way “The Order of the Mongoose” incorporates the majority of the cast. Investigative Computer Specialist Patton “Triple P” Plame (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) is notably absent, and Jimmy Boyd (Jason Alan Carvell), Pride’s half-brother, once again fails to make an appearance. It’s a missed opportunity since Boyd hasn’t been as prevalent on this season of “NCIS: New Orleans.” In the wake of LaSalle’s death, Pride and team continue to cope with Chris’s demise. It’s a pretty straight-forward case-of-the-week with little story arc, and that’s completely ok.