NCIS: NEW ORLEANS has had an explosive week. Last week, the series killed off Christopher Lasalle (former series regular, Lucas Black) in a heroic act of saving a young woman. As the audience waited…and waited…for the death to be revealed as one of Pride’s (Scott Bakula) bad dreams, the demise of the beloved character proved to be no dream. Tears sprang from the eyes of viewers as they realized that Christopher’s leaving to join his late brother, Cade, was a nightmare…but for the audience, not just for Pride.
Rumors about the reason for Black’s departure swirl. The official reason seems to be a desire to make more time for his wife and three young children. The decision that makes sense considering the actor has been working since age 11 in the Kevin Costner film, THE WAR, followed by the fan-favorite TV series, Shaun Cassidy’s AMERICAN GOTHIC, where he co-starred with NCIS’s Muse Watson (aka Mike Franks) and future NCIS: NEW ORLEANS actress Paige Turco, who played Pride’s ex-wife and Laurel’s mom. Perhaps Black was looking for more “family time” than he had as a successful child actor who worked steadily (SLING BLADE, THE X-FILES, CRAZY IN ALABAMA). Series television takes many hours to produce, and feature films give actors more free time between gigs. From that thought may spring the other rumor…Black is planning to return to Universal’s FAST & FURIOUS film franchise. The rumors were rampant on installment 8, and now Fast 9 may be on Black’s horizon.
NCIS: NEW ORLEANS fans should expect another change coming up as the storyline follows the team’s attempts to deal with Lasalle’s death. After football is over in February, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS will follow NCIS: LOS ANGELES on Sunday nights to make way for the new FBI spinoff series. Hopefully, the series will not be relegated to that “death knell” slot where 60% of the country misses the last 20 minutes because of sporting events earlier in the broadcast day (THE MENTALIST, anyone?)
Then, there is tonight’s episode, “Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom,” when a movie theater blows up in a “natural gas event.” Unfortunately for the Crescent City, the gas company has been hacked, gas pressure has been manipulated and public safety is held for ransom by the threat of more explosions. And the idea that something like that could happen anywhere, should be the scariest thing on TV.
“Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom” was written by Talicia Raggs and directed by Mary Lou Belli.
NCIS: NEW ORLEANS airs tonight (November 12) at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS in the United States and at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Global TV in Canada.
