A murdered Seabee led to a stolen shipment of TNT, which in turn led to a drug ring and Sonja Percy, who for some reason didn't feel the urge to let any of her teammates (or her boss) know about the huge undercover operation she was working on in NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 16.

Our beloved NCIS agents always seem to make things personal, but it was especially true here, as Percy was trying to take down Marian, a woman who used to be a sister to her.

It seemed to me that Pride let Percy off way too easily for what she did, essentially vanishing for over a week without telling him that she was actually going undercover for the DEA! For that matter, Agent Banks could have at least given Pride a courtesy call that he was borrowing one of Pride's agents.

Altogether, it was a situation that could have easily been avoided, if not for the apparent necessity to milk needless drama from the situation.

This episode was Percy's from pretty much beginning to end. Even before she popped back up, Brody and LaSalle were talking about her and wondering where she'd disappeared to. There were a couple great scenes later on with LaSalle and Percy one-on-one, most notably in the hospital after Marian was shot.

While LaSalle didn't go so far as to tell Percy to get her head out of her you-know-where, he did give her some practical advice. I really liked the mention of his troubles with his brother because it felt especially relevant here. While mental illness is not the same thing as drug addiction, they can cause similar grief and frustration for the loved ones of those who suffer from them.

This episode was titled "Second Chances," and that applied to Percy particularly. I think that NCIS for her is a second chance, working with a team that cares for her and worries about her and watches her back and gets upset when she keeps secrets.

Another thing I liked about this episode was the display of multi-agency cooperation. Too often, a cop show will just show jurisdictional friction, or even simply have the heroes do everything. Here, we had NCIS, DEA, NOPD, and even mention of Louisiana State Police.

The case itself didn't really leave much wiggle room for any potential follow-up in the future. They took down the big boss, Marian and her daughter were hustled off into Witness Protection, and Percy affirmed her desire to work with a team rather than on her own.

Honestly, I was half-expecting Marian to get killed before the end of the episode, if for no other reason than to throw another heaping of guilt onto Percy's shoulders. Fortunately, that was not the case.

I can't say I was overly surprised at the way it turned out, and Marian forgiving Percy at the end seemed a bit... unlikely... given that Percy put Marian in the position to get shot in the first place after threatening to have Child Services take away her daughter!

There were a few good lines in this episode, most courtesy of LaSalle. Can I just say that I absolutely love listening to Lucas Black talk? Not only does he have that great 'Bama accent, he's got some really funny lines:

Apparently, he doesn't abide by 'Click It or Ticket.'

LaSalle [on a suspect just killed in a car accident]

• Permalink: Apparently, he doesn't abide by 'Click It or Ticket.'

Be sure to check out our NCIS: New Orleans quotes page for a rundown of the notable quotes from the episode.

Before I turn the discussion over to you, here are a few final notes and musings:

• Toluene, or methylbenzene, the chemical the drug processors were getting from the TNT to process the cocaine, is widely-used as a solvent. Some people actually use it to get high, but it causes severe neurological damage. It is apparently much less toxic than the related chemical benzene.
• I feel like I missed something with Brody's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" comment, as I've never actually seen the movie. Please, someone enlighten me!
• This was the second week in a row that Brody referred to LaSalle as Percy's "work husband."
• Patton now has a "mobile command post." With leopard print interiors. I do question the likelihood that it would have alcohol inside, though. That seems like a no-no on the job.
• The Seabees have a rich and proud history going back to World War II; they are often on the front lines of disaster relief and recovery efforts and have provided essential construction skills and services wherever they're needed throughout the world.

So, what did you think of "Second Chances"? Were you expecting Marian to get killed, and surprised she survived to go into Witness Protection? Do you think Percy got off easy for her behavior? What did you think of the case? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you missed this episode, you can always watch NCIS: New Orleans online to catch up! NCIS: New Orleans returns Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 9/8c on CBS with NCIS: Orleans Season 2 Episode 17, "Radio Silence."

Quotables from Week Ending February 18, 2016

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