NCIS New Orleans Season 2 Episode 4 Review: I Do
Kathleen Wiedel
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For those of us who thought that LaSalle wasn't being too demonstrative in his grief over the loss of his One True Love Savannah, NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 4 is something of a vindication. Turns out he's not dealing with his grief at all, but avoiding it with meaningless hook-ups and empty sex.
It's easy to armchair quarterback, of course, but what he's doing is clearly not healthy. He hasn't even slept in his own bed in months. This episode manages not one but two separate parallel characters to compare to LaSalle.
It all makes sense when one remembers that the title of the episode is "I Do," a couple of words that are pretty well entwined with the concept of love.
Let's start with Louisa Banks's husband, who seemed practically numb when they interviewed him. He didn't even see anything to gain by catching his wife's killer because it wouldn't bring Louisa back.
That bitterness and sadness is something of a harsh mirror to LaSalle's condition: though Baitfish has been six feet under for awhile, it hasn't brought LaSalle any comfort or closure.
There's also something relevant to be found in Percy's little side story about her relationship with Ty Tarpley. She got in deep with a guy who had no intention of marrying her, but when she hit rock bottom, she didn't stay there. She reinvented herself and went on to make something with her life.
And apparently became a vegan, too.
You gave up meat and cheese for a guy named Ty Tarpley?
Brody
LaSalle didn't hit rock bottom, strictly speaking. As he rightly pointed out to Pride, his bed-hopping wasn't affecting his work. But I also heard that unsaid "yet"; Pride is absolutely right to be concerned about the well-being of his agent and friend.
And that bring us to a third parallel to LaSalle in Ryan Griggs, the young son of the murdered drone pilot. Hopefully, their bonding will allow LaSalle to express his grief in a positive and healthy manner.
Ryan Griggs: I really miss my dad. I don't think anyone gets how much.
LaSalle: I do, kid. I do.
Their shared pain will hopefully allow LaSalle to finally acknowledge that yes, he is hurting, but that's okay. It's human. And so is healing.
It's also worth mentioning Pride himself as another comparison to LaSalle's situation, with the end of his marriage. Pride's been dealing with his own situation fairly well, all things considered, but he has many things (such as his music and now the bar) to keep him even-keeled.
The case itself was full of twists and turns, but nowhere near as frustrating as NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 3, which suffered from a true overload of red herrings. I don't think any viewers actually considered for more than about three seconds that LT Griggs was actually engaged in espionage.
But it did bring a bit of focus on the operators of military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); this is not a group of people that gets shown in a positive light on television, with far more focus on when things go wrong with drone strikes than when they go right.
In this case, LT Griggs overheard a Seabee confess to killing an innocent jogger, but since the drone flight recording was compartmentalized, he couldn't exactly turn it over to the authorities. Griggs, being a decent and honorable man, took it upon himself to go way above and beyond and investigate it himself.
During the interrogation of the murderer, Pride mentions honor, courage, and commitment, which are the core values of the Navy. LT Griggs embodied them, even as his killer, Boone, was utterly lacking in these traits.
Griggs had helped save the lives of almost everyone in Boone's unit, while Boone had cowardly hidden the corpse of a woman he'd killed by accident – and then actually murdered the man who confronted him about it.
A few more thoughts before I sign off:
- No Patton Plame in this episode makes me a little sad inside. He would never, ever let Percy live that yellow dress down.
- Seabees are members of the United States Naval Constructive Forces. The name comes from the initials CB for Construction Battalions. In addition to their work in war zones, they also provide relief, recovery, rescue and support during disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti.
- It sure was convenient that the one guy who knew about LT Griggs's "secret lair" was the guy who used a unique and traceable paint to vandalize Griggs's car.
- Maybe I missed something, but why did Griggs confront Boone before finding the body?
So, what do you think, fellow fans? Was the case interesting, or did you find it a dud? Has LaSalle been avoiding dealing with his grief? Are bridesmaids dresses some sort of medieval torture? Let us know by hitting the comments below!
NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 5, "Foreign Affairs," will air on October 20, 2015 at 9/8c on CBS. Until then, catch up or relive the excitement when you watch NCIS: New Orleans online!
