NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 17 Review: Radio Silence

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A radio DJ hears a good friend get murdered LIVE! On the Air! And she's next! I think pretty much every cop show has "that episode with the radio DJ." That said, NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 17 really had nothing to do with the unfortunate Kayla Anderson's day job and everything to do with her, ahem, extracurricular activities.

Meanwhile, Pride had to deal with his daughter wanting to leave music school. In short, drama!

Laurel's Future - NCIS: New Orleans

The opening scene featured some heavy-handed expositional dialogue to establish the relationship between Kayla, the soon-to-be-murdered Captain Grant, and the Youth Stripes charity, to the point where it was practically a PSA for supporting military-oriented charities.

Don't get me wrong! I'm all for showing support for such things. But the dialogue just felt unbelievably stilted and awkward.

There was also a "by-the-way" connection between Kayla and Patton, followed by an fairly cliche defense of Kayla's character by Patton. Okay, so she didn't rob her own charity. But she was romantically involved with a married man and had played a rather critical role in the demise of his marriage.

It's also worth pointing out that she totally neglected to mention that particular connection to Grant. Had the team known from the start that Grant was going to leave his wife to be with her (a fact which Kayla knew), you know who Suspect Numero Uno would have been? That's right, the scorned Mrs. Grant.

Instead, there were tangents about the charity, suspicions about the Captain Grant's large donation, and Tyson Reed's embezzlement. Red herrings are one thing, but this case just felt really weak overall.

That said, I did like that they subverted the "crazy guy who's not so crazy as he seems provides crucial information to save the day" trope. Brandon Pierce ultimately didn't provide any critical information, and indeed sent the team looking in the wrong direction with Sonic Boom.

Mental illness and psychological trauma are real and definite problems faced by many veterans. I hope that the team made sure Brandon got the help he needed after the interview! Was he even mentioned again after that? I don't recall.

The B-story featuring Pride and his daughter Laurel felt much stronger and more genuine. I'm sure there are many of us who got a few years into college and suddenly had doubts about their major, their intended career. I know I did.

In this case, Pride was quite shocked to hear his daughter tell him that she didn't love music, at least not the way he did:

No, Dad. Music is what *you* love. It's just what I *do*.

Laurel Pride

Laurel's declaration made Pride doubt himself, wonder if he'd pressured her into music and by extension a life that she could not enjoy. Rather profound stuff, actually, if you think about it.

I think that his compromise with her at the end of the episode was quite reasonable, remarkably so, in fact. Plus, it gave us a chance for Laurel and Pride to share a duet. I remarked in a previous review that I was hoping to hear Scott Bakula sing as well as play, so thank you for that!

The situation also set the stage for a couple nice conversations regarding parenthood between Pride and both Loretta and LaSalle regarding parental expectations and understanding offspring. It was nice to get a check-in on the boys Loretta took in, and we got to learn something new about LaSalle, too!

A few final notes, thoughts, and musings before I turn the discussion over to you:

  • LaSalle should go share a beer with Jacob Stone from The Librarians; they could swap stories about their oil industry fathers who wanted them in the family business and were disappointed in their life choices.
  • James Hiroyuki Liao, who played the troubled ex-Delta Force operator Brandon Pierce, was a regular on the now-canceled Unforgettable (RIP!).
  • There were some good lines in this episode; be sure to stop by our NCIS: New Orleans quotes page for a quick rundown of some of the highlights.

So, what did you think of "Radio Silence"? Were you surprised that Captain Grant was murdered by his wife? How would you react to Laurel's announcement if you were in Pride's position? Let us know how you felt about this episode in the comments section below!

If you missed this episode, no worries! You can watch NCIS: New Orleans online to catch up! NCIS: New Orleans returns on March 15, 2016 at 9/8c on CBS with NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 18, "If It Bleeds, It Leads." Catch you then!


Radio Silence Review

Editor Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
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Rating: 4.3 / 5.0 (41 Votes)
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NCIS: New Orleans Season 2 Episode 17 Quotes

Your work... the bar... your daughter... not to mention the bounty on your head...

Loretta [on Pride's busy life]

Kayla Anderson: You're a federal agent?
Patton: Well, I like to think of it more like 'superhero.' When NCIS needs me, I swoop in to save the day.