It's rare that I like procedurals. Even rarer I review them but the NCIS franchise (except for NCIS: Los Angeles) has grabbed my attention with its adventure, character chemistry, and some moments of comic relief to ease the tension. CBS just jumped at the chance to produce another spin off of one of their most watched shows. Even if the show doesn't do well in the U.S. still other countries will take on the show as advertisers just line up to sponsor this popular show.
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| Scott Bakula with producer/actor Mark Harmon |
Everyone is laid back in the Big Easy but crime still runs rampant as New Orleans while a beautiful, exciting location is one of the United States's most violent cities. Yet that doesn't get our crime fighters down. The mood is a bit different with this NCIS crew. After the first few seconds of the intro music my blood was pumping. I was even more electrified with Scott Bakula's fun energy for his character Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride. He's certainly different from Gibbs (Mark Harmon) who is more stoic and unapproachable while Dwayne is more friendly and social. Dwayne is the type to hop up on stage and start playing his heart out and embracing a stranger with a big smile and an offer of a beer. Still Dwayne keeps the tradition of being a parental figure for his team (which I sort of feel NCIS: LA lacks a bit but it still keeps a family vibe). However, Dwayne is just as big a lover of justice and isn't afraid to get in your face as he did with the crooked councilman. I see why Dwayne and Gibbs are friends. They each take their cases to heart but Dwayne is still married (or separated at the moment) and his daughter's in college.
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| Solving the case while munching on some New Orleans Cuisine |
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| The party never stops in the Big Easy |
But let's not forget the rest of the characters who have quickly settled into their roles and already give off a good humor vibe. Lucas Black (Legion, The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift) plays the mellow, spirited Christopher LaSalle. He loves being in the thick of the excitement (as Dwayne pointed out given LaSalle lives in the French Quarter). He seems to always have a smile on his face which makes you smile. Then there's the feisty special agent Brody (Zoe McLellan). She's not a native of the South and she may prefer to dress professionally where as her coworkers are less buttoned down but she's no downer. She's very bold with a sharp mind. And no NCIS team is complete without an enthusiastic ME like Dr. Loretta Wade (C.C. H. Pounder). Despite her morbid profession, Loretta is always ready with a smile. And her awkward, talkative assistant Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich) who may come off as a nerd but he's always ready for an adventure with the living. Perhaps because it's New Orleans, death is mourned but it's the city of voodoo where the dead still play an active part in life. So seeing a corpse on that cold slab is sad but at the same time you know that wake's going to be a blast. Solemn processions with sad jazz music is always followed by a joyful celebration. Given our favorite happy Goth Abby is from the Crescent City this sort of gives us familiarity so we are much more comfortable with the theme.
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| An electric cast that keeps your blood pumping |
The setting is New Orleans so producers thought it best to actually film in New Orleans. It really is a beautiful city. We get to see NOLA in all her impressive beauty. We see her ports, the French Quarter, and her jazzy clubs. But we also see the lower income areas which although aren't the most appealing are still a part of the city and would be incomplete without seeing them. All cities have light and darkness but because of New Orleans rich diverse history every space has an affect on you wherever the cameras take you whether it's in the French Quarter (the crown jewel of New Orleans) or in the bug infested swamps of the bayous.
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| Crime doesn't sleep & neither does the Crescent City |
NCIS: New Orleans is definitely worth a watch. Supernatural or not, there's always exciting stuff happening in the Crescent City and you'd be a fool to miss this show.
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