NCIS: New Orleans - "Musician Heal Thyself" (1x01) CBS, Tuesdays, 9 p.m.
So the venerable "NCIS" begot a second child, one which is once again set in a town without a Navy base (as of 2011), although there is a joint reserve command nearby.
The show's primary cast was introduced just like members of "NCIS: LA" were, with a two-episode backdoor pilot last spring in the mothership "NCIS." That episode showed the promise of the setting (who can complain about New Orleans?) as well as the potential drawbacks (lead actor Scott Bakula's sometimes horrendous, sometimes absent Cajun accent).
Compared to the backdoor pilot, "Musician Heal Thyself" feels more settled, as if the writers have a better idea of just what they want to do with this new show. It already feels more like "NCIS" than "LA," with special agents investigating what appears at first to be a simple murder. This is a positive in some regards (I've always enjoyed the original flavor more than the west-coast version), but the writers are going to need more than a colorful setting to give this show its own feel.
Bakula is honestly one of the main draws for me to the new show, as with everything else I'm trying to catch this season, another generic procedural wouldn't really be a high priority otherwise. Thankfully, it seems his accent as Special Agent Dwayne Pride has been toned down since last spring, and I'd rather imagine him using a good accent than continue hearing him use a bad one. (Just compare his voice in the episode to his voice-over at the end saying "Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode.")
Of the other main cast members, Lucas Black's Special Agent Christopher LaSalle is my favorite so far, since he at least feels like a fully realized character, even if we still know nothing about him. Meanwhile, actress Zoe McLellan (who we're supposed to forget had a longstanding role in "NCIS" godfather, "JAG") plays the outside role pretty well as Special Agent Merri Brody, although her penchant for getting a goofy smile at random moments was a bit off-putting.
As for the episode's crime of the week, it was pretty run of the mill. I do have to question a bit the case having a personal connection to Pride, especially after the backdoor pilot featured a similar situation. If this keeps up, he'd going to run out of friends pretty soon.
We did get a momentary tie-in to "NCIS," seeing David McCallum's Ducky consult with resident medical examiner Dr. Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder). Two notes about that scene. First, part of me wants to pretend Dr. Wade is actually Mrs. Frederic from "Warehouse 13" finding work after retirement. Second, it's a small nitpick, but it annoyed me that when it showed Ducky looking at Pride on the monitor, he was centered, even though Pride was off to the side in the actual room).
In any event, it looks like we're going to get a more concrete tie-in next week with "NCIS" based on the previews.
I just want to touch on briefly the establishment of a potential season-long baddie in Councilman Douglas Hamilton (Steve Weber). "NCIS" has been pretty hit or miss lately on its extended story lines lately, so it will be interesting to see where they go with this.
So the venerable "NCIS" begot a second child, one which is once again set in a town without a Navy base (as of 2011), although there is a joint reserve command nearby.
Compared to the backdoor pilot, "Musician Heal Thyself" feels more settled, as if the writers have a better idea of just what they want to do with this new show. It already feels more like "NCIS" than "LA," with special agents investigating what appears at first to be a simple murder. This is a positive in some regards (I've always enjoyed the original flavor more than the west-coast version), but the writers are going to need more than a colorful setting to give this show its own feel.
Bakula is honestly one of the main draws for me to the new show, as with everything else I'm trying to catch this season, another generic procedural wouldn't really be a high priority otherwise. Thankfully, it seems his accent as Special Agent Dwayne Pride has been toned down since last spring, and I'd rather imagine him using a good accent than continue hearing him use a bad one. (Just compare his voice in the episode to his voice-over at the end saying "Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode.")
Of the other main cast members, Lucas Black's Special Agent Christopher LaSalle is my favorite so far, since he at least feels like a fully realized character, even if we still know nothing about him. Meanwhile, actress Zoe McLellan (who we're supposed to forget had a longstanding role in "NCIS" godfather, "JAG") plays the outside role pretty well as Special Agent Merri Brody, although her penchant for getting a goofy smile at random moments was a bit off-putting.
As for the episode's crime of the week, it was pretty run of the mill. I do have to question a bit the case having a personal connection to Pride, especially after the backdoor pilot featured a similar situation. If this keeps up, he'd going to run out of friends pretty soon.
We did get a momentary tie-in to "NCIS," seeing David McCallum's Ducky consult with resident medical examiner Dr. Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder). Two notes about that scene. First, part of me wants to pretend Dr. Wade is actually Mrs. Frederic from "Warehouse 13" finding work after retirement. Second, it's a small nitpick, but it annoyed me that when it showed Ducky looking at Pride on the monitor, he was centered, even though Pride was off to the side in the actual room).
In any event, it looks like we're going to get a more concrete tie-in next week with "NCIS" based on the previews.
BEYOND HERE THERE BE SPOILERS
I just want to touch on briefly the establishment of a potential season-long baddie in Councilman Douglas Hamilton (Steve Weber). "NCIS" has been pretty hit or miss lately on its extended story lines lately, so it will be interesting to see where they go with this.
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