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The premiere of “NCIS: New Orleans” Season 5 is inching ever closer but there are still a lot of questions that need answering. At the end of last season, for example, Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula) was shot. So now, the matter of his survival and recovery condition is up in the air. In related news, a producer of the show was recently suspended for allegedly creating a toxic workplace environment.
Scott Bakula has given no indications that he is going to be leaving the show, Carter Matt points out, so he is likely to return for “NCIS: New Orleans” Season 5. The question now is in what condition he will be returning. The publication notes that a longer recovery period would be better for the plot, overall.
It’s not unheard of for new seasons of shows to open with characters who got fatally shot but then recovered as if nothing happened, save for some mental trauma. In the case of Dwayne Pride, however, choosing this route for “NCIS: New Orleans” Season 5 could make it seem as if getting shot is no big deal. This could be seen as the characters having no stakes in the game and would downplay the impact of the shooting.
Regardless, it’s likely that Scott Bakula’s character will be making a return in “NCIS: New Orleans” Season 5 in one form or another. Narratively speaking, a longer recovery period could be the route that the showrunners would go for.
In related “NCIS: New Orleans” Season 5 news, a producer for the show was recently suspended pending investigations of workplace toxicity allegations. The producer in question is Brad Kern and the allegations stem all the way back to 2016 when he was the series’ showrunner. Following the complaints during that period, he was replaced by Chris Silber.
Kern was supposed to be a producer for “NCIS: New Orleans” Season 5 but was recently removed from the position, Cinema Blend reports. CBS reopened the investigation in the 2016 allegations and this time, it’s with the help of “outside counsel.” This will not affect the show’s Sept. 25 premiere and will air as scheduled.
