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NCIS: New Orleans Season 7 premiere: Loretta struggles under the weight of the pandemic

By Alexandria Ingham

"Something in the Air, Part I" -- As New Orleans grapples with the effects of Covid-19, Pride sends Tammy and Carter to investigate a suspicious death aboard a humanitarian ship docked offshore, where once on board they learn that some of the crew have become infected with the deadly disease. Also, Wade is overwhelmed by the amount of bodies coming into the morgue due to Covid-19, on the seventh season premiere of "NCIS: NEW ORLEANS," Sunday, Nov. 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: CCH Pounder as Dr. Loretta Wade Photo: Screen Grab/CBS ©2020 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
"Something in the Air, Part I" -- As New Orleans grapples with the effects of Covid-19, Pride sends Tammy and Carter to investigate a suspicious death aboard a humanitarian ship docked offshore, where once on board they learn that some of the crew have become infected with the deadly disease. Also, Wade is overwhelmed by the amount of bodies coming into the morgue due to Covid-19, on the seventh season premiere of "NCIS: NEW ORLEANS," Sunday, Nov. 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: CCH Pounder as Dr. Loretta Wade Photo: Screen Grab/CBS ©2020 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved /
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NCIS: New Orleans opted to bring a pandemic storyline to the Season 7 premiere

It was always going to be a risky move for TV shows to bring the pandemic into their storylines. While NCIS: Los Angeles is set after the pandemic, NCIS: New Orleans Season 7 opened with a pandemic storyline.

Arguably, focusing on the pandemic in New Orleans was important. Unlike LA, we do get to see a lot of the morgue side of things in New Orleans. Loretta is an essential character to the series, so seeing how she coped with the growing situation was non-negotiable. It didn’t just add drama, but it gave us a side of her character that we haven’t had the opportunity to see.

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We saw her fear. She routinely got people to wear masks (properly). There were times Pride and Sebastian would remove their masks and she would around them, but when it came to those working on the front line, she didn’t want to take any chances.

Then we saw her dedication. She wasn’t willing to sleep until she’d done everything she could. Despite running on fumes, she refused to let this virus win.

Remember, this was meant to be at the start of the pandemic. At one point, Pride shares that there order to close all bars and restaurants has come in. This is the early days of the pandemic, so it’s understandable that Loretta is willing to run on fumes to figure things out. There’s a chance she could find something, not realizing that this is a pandemic that will go on for some time.

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Loretta can’t save everyone on NCIS: New Orleans Season 7

Sadly, the position she’s in, Loretta can’t save everyone. She’s working in the morgue. She has to use the dead to help her figure things out, and she’s not in a position to help the living.

That is likely going to be something that affects her moving forward. While there is certainly a need for coroners to figure out how murder victims have died, it is hard to face the body of someone you knew.

The paramedic who Loretta kept giving masks to turns up in her morgue, and not with another dead body. He is among the dead, a victim of this pandemic.

It’s likely going to hit Loretta hard as we go into the next episode on Sunday. Loretta consistently tried to get it through to Roger to wear his mask, but there was little that mask would do when it wasn’t cleaned. Masks don’t last forever and they need to be routinely changed throughout a shift. Roger points out that they’re only given one a day, and he was working double and triple shifts.

Being on the front line was dangerous enough. Being on the frontline without the right equipment will likely lead to Loretta doing whatever she can to make sure those who really need stuff get it.

As Pride said, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Next. Why will NCIS: New Orleans Season 7 only have 16 episodes?. dark

What did you think of the use of the pandemic storyline on NCIS: New Orleans? What do you hope to see for Loretta moving forward? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

NCIS: New Orleans Season 7 airs Sundays on CBS.

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