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NCIS: New Orleans packed a lot of punch into the most recent episode. Fans know Supervisory Agent, Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula), has struggled with past traumas for some time. Now that he’s finally getting the help he needs, revelations come with more questions than answers. Here’s why Pride’s controversial treatment could come with dire consequences down the line.

[Spoilers: NCIS: New Orleans Season 6, Episode 14]

Dwayne Pride is dealing with his trauma in a controversial way on ‘NCIS: New Orleans’

'NCIS: New Orleans'
Ellen Adair as Karla Monroe, Scott Bakula as Special Agent Dwayne Pride, Necar Zadegan as Special Agent Hannah Khoury, and Vanessa Ferlito as FBI Special Agent Tammy Gregorio | Sam Lothridge/CBS via Getty Images

On the latest episode NCIS: New Orleans, “The Man in the Red Suit,” Pride (Bakula) finally committed to taking enough time off work to practice self-care.

With the support and encouragement of Pride’s longtime friend and confidante, Dr. Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder), Pride began a controversial LSD therapy to address where his hallucinations stem from.

Many theories circulated about the identity of “Red,” after the NCIS: New Orleans winter finale. Some thought he represented Pride’s guilt, that he was the symbol of bad things to come, or someone bad from Pride’s past that viewers should’ve remembered.

The answer, as viewers learned, is none of those.

Though the unconventional treatment comes with many risks, considering how Pride’s insomnia and disturbing visions are getting in the way of work, something had to be done.

During “The Man in the Red Suit,” Pride took the potent hallucinogenic drug under a doctor’s supervision. The effects were meant to keep Pride lucid enough to confront the flashing scenes inside the confines of his mind, so he could sort through them and make sense of whatever is subconsciously bother him.

Once the drug took effect, Pride’s long-lost memories surfaced. However, their origins proved there’s a reason he kept some things buried.

What consequences could come from Pride’s revelations?

While in a drug-induced state, Pride’s subconscious unearthed some horrific truths he’d all but forgotten about. When he was a young boy, there was a man — the man in the red suit he’s been hallucinating — who taught him a few things on the piano.

The man Pride referred to as “Red,” as Pride remembered it, had been seeing Pride’s mother while his father, Cassius, was away. The secret affair put young Pride in a precarious situation when Cassius took him for a drive, alone, to the nightclub, Tru-Tone, and bombarded him with questions.

Fans know that Pride and Cassius’s relationship had always been strained. It became clear with the introduction of Red. Throughout this “dream” sequence Pride navigated, a suppressed traumatic memory came to light: Cassius killed Red in the back alley, and Pride watched him do it.

The pain of the event caused Pride to bury the memory — seeking justice for others like Red — as a way to cope. The LSD therapy helped Pride remember these things, but it could also come with bigger ramifications.

Some think the death of Special Agent Christopher LaSalle (Lucas Black) triggered Pride’s need to confront his past. Others believe the revelation of Red’s affair with Pride’s mother may lead to something bigger.

For instance, could Red be Pride’s biological father? It’s not too far-fetched considering Cassius spent time away. Pride’s mother may have kept it a secret his whole life only to have Red be the role model piano teacher in his life, without having to come clean.

Now, Pride’s mother’s memory has all but faded. Getting answers would require a lot. By the way the episode ended, there’s clearly a lot more internal work on Pride’s end if he’s to ever find peace — and for fans to find out if Red was more than another man in Pride’s mother’s life.

‘NCIS: New Orleans’ serves a double-header on March 15

For those who can’t wait for the next two new episodes, NCIS: New Orleans is gifting fans with a double-dose on Sun., March 15, and viewers are extremely grateful.

“In light of everything happening with postponements of large gatherings, etc. due to covid19, this news puts me in a happy place!” one fan tweeted. “Awesome!!! Can’t wait!!!!” another added. “Yay! A double feature with the “power of 3.” #Loretta #Hannah #Tammy #NCISNOLA” this viewer said.

Clearly, the series knows what fans want — more new episodes of NCIS: New Orleans — and are giving them exactly that.

NCIS: New Orleans airs Sunday, March 15 starting at 9 p.m. on CBS.

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