NCIS: New Orleans Will Start Shooting Season 7 Soon

Good news NCIS: New Orleans fans: like its sister shows in the franchise NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS NOLA is back in the swing of things, or at least, is about to be: after abruptly cutting production short n early March due to coronavirus, the series is said to be resuming production towards the end of September, according to Deadline.

While there's no word on exactly when we'll see the episodes (November is being floated as the likely general timeline) but at shooting is underway! Ever since CBS' confirmation that NCIS: New Orleans will continue into Season 7, fans have been restless to find out what's next for Pride (Scott Bakula), Sebastian (Rob Kerkovich), Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito) and the rest of the gang in The Big Easy. But just because we know when things are getting back to a relative kind of normal doesn't mean there's a lot of clarity on what to expect. That's why TV Guide spoke with executive producer Christopher Silber back in April -- just weeks after COVID-19 put an indefinite pause on production -- to get an idea of what the NCIS: New Orleans team is thinking of next. Here's everything we know so far.   

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Shooting will resume in late September. Deadline reports that NCIS: New Orleans will start shooting again Sept. 21. That's a few weeks after NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, which resume shooting just after labor day, and likely means the show would come back on the air in November. 

Thinking Pride might reunite with his ex? Don't hold your breath. Pride and his ex-wife Linda (Paige Turco) found an amicable middle ground in the last episode of the season when he was able to acknowledge Linda's hurt over their marriage. Though they were able to be civil, and even on good terms, it would be unwise to assume they're taking the reconciliation to the next level. "I don't want to throw cold water on anything," Silber said, adding that while it's important to tell stories about adults and their relationships, "This was less about romance but finding a new normal in their relationship." They've both moved on.

Theories about The Man in the Red Suit being Pride's father may never be fully confirmed. One major storyline in Season 6 that kept fans intrigued appeared in Episode 14 ("The Man in the Red Suit") where Pride took a journey into his past via some LSD therapy. During treatment, he came to realize his father beat a man, "Red," to death because of an affair with Pride's mom, and there are theories that Red might actually be Pride's father instead of Cassius Pride (Stacy Keach). Silber said that as far as paternity goes, what you see is what you get.

"I don't know if complicating [Pride's] paternity any more serves the character. I still think he has a satisfyingly complicated relationship with his father. For me, that is the most satisfying way for Red to live in this story. Cassius is a bad father, and the gift that keeps on giving."

We can expect to see more of Pride's mom  As part of Pride's exploration of self in Season 6 we got to see more of Mena (Joanna Cassidy) his mom; from the sounds of it, we haven't seen the last of her. "We so enjoy working with [Cassidy] and we enjoy diving into that. There's more territory to explore there."

Special agent Quentin Carter's story deepens. New kid on the block Carter (Charles Michael Davis) has had a somewhat rocky path at being fully integrated into the NCIS: New Orleans team this season, but as we saw in the last episode, the ice may be thawing on his end and for his colleagues.

"It's important for the character that he integrate into the group," said Silber. "I think you will see him warming up." Silber said Carter will remain somewhat guarded but gradually peel open parts of himself as we get to know him and his background, including a wealthy military family that he's not in close contact with. "How does a guy with such a tight-knit family go off and be so reluctant to make ties? That's the territory we're excited to learn more about."

We'll see Gregorio open up more too. "We'll start to get a sense of Gregorio's vulnerability," executive producer Jan Nash said. As Pride's second in command and the toughest person in the bunch, Gregorio has an armor about her she keeps up, but that may change in Season 7. "That seems obvious for us to push at, and see where this attitude comes from, to crack that open."

NCIS: New Orleans concluded Season 6 on April 20. All episodes are streaming on CBS All Access.