NCIS: New Orleans: Scoop on What's Ahead When the Series Returns

(Caution: spoilers about NCIS: New Orleans ahead!)

When NCIS: New Orleansfinished up its first half of the season, we found out that FBI Agent Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito) became increasingly attached to her new colleagues in New Orleans (and, in a twist we didn't see coming, used to be in a relationship with a woman). We also learned that Agent LaSalle (Lucas Black) really wasn't the father of baby Tucker, and that connections to the Ciudad Natal Cartel may run deeper than anybody initially imagined. There's a whole lot going on, and you better believe there's much more to come. TVGuide.com found time to talk with with executive producer Brad Kern about other major discoveries we're about to be rocked by when NCIS: New Orleans returns next year.

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So long Ciudad Natal Cartel: Hello shady New Orleans
The season has been broken into two parts, Kern says. The first part was dealing with the Cartel. "Ultimately, successfully pushing them away is certainly what the finale is all about," he says. Still, there are "deeper wounds" that will soon be addressed, including an arc about city corruption. "The end of the Cartel storyline will hand the baton off to the second half which is going to deal with obviously the Navy, Marines and jurisdictional aspects that affect NCIS," Kern says, but also how all that's connected to city corruption. Kern didn't exactly mention shady mayor Douglas Hamilton (Steven Weber), but based on his past behavior we can assume his messiness is going to float to the surface!

Sebastian has proven to be able to go from the lab to kicking butt and taking names. Is he about to become the next warrior on the NCIS: New Orleans team?
Expect to see two sides. "There's special agent and forensic agent," Kern tells TVGuide.com, "which means he'll be working in the lab but taking those skills to the field." Carrying a gun, ducking bullets and punches -- it's all fair game. Sebastian (Rob Kerkovich) is both an everyman who allows us to imagine ourselves as an NCIS agent, and to see some lightheartedness in the show too, Kern says. "It'll be a lot fun."

Is Agent Brody coming back?
This rumor doesn't seem to want to die, but there are no plans for Agent Brody (Zoe McLellan) to return, according to Kern. (And this isn't some sort of tease to throw you off: she's moved on and her return as a character is pretty much not going to happen.)

Are LaSalle and Percy going to stop denying their feelings for each other and get together?Prognosis is good! Now that LaSalle is free of, um, burdens, and has proven himself willing to step up to be a great partner and even father, the ongoing tension between him and Percy (Shalita Grant) may finally come from out of the shadows into the light. "Where that ends up," Kern says, "I guess the best way to say is, 'Stay tuned.'" Is anyone else hearing NCIS: New Orleans wedding bells?!

(Disclaimer: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS.)

NCIS: New Orleans returns in 2017.