NCIS: New Orleans - Risk Assessment - Review: "Secret Identities"
5.9 - "Risk Assessment"
Directed by Tessa Blake
Written by Elizabeth Rinehart
Reviewed by Kelly Anne Blount
Recap – After a happy intro with a father, Jacob Bell, saying goodbye to his family, we watch him get into his vehicle, where he is strangled to death by someone wrapping industrial wire around his neck. Yikes! The perpetrator didn’t leave behind any forensic evidence, which leads the team to believe that the murder was carried out by a professional. When Hannah and Gregorio talk to Molly Bell, Jacob’s wife, she doesn’t have much information to share, other than her husband travelled a lot for work.
The team look into Jacob’s travel and find out that while he had several trips booked, he didn’t go on all of them. Instead, he would go to the airport, park his car in long term parking, get in another car, and drive away. The second car at the airport was registered to Jacob Landry. Jacob Landry had a driver’s license with the same picture as Jacob Bell, but was listed as living in Mississippi. When the team goes to investigate, they find something shocking, Jacob had a second family in Mississippi!
All in all, Jacob had two families, four jobs, and somehow he appeared to pull everything off without anyone knowing. Sebastian and LaSalle stay behind in New Orleans to check out Jacob’s office, while Gregorio and Hannah head to Mississippi. At first, everything looks normal. Regular office set up, regular office furniture, etc. That all changes when they find a secret room filled with extra passports, several computers, and more. Unfortunately, it’s rigged to blow if intruders a.k.a. NCIS officers enter. Sebastian makes a daring move and darts back into the room as sparks fly and manages to grab a laptop.
The laptop leads the team to a shocking conclusion. Jacob Bell was part of a Russian sleeper cell trying to infiltrate the United States Navy. Patton also find out that Jacob was nervous about the current task he needed to carry out, but he had a partner, who convinced him to move forward. The NCIS team have trouble deciphering the entire message, but they did manage to figure out a planned meet up between Jacob and his partner. It’s taking place at a park in New Orleans.
Everyone heads to the park. They are surprised to see Mrs. Landry acting suspicious while wearing a blonde wig. They are even more surprised to see Molly Bell, Jacob’s other wife, show up. Molly demands to know what happened to Jacob. The NCIS officers try to apprehend both women, but they aren’t fast enough. Amanda Landry and Molly Bell manage to get away with the help of Charlie Landry, who is driving the getaway car.
While this is going on, Pride gets a call from his brother Jimmy, who has been arrested. Turns out he had an open warrant that he didn’t know about. Pride heads down to the station to see what he can do to help his brother.
Back on the case, we find out that Jacob did travel frequently using his different passports. People from the CIA watchlist mysteriously died when Jacob just happened to be in town. It appears that Jacob was a hitman. He changed his method of murdering people several months ago, opting to use a Russian nerve agent. This explains why Loretta found antitoxins in his blood during the autopsy. He’d take the cure before using the nerve agent to assassinate someone.
The team know that the clock is ticking. The Landry family has another target and there isn’t much time left to stop them. Luckily, they manage to track down Charlie’s car. When Hannah goes to investigate, she inadvertently enters a crime scene. Molly is dead and Charlie is left suffering from a gunshot wound, bleeding on the floor. He tells Hannah that nerve agent is in the air and that she’ll die if they stay. Hannah decides to stay and help him, putting her own life at risk.
As they wait for a hazmat team to arrive with the antitoxin cure, Hannah helps the wounded Charlie. He tells Hannah everything, including the face that Amanda and Jacob Landry weren’t his real parents. They were simply his “handlers.” He’s been training to be a spy since he was 12 years old. Charlie hated his life and didn’t want Leah and Sam, the younger Bell children, to have to go through it as well. That’s why he had to kill Jacob. He also tells Hannah that Amanda Landry was the one who killed Molly with the nerve agent and shot him in the leg, leaving him to die. Molly gave up her life for her children’s lives. Luckily, the hazmat team arrives in time to save Charlie and Hannah. They have to spend time in quarantine though, just to be safe.
While Molly’s two children are hiding at a hotel in protective custody, Amanda Landry shows up and kills the officers guarding them. Molly’s daughter, Leah, convinces her little brother that it’s okay to go with Mrs. Landry, that she’ll look after them.
With the kids gone and the assassination still looming, the team buckles down to try and figure out Amanda’s target. They narrow it down to a Russian dissident, who was in town for an interview. They head to the location of the interview, where they find Mrs. Landry and Leah. Luckily, they manage to stop Leah before she opens the nerve agent and kills the target.
The NCIS officers and the federal agents working the case decide that Charlie, Leah, and Sam, her younger brother, should all be placed in protective custody. Hannah and Charlie having a heart to heart. No one is given any jail time, but the recovery won’t be easy. Hopefully, in time, they will be able to lead normal lives.
The episode ends with Pride meeting his brother Jimmy at the courthouse. Pride is thrilled that Jimmy is there and that he didn’t run. Jimmy tells him, “I got your back, brother. I’d never leave you hanging. That’s what family does.” Pride smiles and asks Jimmy, “Is that one of my suits?” His brother jokes, “That’s something else family does, they share.”
Review/Thoughts – Wow! Talk about a timely episode with everything that’s going on in our world right now. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this episode. From the opening, I never would have thought Jacob was a Russian spy!
I like the boss and employee relationship that Hannah and Gregorio are developing. Not sure that’s the best way to describe it, but I like how they are able to work through problems professionally and without a ton of drama. Two strong women, kicking butt and solving crimes!
I would have liked to have seen more Sebastian and LaSalle, but I know they can’t be the feature of every episode. Le sigh…
I’m also really enjoying Pride and Jimmy’s storyline. They are reconnecting in a very loving, authentic, and brotherly way. I’m glad Jimmy has been in several episodes and I look forward to seeing him in more!
What did you think of this episode? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Be sure to leave a comment below!
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