WARNING: The following contains spoilers for NCIS: New Orleans Season 7, Episode 16, “Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler” which aired Sunday on CBS.
The series finale of NCIS: New Orleans doesn't waste any time with a lead-in, opening with Connor arguing with Sasha and Pride. They've just told him that he's going to have to uproot his entire life and enter into the Witness Security Program (WITSEC) with his mother because New Orleans is no longer safe. Things are then made worse when his mother tells him that she wants to leave immediately, a suggestion that forces him to storm off,
Over at NCIS, Carter is getting Hannah’s opinion on what tie he should wear to Pride’s wedding. He doesn’t want to clash with her, but the tie question is actually just a conversation starter. He actually wants Hannah’s opinion on whether he should accept an NCIS job offer in Japan. Hannah is totally taken off-guard, and she feels like she has to get away from the subject. Carter is known for only staying in a place for a short amount of time, but she has fallen for him.
Deciding to return to the team, the only update Hannah gets is that the crew that attacked Jimmy and Connor were professionals. They wore masks and gloves and didn’t leave any trace of their identity because they had stolen a van and torched it. The first break in the case then comes with some of Sebastian’s old-fashion grunt work. After watching lots of city security cameras, he saw that one of the crew had thrown a blood-smeared rag out of the window. After tracking down the rag in a gutter, he used the DNA to identify Stuart Hendricks as one of the assailants. So, when Patton pinging his phone, Pride and Sebastian go to confront him at a fancy hotel. After a long chase through the building, across rooftops and down a parking garage, Sebastian and Pride are able to catch him with a little help from a whip-toting carriage driver in Jackson Square.
Meanwhile, Jimmy is out of the hospital, and Pride brings him home. Connor is sorry for getting him beat up, but Jimmy is sure to point out that he didn’t do anything. They also talk about Connor having to leave for WITSEC because sometimes a fresh start is a good thing. Regardless, his mother is not going to ever be able to change who she is, meaning Connor needs to decide what kind of person he wants to be, even if he is going with her.
When Gregorio and Sebastian question Hendricks, he's no help. He is, seemingly, more worried about the person that hired him than the possibility of doing jail time. So, the team has to keep digging. Eventually, Patton is able to track down Hendricks’ two accomplices. One of them is already gone to Mexico, but Jay Duke’s flight to Puerto Rico was delayed. They easily find him at his address and bring him in for questioning. During the interrogation, they act like Henricks had ratted him out. Still, though, Duke is not concerned at all, explaining that they were just scaring kids. Pride is then able to see the truth -- Sasha orchestrated the attack to make it seem like Connor was in trouble.
With new information, Pride goes to accuse Sasha of setting up the attack on Connor, and she doesn't deny his claim. She wanted her son to be with her and needed to convince him to come along. Pride isn’t exactly sure what to do, so he talks to Rita. If Connor goes with his mother and gets into trouble, Pride won’t be there to help him, but if he stays, he will have a target on his back, notwithstanding his mother’s fake attack. They decide that Connor needs to make the decision for himself. But when Pride goes to do that, Connor perceptively knows that something is up. He even figures out what Pride is going to say before he says it, but ultimately, he doesn’t care. Sasha needs him more than Pride does because he is all that his mother has, and regardless of his mother’s actions, she still loves him. With all that in mind, he decides to go into WITSEC.
Shortly thereafter, Connor asks his mother about the attack. She admits to having staged it, but explains that “everything I have ever done has been for you.” While Connor isn't convinced, she promises that there will be no more lies between them. She clearly doesn’t want him going to Pride’s wedding, but he already promised, so they decide to leave New Orleans after the wedding reception.
In a break in the action, Carter finds time to talk to Hannah about his job offer. She tells him that she cannot make the decision for him, but Carter clarifies that that isn't what he wants. Later, he reveals that he has decided to turn down the offer because he wants to stay in New Orleans, specifically with Hannah. When he does so, Gregorio and Hannah have to pay up because they bet Patton Carter would leave.
While the case is going on, everyone is also feverishly getting ready for the wedding. Pride’s mother spends time at Loretta’s house, and Mena knows that her time is running short. She is elated that Pride and Rita have made the wedding where she can be a part of it before she dies. Later on, Pride and Connor arrive, and Mena meets he grandson for the first time. She is very excited and cannot wait to hear him play the guitar.
Finally, it’s time for the wedding. As the ceremony begins, Loretta describes their relationship as a love story where “life got in the way.” Then, after they kiss, Jimmy unveils a surprise. He has a convertible ready to take Pride and Rita back to their reception at Pride’s bar. As he leaves the wedding, Pride sups up what the series has been about. He says, “Thank you, each and every one of you for making this night happen so fast. To be able to carve out a night like this after the year we’ve been through, and share it with the people we love in this city we love, is a gift. Tomorrow we’re back at it because there’s work to do, but tonight, let’s say, “Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler.” That translates to “let the good times roll,” and that's exactly what they do.
Back at the bar, everyone is having a great time. Laurel calls Pride and tells him about her and her fiancé’s wedding date, while Rita requests a dance with Connor. As all of the fun is happening, Sasha pulls up with her protection. She sees through the window how happy Connor is and looks mad. However, rather than going inside for Connor, she slips away from her escort and disappears. Later, she calls Pride and explains herself. She knows that she can take care of herself, and now she doesn’t have to worry about protecting Connor as well. She has seen how happy Connor was and wanted him to be that way, so she tells Pride, “You need to protect our boy.,” meaning Pride and Rita are now newlyweds and new parents.
As Pride goes back in from talking to Sasha, everyone’s phone beeps with an NCIS alert -- duty calls. Fortunately, Hannah and Carter offer to take care of it so everyone else can party. Then, the parade starts, and to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the cast marches down the street and celebrates Pride’s wedding as the series comes to a close.
NCIS: New Orleans star Scott Bakula, Rob Kerkovich, Necar Zadegan, CCH Pounder, Daryl Mitchell, Vanessa Ferlito and Charles Michael Davis. The series was not renewed by CBS for Season 8.