Why NCIS: New Orleans' Shocking Arrest Happened, According To The Star

ncis new orleans

The end of the 2016-2017 TV season is fast-approaching, and many series are making big moves about major characters. NCIS: New Orleans didn't hold back in messing with the dynamic of the team in the most recent episode, as it ended with Sonja Percy landing herself in the slammer after allowing Nadine Bancroft to escape NCIS' efforts to detain her. Actress Shalita Grant has weighed in on why her character's shocking arrest happened, saying this:

Percy had Nadine wrong. She thought she had her figured out. She thought she was this rich girl who didn't care about anybody but herself. And then she realized this woman is actually putting her life on the line for these villagers. Letting this woman deliver guns to the villagers felt like the right thing to do and in the heat of the moment she makes the choice.

Nadine Bancroft was pretty clearly a shady individual, what with all the funneling of stolen weapons out of the country and all. Still, she earned some sympathy from Percy when she claimed that she was sending the weapons to African villagers who have been terrorized by Boko Haram, and that sympathy was enough that Percy was convinced to let her escape during a gunfight despite strict instructions to bring her in. Percy could have followed orders and detained Nadine, preventing her from warning the innocents in Africa of what was coming, but she decided to go with her gut. Unfortunately, as Shalita Grant said, Percy made an error in judgment, and that error will land her in prison.

In case you thought that Percy's arrest was just a stunt to create buzz for the show, Shalita Grant has already said that Percy won't be getting out of the clink any time too soon. Despite Pride's efforts to defend her in court, she was sent behind bars, and she'll evidently be staying there for a while. Grant went on in her chat with TVGuide to say this about why Percy will be left in prison for a while:

Pride feels like it's part of a larger plan of Mayor Hamilton's to break up the group. Their focus is getting Hamilton. [Percy's decision] was ill-timed, but they get it. And they're focused on the bigger picture.

Percy did disobey a direct order (and was caught on camera doing it), so it won't necessarily be easy for Pride to get her out of her current mess, and the entire NCIS team already had a lot on their plates without one of their own in prison. It seems that Percy's state won't be the highest priority in the final episodes of the season. We can only hope that she makes it out before the finale. I know I don't want to have to spend all of hiatus wondering what's happening with her.

Tune in to CBS on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET to see what happens next for Percy and Co. on NCIS: New Orleans, and don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere guide and our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).