The various shows in the NCIS franchise are known for ending their seasons on huge cliffhangers, and NCIS: New Orleans didn't disappoint with a killer cliffhanger in the Season 4 finale. The final moments of the episode saw Pride shot just when everything seemed safe and the danger of most of the hour had passed. While we can be pretty confident that the Season 5 premiere won't reveal that the unit's leader died from his injuries, the show is bringing in a brand new character to serve as a leader, and she'll be played by none other than Necar Zadegan of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce fame.
Necar Zadegan will play a special agent by the name of Hannah Khoury. She steps in to take a leadership position within the team following the assassination attempt that left Pride very seriously wounded in the Season 4 finale. She won't turn up in the first episode of the season, which focuses on the existing team scouring New Orleans to try and find the woman who tried to assassinate him. Her first appearance will be in the second episode of Season 5, airing on October 2. She may not take over for Pride on a permanent basis, but she'll likely carry at least part of the leadership load in the fourth season. She'll be a series regular, so she's not going anywhere.
Agent Hannah Khoury will be a different kind of agent than the team is used to. As an agent of Persian decent, EW reports that she has "an international flavor." Although Hannah grew up in the U.S., she brings a lot of experience in international intelligence work to the New Orleans crew. She also won't be the only new character in the mix, so it should be interesting to see how all the newcomers fit into the dynamic. The team -- and specifically, Pride -- will have to deal with the introduction of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Steven Thompson (Reggie Lee), who isn't happy with how Pride does his job and prioritizes.
This news comes after a summer filled with reports about behind-the-scenes issues related to the previous showrunner, so fans may be relieved for something worth getting excited about. In addition to her work on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce on Bravo, Necar Zadegan is known for her work on Here and Now, 24, and Extant. Interestingly, she landed a small role on NCIS back in 2007. She will not be reprising that role.
Be sure to tune in to NCIS: New Orleans on Tuesday, October 2 to see Zadegan's debut as Agent Hannah Koury. For important premiere dates -- including all three current NCIS franchise shows -- take a look at our fall TV guide. New episodes of NCIS: New Orleans will fall in the final slot of CBS' ambitious Tuesday night lineup, also including the original NCIS and Dick Wolf's freshman series FBI, which surprised many when it landed at CBS rather than Wolf's usual home at NBC. There's a lot to look forward to in the coming months, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news.
