‘NCIS: New Orleans’: Pride’s Fate Revealed in Season Premiere

Dwayne “King” Cassius Pride may be down at the beginning of the NCIS: New Orleans season premiere, but don’t think he’s out just yet.

The inaugural episode of the New Orleans-based NCIS spinoff picked up right where season four left off, with Pride (Scott Bakula) lying on the ground facing a near-mortal gunshot wound from Amelia Parsons (Ellen Hollman).

Pride has an out of body experience where he sees the ghost of an old murder victim, as LaSalle (Lucas Black) finds him and quickly calls the police. He sees Amelia running away and tries to pursue but she gets away.

Loretta (CCH Pounder) and Sebastian (Rob Kerkovich) try to help as th ambulance arrives and he is taken to the hospital.

Inside his mind, Pride continues to talk to the victim, who seems to be guiding him toward death as she pressures him to take her hand and everything will be clear.

The next morning, the team is concerned Amelia may escape the city before they get to her. Sebastian worries that Pride might not make it given the amount of blood he lost in the shooting but Tammy (Vanessa Ferlito) gives him a pep talk.

“Dwayne Pride is stronger than a couple of bullets. He will pull through and we’ll take Amelia down, cause you’re going to work the scene and get us the evidence we need,” she tells the forensic scientist.

After he leaves, LaSalle asks he if she really thinks he’ll be O.K. He pauses, but says she’s absolutely sure.

In the hospital, Pride continues to hallucinate as the doctor’s go into surgery.

“I’m a fighter. I’ll be strong,” he tells the ghost, who continues to convince him to let go.

“I didn’t come here,” she says. “You summoned me.” She says, claiming he is reckless with his life and he should just take her hand and go with her.

A conversation with Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) reveals to the team that Amelia was married to a former enemy of Pride’s, and she was seeking revenge after the man died in a showdown with him about a year ago.

At the hospital, Loretta tells Rita that despite his chances of stabilizing being small, other patients would not have made it through the night so that should give her new hope.

As the investigation continues, LaSalle decides to tell the press that Pride is going to survive and headed to Houston for more treatment in an attempt to lure Amelia out of hiding.

In a particularly emotional moment, Loretta begs Pride to fight for his life.

“But Dwayne if you can’t…if you can’t fight anymore. It’s O.K.,” she says to her friend. “We’ll be alright here.”

Pride continues to debate with the ghost, who continues to debate on whether or not he really wants to be alive. Despite her persuasion, Pride is not convinced and his arguing with her is visible in the hospital.

Amelia makes it to the hospital to try to finish the job, but she is stopped she she reaches his room and Rita and Loretta already moved him to hide. They move him to the morgue where they might be safe. At that point, his pulse starts to fade and his bleeding starts again.

As the team fights Amelia, Pride flatlines as he is seen almost choosing to hold the ghost’s hand and let go. LaSalle catches up to her and they have a standoff, but Sebastian stops him from killing her.

Upstairs, doctors shock Pride, as he talks to the ghost about how great death could be, and he sees her mother playing the piano.

“You drive a hard bargain…” he says, as he takes her hand and appears to walk toward the light. At the last minute, however he changes his mind and says he wants to keep fighting at the sight of his daughter.

Gibbs returns in the final moments of the episode where LaSalle tells him that Pride is going to Houston. Gibbs tells him that after the injuries he underwent, it might take him some time to get back to normal.

As he is helicoptered out of New Orleans at the end of the episode, the ghost appears once again and tells him he’ll see him soon.

NCIS: New Orleans airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.