“NCIS: New Orleans” may not be the best-known or longest-running “NCIS” title out there. Even so, with seven seasons and a cast of heavy hitters like Scott Bakula, Lucas Black, and CCH Pounder, the show shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Like any “NCIS” show worth its salt, “New Orleans” can deliver a captivating season-ender. This definitely applies to the ending of Season 7, which also doubles as the series finale. “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler” revolves around Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride’s (Bakula) wedding and the various unsavory situations that threaten to overshadow the event. Still, other members of the core team get their chance at a decent ending, as well. However, Vanessa Ferlito’s “NCIS: New Orleans” character, Special Agent Tammy Gregorio, is a special case. She doesn’t really get a huge moment of closure in the finale. Instead, it’s obvious that she doesn’t need one anymore. During her time on the show, Gregorio has gone from an uncomfortable, out-of-place addition to the unit to an irreplaceable team member who genuinely enjoys her time in New Orleans. Free of her baggage and dark secrets, Gregorio ends the show marching down the street with her friends and colleagues — enjoying herself and ready for the next challenge.
“For all of our characters, we wanted to see them grow and change and evolve — certainly with the team as their family, but also in finding their home and finding their roots in New Orleans,” showrunner Christopher Silber told TV Insider. “For Tammy, when she arrived, she was someone who was thinking about finding her way out and unsure about the team and to be able to see her finally mark her own territory, own who she is and own what she wants to be, that was special for us.”
Gregorio is still out there, ready for action
Tammy Gregorio doesn’t waltz away into the sunset — or, at least, presumably heads home once the finale’s brass band stops playing and the party is over. This means she’s still out there doing her thing. Given her considerable abilities and history of moving between locations and even agencies, who knows? With her experience, she might eventually reemerge in another “NCIS” show as an experienced mentor type. On the other hand, she could eventually turn up to help another NCIS investigator team that ventures into the Big Easy for one reason or another. She’s proven that she’s more than qualified for either of these roles.
Christopher Silber actually hinted at the possibility of Gregorio exploring new avenues of life in an interview with Deadline, where he discussed some of the potential plot arcs the “NCIS: New Orleans” Season 8 that never came might have covered. “We would have solved a navy crime every week, and we would have continued to explore the lives of these characters,” Silber said. “In the context of this show, that would have probably been some exploration of Pride and Rita [Chelsea Field], and Khoury [Necar Zadegan] and Carter [Charles Michael Davis], and Gregorio moving on.”
The comment about Gregorio moving on could, of course, be taken in a number of ways. Nevertheless, the character’s arc has always been about forward motion. Since she’s a capable agent with no conclusive storyline endings weighing her down, there’s always a chance she might still have a role in the “NCIS” universe.