NCIS: New Orleans’ killed off Special Agent Christopher LaSalle in season six, after Lucas Black asked to be written out of the series to focus on his family.
NCIS: New Orleans marked the end of the series in May 2021. The crime drama series that is part of the NCIS franchise, enjoyed a seven-season run from 2014 until 2021, and was cancelled due to low ratings.
One of the fan-favourite characters to have bid farewell to the show ahead of the season seven series finale was Lucas Black, who played the character of Special Agent Christopher LaSalle.
Though it was unexpected, Black’s write-off should not have come as a surprise, as the actor had asked to be written off the series.
Who was Christopher LaSalle?
NCIS: New Orleans’ Special Agent Christopher LaSalle was a fan-favourite character. This was due to his humorous personality, which was complemented by his work ethic.
On top of being a fan-favourite character, the screenwriter’s made his character the go-to person for some of the other characters on the show.
Additionally, Lucas Black had been part of the series since the beginning as a series regular, estimated to have been part of over 125 episodes of the 155 episodes.
Therefore, his character’s death in the series came as a surprise as no word was shared before LaSalle was killed off.
Why did they kill off LaSalle on NCIS: New Orleans?
During season six of the show, in an episode titled Matthew 5:9, LaSalle and the team investigated a religious cult which was behind the murder of his brother. During the investigation, the cult leader shot LaSalle, which resulted in his death.
This meant that actor Lucas Black was written off the story and was not returning. Due to there being no prior word shared on Black’s imminent departure, speculation was rife as to the reason Lasalle was written out of the series.
Black only spoke out on why he was written off the series after LaSalle died. When he was asked about why he left the show, he in part stated, “All throughout my career, there was a concern because I would observe how the entertainment industry would destroy families.”
He continued to explain that he made the decision during season five, and when he told the producers of the show, they enlisted him for a final season to give LaSalle a proper send-off.
What is Lucas Black doing now?
Following his decision to focus on spending time with his family after leaving NCIS: New Orleans, Lucas Black is doing just that.
However, he has explored other acting ventures, like reprising his role as Sean in the Fast & Furious franchise. Black reprised the character for the 2021 film, F9: The Fast Saga.
Moreover, he has also focussed his efforts on uploading regularly on his YouTube channel, where he posts fishing, hunting and lifestyle vlogs. There is no word as of yet on whether he plans to persue any other acting roles.
Why was NCIS: New Orleans cancelled?
Following a six-season run, ahead of the of the seventh season of NCIS: New Orleans, the producers of the show confirmed that the seventh season would mark the end of the NCIS spinoff series.
The reason for the show’s cancellation was attributed to the viewership numbers of the spinoff compared to the original and other spinoffs of the show.
NCIS: New Orleans could not manage to amass even half of the numbers of the original. As if affirming the need to end the series, even the final season brought in less viewers than season six.
How did NCIS: New Orleans end?
The series finale of NCIS: New Orleans slightly shifted its focus during the seventh season of the series, as it worked on concluding the storylines of its main characters. Therefore, while there were still cases for the team to solve, there were definitely less of them.
By the time the show reached the final episode, the focus was on the marriage of lead characters, Dwayne Pride and Rita Devereaux.
The wedding was the final celebration which saw all the main characters share a frame together, as they celebrated the union of the two characters.
Conclusion
NCIS: New Orleans ended in May 2021, following an eight-year and seven-season run of the NCIS spinoff. The end of the series was due to low viewership ratings. A matter made worse by the comparisons that were made with other NCIS franchise series.
A fan-favourite character that left the show one season before its conclusion was Lucas Black, who played the character of Special Agent Christopher LaSalle. LaSalle was written off the series, due to black wanting to spend more time with his loved ones.