Why Lucas Black's Christopher LaSalle Left NCIS: New Orleans - CBR

The NCIS franchise is one of CBS's most successful properties. The flagship series has been running for 20 seasons, with the spin-off NCIS: Hawai'i renewed for a third season and the most recent spin-off, NCIS: Sydney, having premiered in November 2023. Then there's NCIS: New Orleans, which ended in 2021 — much to the dismay of fans, who still talk about the spin-off featuring Lucas Black as Christopher LaSalle.

The NCIS franchise has had its fair share of deaths in each show, including the original and spin-offs. Life-or-death situations are par for the course for being an agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, adding a sense of tense realism to each episode. But that doesn't absolve any character death from being controversial among viewers. LaSalle was a fan-favorite among NCIS: New Orleans viewers and lasted almost the entire run. However, audiences were shocked when the character left the program in one of its most emotional storylines, which raises the question of what happened to Christopher LaSalle on NCIS: New Orleans.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on June 25, 2025: Despite being a fan-favorite on NCIS: New Orleans, Lucas Black's Christopher LaSalle meets a tragic end in the show's sixth season. While LaSalle's departure had an impact on the show's story, it also stemmed from behind-the-scenes influences. This article was updated to include the latest information and to reflect CBR's current publication standards.

Who Was Christopher LaSalle on NCIS: New Orleans?

The Troubled Agent's Redemption Arc Made Him a Fan-Favorite

Christopher LaSalle has been a key character since the start of NCIS: New Orleans.When the series debuted, LaSalle was the right-hand man to Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne Pride, played by Scott Bakula. LaSalle was known for three things: his Southern accent, appreciation for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the litany of personal issues like other procedurals' main characters. In his final season, however, LaSalle seemed to have pulled his life together. Season 6 revealed he was attending church with Dr. Loretta Wade, and felt like he was doing more good in the world. Good things never have fulfilling endings in the world of NCIS, though. That happiness, unfortunately, should have been a red flag to viewers, as it so often is in police procedural arcs.

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In NCIS: New Orleans Season 6, Episode 6, "Matthew 5:9," LaSalle was shot while investigating his brother's death at the hands of an Alabama drug ring. He was taken to the hospital but died from his wounds, surrounded by his team members. LaSalle was remembered at a wake at Pride's bar, and he was never forgotten by long-time viewers. One could say that LaSalle's death was the beginning of the end of NCIS: New Orleans.

Why Did Lucas Black Leave NCIS: New Orleans?

The Actor Explained His Motivation

Image via CBS

Like every procedural, NCIS: New Orleans had multiple actors leave throughout the series. The flagship NCIS saw Jennifer Esposito leave the show after a single season, and Dick Wolf's FBI: Most Wanted wrote out Julian McMahon after two-and-a-half seasons. While fans were angry about NCIS: New Orleans killing off LaSalle — some even hoped it was one of Pride's nightmares — the reason why actor Lucas Black left is similar to why McMahon is no longer in the FBI franchise.

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In an interview with Express in 2021, Black explained he decided to leave New Orleans. "All throughout my career, there was a concern because I would observe how the entertainment industry would destroy families," he said. "The way it's run, you're traveling, it's a very fast pace, lots of long hours, especially in television." Black noted that he worked nearly 70 hours a week over the first three seasons of the series, so he decided to take some time to rest and re-engage with the priorities his wife and children have in his life. Ultimately,no one can blame Lucas Black's decision to exit NCIS: New Orleans.

NCIS: New Orleans Couldn't Survive After Christopher LaSalle's Death

For Many Fans, Christopher LaSalle Made NCIS: New Orleans

Image via CBS

Christopher LaSalle's death was necessary for Black's career and home life, but it may have come at a cost for NCIS: New Orleans. Fans of the show openly expressed discontent with the decision to kill off LaSalle, proclaiming that if LaSalle would never return they'd stop watching. X user @ts4bama13 responded to Black's tweet announcing his departure, saying the show would never be the same without him. Many viewers felt that LaSalle was an essential part of the team and that his absence would make the story crumble. Some even speculated if the death of such a beloved character would tarnish ratings and viewership numbers.

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Looking at the ratings for NCIS: New Orleans Season 6 specifically, LaSalle's death appeared to have boosted the ratings for some time — a steady growth to a peak of 7.05 million viewers for Episode 10 — but then the show dipped right after, staying relatively in between the 5-6.5 million margin. Season 7's viewership numbers decreased dramatically to around 4 to 5 million viewers per episode. The show was canceled in Season 7 because of poor ratings, failing to muster even half of the numbers for the original NCIS. Another reason could be that CBS wanted to draw more focus on its newest series, NCIS: Hawai'i, but the sudden drop in viewers from Season 6 to Season 7 may have overlapped with LaSalle's sudden death. Some Reddit users believed that, combined with the move to a Sunday slot after NCIS: Los Angeles and mediocre story quality, Black's departure may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Lucas Black’s Career Outside NCIS: New Orleans, Explained

The Series Is Just One Part of Black’s Extensive Career

Image via Universal Pictures

Since departing NCIS: New Orleans in 2019, Black hasn't appeared in many projects, likely to stick to his reasoning for why he left the show in the first place: to focus on his family. But he has been in a few star-studded blockbusters since his exit. In 2021, he reprised his role as Sean Boswell, one of the fastest drivers in F9, the ninth Fast and Furious movie, and one of his most well-known characters. He has also worked on a few Christian films since NCIS: New Orleans with the Pure Flix Original streaming service: Legacy Peak and Birthright Outlaw.

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Fans of LaSalle who want to see more of his range should look to his past filmography before and during NCIS: New Orleans. The actor has consistently starred in critically acclaimed films such as The X-Files, The Miracle Worker, Friday Night Lights, Promised Land, and 42. He also had a recurring role in the television horror series American Gothic. Fans interested in keeping up with the actor's daily life outside the entertainment industry can find him on YouTube, where he posts daily hunting and fishing videos with his family.

The NCIS Franchise Has Moved Beyond New Orleans

NCIS Is Expanding With New Spinoff Series

Even though NCIS: New Orleans buckled under the weight of losing too many solid cast members, the franchise itself has thrived over the last several years. Several spin-offs have come and gone over the years, including NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: Hawai'i, but each has been replaced with something new. The latest batch of NCIS spin-offs focuses on fan-favorite characters from the original series, each of which departed at some point in its long history. NCIS: Origins follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, with Austin Stowell taking over the iconic character from Mark Harmon as he works his way up to becoming one of the most prominent NCIS agents of all time. The prequel's first season was a hit with fans, leaving palpable excitement for Season 2, which may introduce younger versions of more characters from the original NCIS series.

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Tony & Ziva is the next NCIS series on the docket, following Michael Weatherly's Anthony DiNozzo and Cote de Pablo's Ziva David on their continuing adventures. The duo had a memorable relationship during their shared tenure on the original NCIS series before they left separately. Now, the two fan-favorite characters reunite on a globe-trotting adventure after their daughter becomes the target of an international conspiracy. The series will premiere on September 4.

All NCIS series are available to stream on Paramount+.

NCIS: New Orleans

Like Action Release Date 2014 - 2021-00-00 Network CBS

Cast

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• Lucas Black
• Scott Bakula

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