NCIS: Sydney is Back with a Vengeance In An Explosive Premiere!

Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

4.2

It’s so good to have the NCIS: Sydney team back!

From NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Episode 1, it’s evident that he series returns bigger and better than ever, and that we’ll be dealing with some exciting developments from the characters.

While the opening case was positively thrilling and like something from a movie, personally, it’s Mackey’s headspace and how it’ll affect her job and dynamics that have me most intrigued.

My Darling, Bluebird, Where Are You?

As far as the big cliffhanger goes, there wasn’t as much follow-up on Blue as one would’ve expected.

However, it was heartbreaking to hear that she resigned, presumably right after that mysterious woman showed up at her apartment, and she hasn’t been back at the office since then.

She basically left them high and dry with nothing more than a video message, and understandably, it’s Doc who is taking this the hardest.

Their dynamic is so special to me, so when he essentially conceded to Paul that Blue is basically his daughter, my allergies flared up a little bit. Don’t judge me!

It sets up that if anyone is going to get to the bottom of what’s really going on with Blue, it’ll be Doc. He’s letting this or her absence go, even if it seems like, for now, the others aren’t raising any alarms.

They’ve begrudingly accepted her resignation rather quickly, and we already know there has to be more to that. But they certainly weren’t particularly welcoming to Trigger/Travis.

It’s fair, too. When you’ve established a nice familial dynamic, it’s frustrating when some new person comes in and disrupts everything. Still, Travis took all of their chiding and antisocial behavior in good stride.

But more importantly, aside from giving their space a necessary security upgrade, he’s already proven himself useful and loyal in ways that piqued my curiosity, especially regarding his blacked-out file and his story.

Trigger is a Fun Addition

The most endearing aspect of NCIS: Sydney is that it’s comprised of a ragtag team of misfits and broken toys who work well together, and Travis may have some of that going on himself.

He could’ve bailed on Doc when it came down to getting that bomb out of Paul, but he was all-in, even if it could have resulted in his death. He also clearly has an area of expertise that exceeds what Mackey initially thought.

No, he’s not Blue, and he likely won’t be sticking around for too long, but he proved himself to be an interesting character for the short run, no?

The terrorist plot point felt like something from an action movie or a suspense thriller. It was definitely a strong case to kick off the season!

For starters, it was totally suspicious that two Fly team members were on a freighter like that, but once we got into the memory loss and SIX years of absence, I was determined to understand every aspect of this case.

The Amnesiac Terror Case was GRIPPING

The hour effectively used to outline both JD and Mackey’s perspectives on the issue, leaving us to wonder if Mackey’s instincts were correct or if JD’s concerns were justified.

The whole thing did feel off.

Six years of captivity, and then all of this had me thinking Paul was deeper involved in this than anything, especially when that frequency thing had him reprogrammed after learning about his family. It was very Winter Soldier Activated, right?

But it also didn’t help matters that, despite Paul and Daniel both being the heroes, the hour only focused on Paul.

The case lost some of its impact as a result. I forgot about Daniel shortly after the opening scene, and then by three-quarters of the way through the episode, I wondered why they didn’t give him nearly the same narrative weight.

Even as someone to contrast with Paul regarding behavior and frequency issues, it seemed odd that, given Daniel was presumably fine (and does that really mean they didn’t thoroughly examine him to see if he was a threat, too?), they didn’t look any further into him.

It’s where the hour relied very heavily on America’s desire to put on a dog and pony show with these poor survivors of torture and terrorism for the sake of pushing an agenda and as pawns in political maneuvers and outlooks.

Mackey’s Struggles Have Prominence, and It’s Already Intriguing

What I did enjoy about that aspect is how jaded Mackey comes across now when it comes to that. Her frustration and disillusionment with American bureaucracy are palpable.

Basically, you give your life, serve your country, do all of these things, only to be pawns on the political board of life, and she was so right in how Paul (and Daniel) deserved better than that.

We had this elaborate plan to get to the American ambassador — a vengeful act orchestrated by Filipino extremists.

That’s the reason Paul missed six years of his daughter’s life while his wife thought he had died.

Mackey was more in tune with this case due to her experience as a Marine, which gave her insight into what the American government would do to Paul, regardless of his mental preparedness.

Her simmering resentment adds a compelling edge to her

There’s a fascinating space where Mackey is so generally frustrated with the establishment but passionate about the people who comprise it. I enjoy the jaded quality when the series explores it.

But overall, especially after having the pleasure of speaking with Olivia Swann about this season, I’m thrilled over the prospect of digging into Mackey and how she ticks even more this season.

Darwin Has Affected Mackey in Ways We Have Barely Scratched the Surface None

The premiere sets the foundation for this as well. We opened with her therapy session, and it’s clear that she has many unresolved issues she’s not ready to confront. Given the season’s theme, which is that the past can haunt people, it’s unsurprising where we’re going with this.

When you don’t address things directly, they will eventually come back full force. Mackey’s resistance in therapy wasn’t surprising, just as her acknowledging later that those soldiers would become the poster children for American Resilience, because isn’t that what she is?

There’s simply no space or time for her to be anything but that, and the extra layers that come with that for her as a Woman of Color only add to the compelling aspects of where Mackey lands this season.

But so is how Darwin has already affected her dynamic with JD.

It’s possible for both of them to be right at the same time. Mackey’s gut wasn’t off because she instinctively knew things weren’t lining up, and thankfully, she was onto something.

But it’s also clear that she had something to prove, too. She’s clearly struggling with the fact that she let her guard down with Etienne, and she doesn’t know what to do with that.

Mackey isn’t someone who lets her guard down much at all. Even on scene, when Salazar was about to detonate the bomb, we saw that moment of hesitation before she had to fire her weapon again.

JD and Mackey’s Dynamic Reaches Compelling New Heights

The reason JD’s words cut her so deeply, and they did — you saw the way they both reeled from what he said in that moment before they had to push it down and finish out the case — is because he didn’t say anything she hadn’t feared herself.

It’s also a matter of how highly she regards JD, and how copacetic they generally are — a deep fear there is that someone whom she respects and has connected with could reach a point where he doesn’t trust her or doubts her.

The hurt was visceral, no matter how much she hid it, and the intrigue is in seeing what the series does with their dynamic moving forward. It’s not something that will go away — you can’t put that back in a bottle, you know?

Mackey and JD have one of the most fascinating dynamics on the show because there is that undercurrent of attraction, of course. However, they’re kindreds in a way that show hasn’t fully unlocked, and they know it — they just don’t know what to do with that.

Their mutual apology warmed the cockles of my heart. And I adored the ongoing theme of the others poking fun at JD for getting on a dating app.

But it was Mackey’s magical formula that helped him broaden his prospects. He’s a catch, and she understands why. Oh, these two will have me in a chokehold this season, I can already tell!

The hour was light on DeShawn and Evie, but I’m already curious to see what’s upcoming for them as well.

And darn it, I still need more Blue content NOW! Nonetheless, NCIS: Sydney was off to a good start!

Over to you, NCIS: Sydney Fanatics!

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