Summary
NCIS: Sydneycomprises unique qualities that warrant more attention before season 2. The series introduced thecast ofNCIS: Sydneyin season 1 in 2023, filling a void in CBS’s lineup when its original programming didn’t return due to the Hollywood strikes.NCIS: Sydneyintroduced Olivia Swann as the Team Lead of the Australian Federal Police (AFP)/Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Sydney Task Force, which was quickly established as things began to pick up speed down under. The team is a diverse blend of American and Australian officers responsible for managing rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Sydney-based series is the fourthspinoff in theNCISfranchise, but it’s now its oldest in-production spinoff after just one season. Now that CBS has canceledNCIS: Hawai’i,NCIS: Sydneyremains with two expansion series currently in pre-production:NCIS: OriginsandTony & Ziva.The Aussie-centric series had a successful season 1, scoring renewal forNCIS: Sydneyseason 2in the 2024-2025 TV season. While some fans have been cautious about accepting the show, especially after the cancelation of others,NCIS: Sydneyhas strengths worth considering.
NCIS: Sydney Breaks Streaming Record Despite Mixed Reviews
NCIS: Sydney is a streaming hit despite its mixed reviews, as the latest spinoff gets off to a strong start in the U.S. and internationally.
8NCIS: Sydney Has A Female Lead
The importance of a female lead in theNCISfranchise is heightened in the coming TV cycle. The first female lead for theNCISseries was Vanessa Lachey’s Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (althoughNCIS’s first female leadalmost happened eight years earlier). However,theNCISfranchise disappointed many fans by canceling her spinoffNCIS: Hawai’iahead of season 4. It would be great to see CBS reverse the cancelation and return Jane Tennant to her post, but if they don’t do that, it makes Olivia Swann’s Michelle Mackey all the more vital.
While Mackey can seem closed off and rude, she emulates the originalNCISteam leader, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, in that way.
Mackey established leadership of the AFP/NCIS Sydney Task Force inNCIS: Sydneyseason 1. Her demeanor was closed off in the first season, making her character hard to relate to for some viewers.NCISSpecial Agent Mackey’s backstorywas mostly kept secret in season 1. Revealing more about Mackey would be a sure way to help audiences identify with her character. While Mackey can seem closed off and rude, she emulates the originalNCISteam leader, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, in that way. As with Gibbs, Mackey’s layers will undoubtedly be peeled back as the series progresses.
7NCIS: Sydney Is The Franchise’s Only Remaining Location-Based Spinoff
NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, And NCIS: Hawai’i Have Been Canceled
This spinoff warrants more attention becauseNCIS: Sydneyis the franchise’s only remaining location-based spinoff. With the franchise’s current trajectory, it could be the last location-based spinoff thatNCISbirths for a long time. The franchise has been changing, canceling shows likeNCIS: Los Angelesin 2021,New Orleansin 2022, andHawai’iin 2024. The way is paved for spinoffs likeNCIS: OriginsandNCIS: Tony & Zivato take form. They will break a 15-yearNCISspinoff tradition, focusing on core MCRT agents from the originalNCISseries instead of NCIS groups in other locations.
NCIS: Hawai’iis the franchise’s shortest-lived spinoff series, comprising only three seasons.
In many ways,NCIS: Sydneydeparted from someNCISfranchise traditions but upheld one of its oldest. It’s the last NCIS office that opened (so far) to focus on NCIS agents in other parts of the world. That’s a special thing for the franchise, which has seen a drastic decline in its satellite offices in recent years and is worth holding onto. While some think thatNCIS: Sydneywas favored overNCIS: Hawai’iseason 4, it’s likely that the island-themed spinoff was canceled to make way for one of the originalNCIScharacter-focused spinoffs, which are just starting production.
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Roy “Rosie” Penrose
William McInnes
While some have different accents, the cast ofNCIS: Sydneyemulatesthe original MCRT from the flagshipNCISseries. And in some ways, they’re better. Team Leader of the AFP/NCIS Sydney Task Force,Michelle Mackay, shares qualities with Mark Harmon’s portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. She is processing difficult experiences from her military background that often cause her to act closed off and guarded. That said, like Gibbs, she is a strong leader for her team. JD also shares qualities with Gibbs, trusting his instinct and honoring his responsibility to protect others over the badge.
The originalNCISteam was Special Agent in Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum), Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and Caitlin “Kate” Todd (Sasha Alexander).
Blue and the doc also have a relationship that mirrors the bond between Dr. Mallard (David McCallum) and Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) in the main series. They work closely, supporting one another, as they often must stay behind. Likewise, parts of the relationship budding between DeShawn Jackson and Evie Cooper are reminiscent of Special Agents Kate Todd and Tony DiNozzo. However, Jackson is more gracious to those around him than Tony. There is a newness to their roles and each other, which is evocative ofKate and DiNozzo inNCIS.
5Bluebird “Blue” Gleason Is One Of The Best NCIS Characters
Mavournee Hazel’s Character Was Neurotic And Charming
Despite her self-doubt, Mavournee Hazel’s Bluebird “Blue” Gleason was a charismatic character inNCIS: Sydneyseason 1. The character fills in as the team’s forensic scientist when the season starts. Throughout season 1, she forms bonds with the characters, which ultimately have to be cut short when her temporary position ends. However, theNCISfranchise employed an established method for incorporating characters into the franchise, wherethey made Hazel’s character a mainstay on the show after gradually introducing her. By the end of the series, Blue had been promoted to a full-time position in the team.
Blue is one of the team’s Aussie additions, along with Constable Evie Cooper and"the doc,“Roy “Rosie” Penrose.
Blue’s character has experiences with anxiety. Seeing her character not always have the perfect thing to say is refreshing. Instead, Hazel’s character is an honest reflection of the self-doubt and fear in the world today.While Blue is often nervous, she can rise above and help her teamon multiple occasions. She goes above and beyond, taking the doctor to see his wife at the nursing home and waiting for him in the car. Blue’s character will continue to be vital moving forward if the writers resist boxing her into stereotypes and her anxious personality.
4The Romance Between Constable Cooper And Agent Jackson
Tuuli Narkle And Sean Sager Are Evie Cooper And DeShawn Jackson
The slow burn between Constable Evie Cooper and Special Agent DeShawn Jacksonhas the same promise of great love stories, such asTony & Ziva’sNCISromance. While it was sometimes difficult to decipher if Evie and DeShawn were forming a close friendship or something more, there was a telling moment at the end of episode 7, “Bunker Down.” Evie is trapped in a bunker and believes her death is imminent. She decides to leave a voice message for DeShawn, of all people. The gesture signaled growing feelings between the agents despite neither acting on it.
The agents have believable chemistry, which is refreshing to see within the franchise. What’s more, the relationship will likely take off rather than slow-burn. Evie Cooper is a liaison officer to the AFP/NCIS Sydney Task Force. That means that though she works with DeShawn, their work still has separations. It was a model that worked forNCIS: Los Angeles’Kensi Blye and Marty Deeks(Daniela Ruah and Eric Christian Olsen). Deeks was an LAPD-NCIS Liaison Officer, so it’s possible that the franchise could employ the same model for an in-office romance inSydney.
3NCIS: Sydney Has A Serialized Narrative
It Was The First NCIS Series To Utilize Serialized Storytelling
One of the more groundbreaking qualities that sets the series apart is thatNCIS: Sydneyfocuses on serialized storytelling rather than the episodic case-of-the-week format thatNCISis known for. While there were some unconnected cases in season 1, the series focused on a streamlined threat that carried a larger plot arc throughout. The mysterious"Ana Niemus"was a recurring antagonist throughout season 1, locking Mackey, Evie, and Blue in a sealed bunker in episode 7. She has a mysterious connection to Colonel Rankin (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) that will undoubtedly carry over toNCIS: Sydneyseason 2.
The lack of laborious exposition makes for a different environment for theNCIS: Sydneyteam, and it’s refreshing to add depth to the story in this way. The franchise has stayed relevant due to its skillful rotation of characters as cast members leave the shows. Yet, without a more serialized story, the audience is still somewhat removed from being able to go deeper with the characters. While the Australian-based spinoff was the first series to employ serialized storytelling tactic within the franchise,NCIS: Tony & Zivawill follow the trendin their upcoming limited series.
2NCIS: Sydney Set The Course For The NCIS Franchise’s International Expansion
The NCIS Franchise Has Introduced New International Facets Since NCIS: Sydney Was Launched
What’s more,NCIS: Sydneyexpanded theNCISfranchise to international territories. While manyNCISspinoffs have focused on teams in other locations,Sydneywas the first series that expanded the franchise outside the United States. While it was exciting to see agents in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Hawai’i, respectively,NCIS: SydneyexpandedNCISviewership to the other side of the world.Sydneywas available to stream in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The series is set and filmed in Australia, making its epic cinematography thrilling. The characters visit essential locations throughout the city woven into the show’s narrative.
NCIS: Sydneystarted another trend for the franchise with its international setting. While it isn’t the entire basis of the show, as withSydney,NCIS: Tony & Zivawill also take viewers internationally. It’s been revealed that the primary filming location for theNCIS:Tony & Zivaspinoff will be in Budapest. TheNCISmain series also expanded its vantage point to include more international locations in season 21, referencing a Far East Office that would eventually facilitate the introduction of Special Agent Jessica Knight’s father, the Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Far East Office.
1NCIS: Sydney Is Relevant To American Foreign Policy Right Now
The United States Is Building Ties With Australia
One of the touchstones of theNCISfranchise is that it represents actual threats and partnerships relevant to the American military.NCIS: Sydneyis no exception, with the characters representing a prominent aspect of foreign affairs. The franchise has explored military hubs in the Navy Yard and off the coast of Hawai’i, and now it will focus on a realistic aspect of international foreign policy.NCIS: Sydney’s origin isn’t at random: the country is one of the American military’s greatest allies in potential upcoming foreign affairs.
NCIS’s presence in Sydney explores the growing partnership between the United States and Australia. Last year, the country announced it would end a purchase agreement with France to source submarines produced by the United States and the United Kingdom [viaThe White House]. The decision indicates that the country wants to build ties with the Western countries. Moreover,the United States and Australia have signed several treaties to build alliances.Hence, the AFP/NCIS Sydney Task Force is no stretch of the imagination (U.S. Department of Defense).
NCIS: Sydney
Cast
NCIS: Sydney is an Australian crime-police procedural series and is another spin-off in the long-running NCIS franchise. The series is set in Sydney, Australia, and follows Special Agent-in-Charge Michelle Mackey as she and her fellow partners deal with various high-profile cases and crimes.
