NCIS: Sydney 1X07 “Bunker Down” cements the ships in this show, just as it delivers a frantic, well-acted, and extremely satisfying episode that might just be the best of the season so far. That is indeed a compliment, after such a strong episode as last week’s “Extraction.” But if there’s something that can be said about NCIS: Sydney, is that the show has been better every week, as a good procedural should be.
The cases on shows of this sort are what they are, and sometimes they are good – like in this hour, but even when they aren’t, a good procedural should be using every episode to build up a character, a relationship, or the team dynamics. NCIS: Sydney has only had seven episodes so far, but with the season almost over, the time for big declarations has come: this might be one of the best first seasons for a procedural ever.
Every character has had a chance to shine, the team is now believable as that – a team, and in NCIS: Sydney 1×07 “Bunker Down,” we get to focus on the ships that the show wants us to invest in, and how different they are from each other.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SHIPS (AND WE GOT THEM BOTH)
There are two types of ships in a procedural, and NCIS: Sydney has them both. There’s “flustered when he sees his partner in a dress” and “you look serviceable.” DeShawn and J.D. couldn’t react more differently to seeing Evie and Mackey all dressed up for a party – but they are both on the same page once it turns out the two of them are in danger.
Later, once they’re finally in the bunker, J.D. only has eyes for Mackey and DeShawn only has eyes for Evie, in a pretty obvious way. It’s not I don’t care about anyone else, as much as it’s I care about you so much more than I care about anything else, which is pretty much what you want of a ship, particularly as the show plays it as an obvious thing neither of them realize. DeShawn is, of course, freer with his emotions than J.D. is (or can be), but that doesn’t mean J.D. isn’t feeling it.
The differences between the characters – and the ships, work really well for what NCIS: Sydney wants to achieve going forward. You can have two couples in a show made of 6 people, all you need is to make sure that the relationships don’t feel like a copy of the other. First, you establish the characters and make them distinct. While you do that, you set the foundation for both dynamics. And then …well, then you have an episode like NCIS: Sydney 1×07 “Bunker Down,” and it all comes together.
This show won’t ever have to tell us that Evie cares for DeShawn and vice-versa. It will likewise never have to put into words the relationship between J.D. and Mackey. We know. We get it. And that means the show can now move onto how and when to actually deal with it – and to other ways to milk the UST while they decide they want to go there.
Since this is still a procedural, chances are we’ll have to wait a bit for these ships to materialize, and smart money is on us having to wait a lot more for Mackey and J.D. than Evie and DeShawn. But the good thing is this: NCIS: Sydney has made it so we’re rooting for both. That’s a win.
LADIES AND GENTS
NCIS: Sydney 1×07 “Bunker Down” divides the team, with the three women going to the party – and therefore ending up trapped in the bunker, and the three men outside, trying to figure out how to save them. It’s a very good episode ship-wise, because of it, but it’s also a good episode at furthering the dynamics between Mackey, Evie, and Blue and on the other side, Rosie, J.D., and DeShawn.
Some things only come out when you think you’re going to die, and what Blue, Mackey, and Evie shared is the kind of experience that brings people closer. The way they kept fighting, kept trying, and at the end, stood together as the end came was a sign of how far they’ve come in such a long time. This team still has a way to go, but they’re starting to feel like family.
The same is true of J.D. and DeShawn, who alongside Rosie find themselves on the outside trying to figure out how to save Mackey, Evie, and Blue. They weren’t in actual danger, but without the three of them working together, they wouldn’t get there in time to save anyone. Without the information they get from the call from inside the bunker, the episode ends differently too. So, in the end, all is well that ends well when the team works together.
Things I think I think:
- How is everyone so gorgeous? I can’t process it.
- Now this is tension. And I don’t mean the sexual tension of earlier, but real tension.
- DeShawn is so Deeks coded, I swear. I know I’ve said this a bunch of times, but I loved Densi a whole lot and I’m feeling myself fall into the same spiral of love here. This is a GOOD thing.
- And in the end, the only reason they get rescued is because Blue noticed the lions.
- Mackey’s calm under pressure was another level in this episode.
- Look, I would give good money to get to see what they said to the “Kiss, Marry, Kill” game.
- Though I have my guesses.
- Please let this be something that comes up in like, 3 seasons. I’m begging here.
- I knew the pregnant lady was suspect, I did.
- I expected Evie to delete the audio, but I was still so bummed she deleted the audio.
- What do you mean to be continued?!
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Sydney 1×07 “Bunker Down”? Share with us in the comments below!
NCIS: Sydney airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.
Hello,
I enjoyed the episode myself as well. What surprised me is that I didn’t knew Evie had or has actual feeling for Deshawn(Like, Like him). I wonder what she’d meant about going back to once was before though? Did they had a thing before all of this? I liked Mackey kept it hush hush after hearing about her confessional before she went over and changed the subject.
This episode made me like Blue more and more on how she saved everyone on how to be able to find a way out along side with Mackey who was sharp on how she was on to “Monica Rowe” I already knew, that the baby bump was fake and when she figured out how everyone’s pulse were slower than hers. I knew before the reveal, that she’s the culprit what I didn’t expect though is that she’s the one from the 2nd episode(I’m pretty sure she’s from the second episode unless otherwise). As for JD/Mackey I kinda see them as being friends and nothing more I don’t want to suspect anything more than that and later feel disappointed about how they’ve never got together. That’s what happened what I learned after watching NCIS:NOLA with Percy and Lasalle they should had gotten together, but nope.