NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 9 ‘South of Nowhere’ is a pretty interesting episode, one that ups the stakes, puts the team in very real danger, delivers a satisfying conclusion, and even gives us a few great moments of team bonding amid the chaos. It’s just that, outside of the final scene, it doesn’t do much to set up the rest of the season. Or advance the dynamics past what the first eight episodes have already done.
In a weird way, the first two—much shorter—seasons of NCIS: Sydney did a much better job at showcasing who the members of the team are and how they get along in much less time than Season 3 has. That is, in many ways, the problem with a longer season. You have time to do more, but you don’t want to do things too quickly. So, you might end up dragging some plot points.
This is, perhaps, is why JD is dating an unnamed woman who is sending him eggplant emojis and why we’ve gotten absolutely nowhere with Evie and DeShawn’s relationship, or even with the two of them individually. And why, nine episodes in, we’re only just getting a big tease about the big storyline set up for Mackey in the Season 3 premiere, which looked much more time sensitive than it’s turned out to be.
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THERE’S NO I IN TEAM
The good part of this episode is that, unlike ‘Turkey Shoot’, this hour doesn’t just feel like the team dynamics are good; it also feels like we learn something about these characters and like we move forward with them, even if it’s a little. There are moments for Evie and DeShawn and JD and Mackey, just as there’s bonding for the team in general as they’re stuck together in Antarctica. There’s nothing quite like dying together to bond with the people around you.
But the fact that this is a better episode than the previous one doesn’t change the fact that the episode is another hour where the show just does a lot of what it’s done so far this season. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. I might not even be complaining about it with another show. I’m not even complaining about it here, to be honest. This isn’t me complaining. It’s just me saying, NCIS: Sydney is good. It could be even better. It could be great. It has all the elements. How do they take the next step?
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TIME TO GO DEEPER
The last few moments of the episode set up how. Mackey being in danger is the perfect way to explore not just her relationship with JD, but with the team. Because when this show started, we had Mackey on one side with DeShawn, and everyone else on the other side. And then she began bonding with JD, but everyone else was still more or less separate. But that’s very much not the case anymore. Now, everyone on this team is Mackey’s family, and she treats them as such.
But we haven’t really had the chance for the team to prove to Mackey that it goes both ways. That they will also go out on a limb for her (by herself). And right now, she’s not giving them a chance to, because she’s keeping a secret. But sooner or later, they’re going to find out. And the show would be better off if it were sooner. Obviously, this is going to blow up, but if it blows up in one episode, that limits the way it can affect the team and the relationships within it.
If it blows up in one episode, then it likely only has an emotional impact on JD. And don’t get me wrong, I’ll take anything that gets Mackey and JD closer together. But I think the show has a chance to do something bigger here, something that allows the entire team to come together. If that’s what they’ve been setting up, well… I promise I’ll take all my words back. Just take it home.
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Things I think I think:
- Okay, look, he spoiled the twist. Not saying he deserved it, but…
- I promise I double checked jurisdiction because like, why are they going to Antarctica?
- But I promise, it kinda makes sense.
- The dog!!!
- “If you need me to explain that you probably shouldn’t be dating.”
- Look, this reminds me of that The X-Files episode, “Ice.” That didn’t end too well.
- A zombie virus?!
- They do make a great team.
- At least Mackey flying the plane kinda makes sense. Kinda.
- We did this?
- What do you mean we?
- We, the US government?
- We WHO?
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 9 ‘South of Nowhere’? Share with us in the comments below! And if you have your own opinion on the show, leave a review/rating on our NCIS: Sydney hub!
NCIS: Sydney airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on CBS.
