NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 10 Review: We Ship It

NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 10 ‘Van Life’ gives us a pretty standard case—even if it involves the boss’s son—but a lot of character development. Or, at least relationship development. We get a fair bit between JD and Mackey, which reinforces the dynamic they’ve been slowly building for 3 seasons. But surprisingly, we also get something from DeShawn and Evie, who had been stuck in a little standstill for a while.

The combination makes this a very good episode. NCIS: Sydney has always worked really well. The dynamics are engaging, they’ve got a few different ones we are invested in (and not all of them are romantic!), and it does humor pretty well. But lately, it was starting to feel like the show needed to take a step or two forward with the relationships. Clearly, they understood the assignment, because right when we were really starting to yearn for more, they delivered.

And now, all we want is more. Can it be next Tuesday already?

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WHAT PARTNERS DO

Mackey tries to fly solo in ‘Van Life’, but if there’s something we’ve learned about procedurals, it’s that when you have a partner, you’re never really flying solo. And Mackey has a partner. One that is a little bit too nosy, and one that cares. So it was pretty obvious from the beginning that JD wasn’t going to buy her excuse. He was going to go after her.

This sets a pretty nice precedent from when we actually tackle Mackey’s big secret… but that’s probably an end-of-the-season kind of thing. For now, just the fact that he doesn’t hesitate and that Mackey never really asks him to go is enough for us to understand where their partnership is. Where it has been for a while. And what it could possibly turn into.

Near-death experiences or mortal peril are a tried and true procedural way of advancing a ship, and we all know someone’s coming for Mackey. My question at this point isn’t if something’s going to happen to her; my question is when. Well, that and how JD will react? And of course, how Mackey will react to JD’s reaction.

We’ve seen both of them in situations where the other one is in danger. We’ve seen how much each of them cares. But we’ve also seen their relationship deepen since then, become something more than just a partner you trust at work, and instead turn into someone you trust with your life and even with the pieces of yourself you don’t show everyone else. And, when it seems like you might lose that person… well, who knows what you might do.

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WHAT PARTNERS DON’T DO

‘Van Life’ is also a very good episode for Evie and DeShawn, whose relationship feels like it only moves forward when the two are in danger and are forced to be honest about how much they like each other. Any other time, there’s just pretending. There’s just banter. There’s just acting like they mean nothing to each other. Like they don’t even trust each other.

But we know they do. And in the exercises we see them do during the workplace culture seminar, we start to understand the reasons why. Though in truth, the reason why for Evie was kind of obvious, even if it had never been as clear as it is now. She’s scared. Scared of caring too much, scared of needing someone, of depending on someone. Scared of what happens to her if she lets herself feel all of that and then loses DeShawn.

DeShawn is easier to understand. There’s still some apprehension there, but he’s not as scared; he’s just responding to her. But he’s got his own demons, his own secrets. We haven’t gone back to those. And it’s hard to see how they fully move forward unless we start pulling some of those skeletons out of the closet. Perhaps that’s what that moment with Trigger is all about. Shaking things up for both.

All we know is that we were starting to get a little tired of the back and forth. Now? Now we’re invested again, and that’s exactly where NCIS: Sydney wants us.

MORE: Is NCIS: Sydney going there with Mackey and JD?

Things I think I think

• Why are you playing basketball in shades? Men, I swear.
• It is indeed your job to remind her, DeShawn. Literally, your job as a partner.
• Hahahaha, Doc Roy just left.
• Waaay older, hahaha.
• At the dentist? Hahaha
• “Sorry, Jim?”
• I mean, Mackey, you’re kind of withholding from your team right now. Something very serious, mind you.
• JD is gonna track you down in 0.2 seconds, Mackey. That’s what partners do.
• See! Called it.
• Also, he just left everyone else there.
• DeShawn, you convinced ME. You got me. I’m sold.
• Was Evie gonna catch DeShawn before she got the call or…?
• Evie, can we talk about why you’re wearing an off-white blazer to work?
• Blue was really into this workplace culture seminar.
• Mackey took JD to talk to the boss. She took JD to talk to the boss.
• Respect for Mackey. She gave it to the boss straight.
• Okay, it was just too obvious if it was Miles. But who hates Ken Carter enough for this?
• Have I mentioned how much I hate that even in fictional storylines, the woman gets killed to take revenge on a man?
• Okay, what was THAT between Trigger and Evie? Because whatever it is, it’s absolutely proof that the ship is moving forward.

Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 10 ‘Van Life’? 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.