NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 16 ‘Ticker‘ is one of the most straightforward case-centric episodes this show has done this season, but as is the case with this series, the episode still manages to be pretty fun because the characters are pretty defined and the dynamics are too. That, and we get a little more of a glimpse of who DeShawn is, which helps flesh out his character, particularly after the last episode gave us a little bit into his backstory.
DeShawn is, perhaps, the character we know the least about at this point. Or it’s a tie between him and Evie. That doesn’t mean we don’t know him; if we didn’t, the show would have failed completely. We know who DeShawn is today; we just don’t know how he got to where we are. We don’t know what made him this way. That remains something we’re interested in.
But it’s still good to get an hour that reinforces why he’s such an easy character to root for, and why absolutely everyone on the team (yes, even Evie) knows without a doubt they can count on DeShawn. He’s just that guy.
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WHO DOESN’T LIKE DESHAWN?
This isn’t even the first episode this season that establishes how good DeShawn is with kids, or with teenagers. We got the same kind of dynamic in ‘Black Is White‘, with DeShawn being the one who managed to connect with a teenager in that way that helped solve the case. But in general, if we examine what we know of DeShawn and what we recently learned about his past with Mackey, it’s easy to see that DeShawn is just the kind of guy everyone trusts.
Even Evie, who treats him with what is borderline animosity sometimes, trusts him with her life. In fact, for Evie, it’s likely that she is only as antagonistic as she is because she’s not used to caring so much about someone and being as safe in their presence. The only way she can process her emotions is to pretend they don’t exist. Aka, Evie being Evie.
The thing about DeShawn, though, is that he’s really good at rolling with the punches. He never takes Evie too seriously, and he is very good in this hour at seeing through Violet. The level of empathy he demonstrates is what makes it so easy for others to feel like he is someone that can be trusted, and it says a lot about DeShawn that he is still this person, even though we know enough to know that he’s gotten knocked down a few times by life.
Perhaps the most important question for him now is not who he is, or who he can be, but rather where he goes from here… and how his past will end up shaping whatever comes next. We still have some layers to peel off, after all.
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TRUST MY INSTINCTS
There’s very little from the rest of the team in ‘Ticker’ but there’s enough for the show to continue to develop the partnership between Mackey and JD, and showcase how their different styles sometimes clash. Mackey is someone who is action first. JD is the opposite, he likes to think things through and try all options before jumping the gun. Those two things are very much at odds with each other, but the two have managed to have a successful partnership so far.
Why? Trust, basically. This episode showcases that pretty well. Sometimes Mackey’s approach is the right one. Sometimes JD’s approach is the one that makes sense. And though there are no certainties in their jobs, the two have learned to trust not just their instincts, but their partner’s. That means that JD will sometimes defer to Mackey, and she will do the same.
No true partnership can exist without this level of trust, and NCIS: Sydney has done a pretty good job at bringing us here, to a point where this feels like the norm for JD and Mackey. Now, the thing we need from the show is not more episodes that reinforce what we already know, but ones that push the relationship forward. And hey, the end of the season is coming. Perfect timing, right?
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Things I think I think:
- Okay, but I didn’t have someone stole a heart on my bingo card.
- Look, Doc’s new romance is A+. I love it. I want more.
- DeShawn was so smart to sneak in, truly.
- He’s so good with kids/teenagers.
- JD was right about the dude, Mackey.
- She was talking about dessert, Doc.
- Evie is a total teenager pulling pigtails with DeShawn, and we really need to unpack that. Right after the show tells us what’s going on with her and Trigger, preferably.
- A six-week time jump feels like a lot!
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 16 ‘Ticker’? 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.
