NCIS: Sydney, the much awaited return of the venerable series, debuted on Tuesday night. Viewers have already resorted to social media to share their opinions on the new program. In the spin-off series, fans are introduced to Special Agent Michelle Mackey and Australian Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey, who serve as her second in command in the well-known franchise set in Australia.
It’s safe to say that fans weren’t let down when the new program finally debuted on television.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, viewers praised the opening episode, with many applauding the cast and compelling storyline.
One person wrote: “#NcisSydney I like this episode. [The] storyline kept me watching till the end. Looking forward to next week’s episode. #OliviaSwann is great as main character #Mackey. The actors are engaging. The Prime Minister actress took charge of the scenes she was in,” while another added: “Great premiere! Excited for the show! Cast is phenomenal! #NCISSydney.”
A third person tweeted: “I thought #NCISSydney was fun, the cast gel well together, especially love Evie & DeShawn, that’s going to be a good partnership. It’s cool to see a new place!” while another commented: “I loved it. Definitely think it can stand proudly next to the other NCIS shows (nothing ever gonna top @NCISLA for me, for personal reasons obviously) but was definitely not disappointed by this. Can’t wait to see more of JD & the team.”
For those who haven’t watched the last season, it follows a team of NCIS operatives and the Australian Federal Police as they work together to prevent naval crimes in Sydney.
“A brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet,” according to the official synopsis, which follows the rise in geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific. In order to settle each case, our team of Australians and Americans have to swiftly gain one other’s trust and work through their differences.”
Leading the cast as Special Agent Michelle Mackey and Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey are Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance. Meanwhile, Sean Sagar plays NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, with Tuuli Narkle portraying AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper.
Rounding out the main cast are William McInnes as AFP Forensic Pathologist Dr Roy Penrose, and Mavournee as AFP Forensic Scientist Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson.
Showrunner Morgan O’Neill previously gave fans an idea of what to expect from the new spin-off, describing Michelle Mackey as a “hothead” and a “maverick”.
“The office is run by Captain Michelle Mackey, who’s a former Marine Corps chopper pilot,” Morgan told TV Insider. “She’s a hothead; she’s a maverick. She’s very hard to work with. She’s been moved around NCIS a little bit while they try to find where she can do the least damage.
“However, she excels at what she does. She conducts her investigations in a very instinctive manner, which makes her a formidable task master and a difficult nut to crack. Because he is essentially controlling her for the rest of the squad, it is particularly intriguing to observe how Australian Federal Police force sergeant Jim Dempsey, the second in command, handles her.”
Fans in the US can tune into NCIS: Sydney every Tuesday night at 8pm on CBS, while viewers in the UK can stream the show on Paramount+.