CBS has renewed its international NCIS spinoff for another season, with NCIS: Sydney officially set to return for Season 4. The Australia-based Navy procedural premiered in 2023, filling a critical void in programming amid the Hollywood actors and writers’ strikes that year. The network has stuck with the International series since, despite canceling NCIS: Hawai’i in 2024.
CBS renewed NCIS: Sydney for Season 4, along with a handful of other shows, including NCIS, which will return for Season 24, and NCIS: Origins for Season 3. While it isn’t the most-watched series the network has to offer, NCIS: Sydney Season 3 has averaged approximately 2.89 million viewers per episode, reflecting continued interest beyond its third installment.
What Happened in NCIS: Sydney Season 3?
Mackey and JD in NCIS SydneyImage via CBS
NCIS: Sydney Season 3’s premiere ushers in new obstacles for the Australian Federal Police/NCIS Sydney Task Force, as the team navigates the departure of their forensic scientist, Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson (Mavournee Hazel). Blue has since returned to the team after exposing a cult with roots in her background, revealing more about the fan-favorite character in flashbacks.
NCIS: Sydney opens up a series of mysteries, including what will happen with Blue’s application to the AFP, why Supervisory Special Agent Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) was on the Ghost’s hit list, and why Travis “Trigger” Riggs (Claude Jabbour), is considered an outcast among AFP circles, aside from failing his psych test to join the AFP Bomb Team Response (BRT).
The team also faces Australia’s first Ebola case, which causes a health scare for Blue and Dr. Roy “Rosie” Penrose (William McInnes), the AFP Forensic Pathologist. When Doc contracts Ebola, it puts him and Blue at risk, continuing to build emotional connections and stakes. The task force also makes Trigger an official part of the team, growing their ranks.
Who Stars in CBS’s NCIS: Sydney?
NCIS SydneyImage via CBS
Like NCIS and its other spinoffs, NCIS: Sydney has a strong ensemble, with the main cast remaining intact heading into the back half of Season 3. Olivia Swann leads the series as NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Michelle Mackey, one of the two leading characters, along with James “JD” Dempsey, played by Todd Lasance, an AFP Sergeant.
Other essential parts of the team include DeShawn Jackson, an NCIS Special Agent played by Sean Sagar. DeShawn’s counterpart is Constable Evie Cooper, played by Tuuli Narkle, a Constable and AFP Liaison Officer. DeShawn and Evie play a critical role in the investigations and add a will-they-won’t-they romance dynamic that keeps audiences fixated on their story.
The team also wouldn’t be complete without Bluebird Gleeson, played by Mavournee Hazel, which is underlined by the franchise teasing Blue’s departure in NCIS: Sydney Season 3. Blue’s counterpart is Dr. Roy “Rosie” Penrose, often referred to as “Doc,” played by William McInnes. Blue and Doc not only collaborate but also have a profound bond, acting as each other’s family.
NCIS: Sydney Season 3 also added Travis “Trigger” Riggs, a new team member with technical and explosives experience. While not part of the core six, the series has made Trigger an official part of the squad. It also has a couple of critical recurring characters, including terrorist Ana Niemus, played by Georgina Haig, and Richard Rankin, played by Lewis Fitz-Gerald.
When Does NCIS: Sydney Season 4 Premiere?
With CBS renewing the spinoff for NCIS: Sydney Season 4, it will likely return to its time slot in the network’s 2026-2027 schedule in the fall. The network moved NCIS, NCIS: Origins, and NCIS: Sydney to Tuesday nights in 2025, with CBS concentrating on its Navy procedural programming from 7 to 10 pm Eastern, with NCIS: Sydney capping the night.
If CBS follows the trend it has established over the last couple of years, NCIS: Sydney could premiere with the rest of the network’s fall programming in mid-October. While the first two seasons of NCIS: Sydney were eight and 10 episodes long, respectively, Season 3 will be a full-length season, and audiences can likely expect the same from Season 4.
Release Date
November 10, 2023
Network
Paramount+
Showrunner
Morgan O’Neill
Directors
Jennifer Leacey, Shawn Seet
Writers
Andrew Anastasios, James Cripps, Morgan O’Neill
Todd Lasance
Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey
Georgina Haig
Anna Neimus
