NCIS: Sydney is back in the spotlight, and what an intense twist it has delivered this time! The last one to NCIS: Sydney season 3 is already winning the hearts of the serious fans of the whole NCIS franchise and will not let its viewers down since the setting this time around is a hospital.
Amidst all the pressure, a gripping story is constructed by its writers, wherein every moment of the episode has a great impact on it, and every decision made carries with it its own price. There are instant stakes, pressure is on, and whatever is going to happen will certainly grip the viewers!
Well, this is where things get interesting. Since NCIS: Sydney is still new and exciting, many viewers are starting to wonder if this episode feels similar to the kind of storytelling seen in the original NCIS. Is it just a coincidence because of the setting, or is there something more behind it?
Although it may look similar to NCIS, it is actually not the same. When you look more closely at NCIS: Sydney, you can see that it has its own storyline, and the writing does not copy anything from past NCIS episodes.
A high-stakes hospital scenario at the center of NCIS: Sydney
In this episode (Season 3, Episode 16), one clearly finds the setting for this entire story to be a hospital and as you know, such a story will automatically imply the risk to lives for all present. In this case, a surgeon is under blackmail and hence placed in high stakes where medical decisions taken can be life-or-death, as you are under duress and need to be careful in your choices.
It’s a fast-paced and high-stakes thriller with initial risk, which definitely grips its audience. Unlike medical serials where we are witness to the full surgical procedure start-to-end, here the surgeon is in a high-stakes situation, as is the entire set of patients, making for a compelling viewing where one person’s actions reflect on all others around them.
Why NCIS: Sydney feels familiar to long-time viewers
The past couple of episodes have definitely reminded viewers of some aspects of the past in the NCIS franchise. High-stakes and time-sensitive scenarios are an essential aspect that will almost certainly be found in every NCIS episode.
A case wherein manipulation of others’ lives takes precedence, as they have done here, may indeed remind the fans of the same aspect of the original NCIS. Although with respect, one can’t help but say that the current episode of NCIS: Sydney might not specifically have a previous surgical episode copied directly from the original NCIS; it’s simply telling an intense story effectively, and this is the very reason it reminds you of the NCIS stories.
The core conflict: Blackmail, ethics and life-or-death decisions
The central plot of the last NCIS: Sydney Season 3 episode, taking place in a hospital, revolves around a doctor who has been blackmailed to do certain surgical operations and is thereby protecting those from further exploitation. The doctor tries her best, but these decisions are faced under immense pressure where medical situations may lead to the most grave life-and-death decisions, or one has the choice of seeing patients suffer or getting hurt and facing a physician who is under duress.
Unlike all other previous episodes of NCIS, which show surgical terms, medical procedures and the very thought that they have put so much into medical issues, but then all of them are at risk when faced with one predicament, what makes this specific episode of NCIS: Sydney stand out is that it shows what choice will be made by the doctor for his patients.
A different kind of tension in NCIS: Sydney
What’s truly fascinating about the previous NCIS: Sydney episode is that it builds a level of tension and suspense that is not the same as some surgical series of NCIS. This tension is not generated by the actual medical operation itself, but rather it’s generated by the situation occurring from the outside, which threatens everyone present in the hospital.
While every predicament that occurs can easily make every single person worried, this one has put everyone on the edge from the very start of the episode up to the very end; not quite like the past episodes of NCIS when sometimes people were placed in an environment, there are still many elements to the story which are similar and it reminds fans of what they have loved about the original NCIS for so many years.
How NCIS: Sydney maintains its identity within the franchise
Even though it’s not been here for too long, NCIS: Sydney has been successful in developing its very own distinct storytelling format while still maintaining a strong connection with the traditional storytelling of the original NCIS. Last episode from NCIS: Sydney season 3 successfully reminds the fans of past NCIS episodes, but it is not a replica of those episodes; NCIS: Sydney is still very much its own show.
The team’s reaction towards the particular incident in the show and protecting each other all throughout the episode, along with displaying a wide variety of ethical concerns and conflicts, makes it a standout.
Does NCIS: Sydney attempt to compete with the original?
Many discussions about the previous episode of NCIS: Sydney and its similarities with that of the original NCIS will undoubtedly take place, but there’s no conclusive proof of it being an intentional move by the writers or producers, or if it’s otherwise.
However, one look at the final episode of NCIS: Sydney Season 3 and the intention of the writers to leave the audience absolutely gripped and thrilled is quite evident.
How NCIS: Sydney compares to previous NCIS episodes from different seasons
Although one can find many past episodes in the original NCIS series with this very plot, what made this episode special is the use of so many distinct and varied elements, which made it truly captivating. The unexpected twists in the plot made it hard for one to guess what was coming up next and although there were elements reminiscent of previous episodes in the original NCIS, the episode itself really kept its viewers on edge.
Although the NCIS: Sydney Season 3 episode revisits a surgery episode from the original series, it is not a straightforward or structurally familiar tribute. The hospitals and the life-or-death situations are familiar, but the rest of the episode is entirely new, exploring blackmail, ethics, and the handling of a crisis.
The reliance on blackmail, ethics, and the handling of a crisis is what distinguishes this from being merely a restating of the NCIS original surgery episode format; it shows how NCIS: Sydney can establish an urgent situation in a high-stakes story without relying on an original format and be an entirely fresh episode.
Also read: Where to watch NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Part 2? Here’s a complete streaming guide to the CBS spin-off procedural
Edited by Sroban Ghosh