NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Episode 1 recap: Mackey and the team discover the truth behind the Navy sailors

NCIS: Sydney returned for its third season on October 14 2025 with "Gut Instinct." It aired on CBS at 8 PM ET. The show created by Di Bell, Morgan Harwood and Chris Abley is a spin-off of the NCIS franchise. It launched in 2023 and mixes U.S. Navy investigations with Australian Federal Police (AFP) work.

Season 2 ended with a major twist where team member Blue revealed her fake identity and it ties to a dangerous past. She resigned without explanation and sent a farewell video. Then she vanished leaving the team shaken. Fans waited months for answers.

The season 3 premiere doesn’t solve Blue’s mystery but delivers a tense case with the missing Navy sailors who are connected to Filipino terrorists and are targeting civilians from the West. It also introduces Trigger and shows Mackey and JD rebuilding trust.

The cast includes Olivia Swann as Special Agent Michelle Mackey, Todd Lasance as Sergeant Jason "JD" Dempsey, Mavournee Hazel Bluebird "Blue" Gleeson, AFP forensic scientist, Sean Sagar as DeShawn Anthony Jackson, Tuuli Narkle as  Constable Evie Cooper and William McInnes as  Doc Roy "Rosie" Penrose. A new character Travis "Trigger" Riggs played by Claude Jabbour joins the team.

NCIS: Sydney season 3 episode 1 recap: Team faces a bomb threat and a new Ally

The episode starts in the Coral Sea. A Navy ship finds a fishing boat with immigrants and two U.S. Navy aviators Lt. Daniel Hayes and Lt. Paul Price. JD and Mackey still tense from Season 2’s conflicts board a helicopter to question them. The aviators say their plane crashed during a training mission. They were captured in a jungle and escaped after weeks. Their story has holes. They have fresh buzz cuts and clean gear. Their memories are foggy. JD checks records and learns they’ve been missing for six years not weeks. They were presumed dead after a failed mission.

Back at NCIS headquarters the AFP orders a security audit because of Blue’s exit. They send Travis "Trigger" Riggs a tech expert and JD’s old friend. He installs biometric locks on the doors. This annoys Evie and Rosie who don’t trust him. Mackey ignores Trigger and focuses on the case. Doc Roy and Rosie do psych evaluations. Price has a fever and shows torture scars. Hayes seems clearer but distant. The Navy wants Hayes for a ceremony with the U.S. ambassador who served in Manila. Price stays for medical tests.

Mackey notices the aviators’ gear looks too new. She suspects the fishing boat was sent to deliver them. She lets Price video call his wife. He thought she was pregnant but sees his five-year-old daughter. This triggers a meltdown. He shakes Mackey’s hand repeatedly and collapses. JD doubts Mackey’s theory of a setup but she digs deeper. Intel points to Filipino extremists who target Westerners. A terrorist named Harry Salazar is linked to the case.

Doc examines Price and finds an infection from a possible implant. Trigger analyzes Price’s outburst and discovers audio frequencies can trigger reactions. He suspects bombs are inside the aviators. Mackey realizes the ambassador is the target because of his Manila post. Hayes now at the ceremony could be a walking bomb. Salazar is likely nearby to activate it.

The team rushes to the gala. Frequencies pulse through the crowd risking Hayes’ detonation. Mackey scans for Salazar and spots him among the guests. JD trusts her instincts this time. She shoots Salazar stopping him from triggering the bomb. JD pulls Hayes and the ambassador offstage. Security locks down the area.

Surgeons remove a bomb from Price’s body. It confirms the extremists used the aviators as weapons. Price reunites with his wife and daughter. Hayes shares bits of their six-year captivity. They were drugged tortured and programmed by Salazar’s group. Trigger proves himself with his tech skills. The team starts to accept him despite Blue’s empty desk lingering.

JD and Mackey have a conversation about it. JD tells her he is sorry he doubted her. Mackey states she won't act independently again. She takes over his dating profile and makes some updates that attract new matches. They have a light laugh that breaks the tension. At the end of the episode there are indications Blue's story will develop later, but that being said, this episode tied up a compelling case with stakes and heart.

Watch NCIS: Sydney season 3 on Paramount+. Episodes stream after airing on CBS Tuesdays at 8 PM ET. 

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