NCIS: Sydney season three will premiere on CBS on Tuesday, October 14, and star Olivia Swann has teased the fallout of season two's finale and how it will impact Mackay and JD's bond moving forward. "Mackay's not someone who will admit when she's wrong, but we do see her struggling with the fallout of Darwin," Olivia tells HELLO! "One of the big things is that we see a Mackay who is second-guessing herself, a leader who is now thinking, 'Hang on, I could make a choice that's incredibly wrong, and I could put people and myself in danger.' That's high-pressure stuff."
At the end of season two, viewers – and Mackay – discovered that JD's instincts had been right, and her old friend and new flame Etienne was a co-conspirator of arms supplier Hensie Dekker. JD then shot and killed Etienne before he could detonate a bomb. Yet despite Mackay's struggles as she reconciles her missteps, Olivia says that as the season continues, viewers will "see her bond with the team come through – and also her bond with JD will deepen in many, many different ways"
.Fans have spotted chemistry between Mackay and Sergeant Jim "JD" Dempsey (Todd Lasance) since the first episodes, and the slow burn has allowed their friendship to grow while the tension continues to fluctuate. Olivia, as an actress, says she is "fully on the Mackay and JD train" but isn't sure a romance is right, or even possible, for these two.
"They are leaders of a team, and Mackay, especially, respects the hierarchy and understands that team dynamics have to come first. Plus, JD's making steps to date and get himself out there, and that will also put a bit of a halt in everything," she says. "With that said, these are two people who are in life and death situations constantly, and I think they can't get through life without considering the thought of, 'What if?' I really do think it's crossed Mackay's mind, but she is stamping down that thought because in her mind it's impossible. The easier option is to ignore it and just focus on work."
Showrunner Morgan O'Neill previously promised fans a bigger and better season three, and Olivia adds: "Every single aspect has been elevated to the max: the level of action, drama, the fun, and the level of connection between the characters. The cases are bigger and bolder, and on another level, it's going to be very exciting."
"The theme of the season is the past comes back to haunt you," she continues, and it's an overarching theme that will play out for all of the characters, including Bluebird Gleeson, the team's forensic analyst. At the end of season two, Blue entered her home and viewers saw her confronted by a mysterious woman inside her home.
When season three opens, viewers discover Blue has resigned from NCIS, and Olivia says that it will impact the time in big ways."It's really exciting because we do delve into Blue's backstory and get a complete insight into a character that we think we know – but in real time, along with the audience, the characters are learning so much about her, and it's just so good," she teases.
"What Mavournee Hazel does is phenomenal, and I'm just so excited for the audience to see her shine and to see this side of Bluebird that we've never seen before."
As for whether the revelations of Blue's life before NCIS will change the way Mackay sees Blue, Olivia says: "What we discover does change the way Mackay views her, but I don't necessarily think it will change the way she engages with her.
"Mackay is someone who believes, 'We are here to do the job, let's get it done.' Same as JD – she can have whatever thoughts and feelings she wants, but her objective is to keep people safe, do her job, and anything else is always secondary to what her job is."
NCIS: Sydney premieres on CBS on October 14, at 10/9c.