NCIS: Sydney

Truely disappointed by this NCIS spin off, it doesn't equal NCIS Los Angeles or NCIS New Orleans. The actors are pretty tame and the plots are average. Will have to see what it gives in Season 2 toi see if it has improved or not. The main protaganist Olivia doesn't how to act and is no way equal to Donna Reasonover or Cote De Pablo. Todd Lasance is tiring by his useless and unfunny humor, he is not in the league. Of Michael Weatherly or Sean Murray. There is hardly chemistry and connexion between the actors and their characters. The actor who plays the doctor isnot David Mc Callaum but is an absolute joke. The other members of the teams are played by actors that are bland , I hope the plots in the next episode will be more solid and characters more consistent.

I've watched the NCIS franchise since Gibbs started the first boat, but this is a bit of a stretch. We get it, US Navy is all over the world and they somehow made it to Sydney, too. Agent Mackey is made so unlikable, it spoils the whole show and even the likability of the other characters, though no personality, doesn't help. The interpersonal relationships are non existant, the weirdness of the team and constant "misunderstanding" of local culture are another testament of US Americans' ignorance of other cultures. Three episodes in and I give up. Not even interested to find out why Mackey is so unlikable. Kudos to Oliva Swann.

I guess because I thought it would get better, AND since there is no NCIS on of any variety I would give it a chance, despite my better logic.

This show is terrible and I feel insulted as a viewer of the NCIS franchise that the writers, producers, all of the powers of this franchise would peddle this to us.

Here's what I do not understand. Why are the ratings for each individual episode in the 7's and 8's and the overall rating for this series is a 5.6...I think.

Where do I start?

*Maybe this is a subjective criticism and I have no issue with the Australian accent but the accents of all the actors is just way to severe. Maybe the producers could have softened it up a bit for us "yanks" to understand.

*Whomever cast the folks in this show did a horrible job. Almost every character is miscast...or maybe it's the writers. The character Michelle, the leader? Has no leadership abilities, her personality is blah, I just don't think she fits the role. I'm trying to figure out DeShawn but his role in this is terrible. Really, do guys in this job act like this, he thinks he's a player and strutting his stuff for Evie or any other female. Evie, she's the worse. Her clothing is totally inappropriate in this setting. She's playing a tough bad ass, oh come on. AND then there's Bluebird. Why do all the NCIS shows have to have someone like Bluebird. Her character/personality worked in the other shows, Buebird is just downright annoying. Doc is believable just difficult to understand and Jim is great, he leads by example.

I guess all the powers to be in this series just stole the NCIS name, there's nothing else familiar here.

Ducky is probably turning over in his grave, and Jethro I have no idea how he would feel but it can't be good with everything he put into this series. I guess that is why he went away...he saw the writing on the wall.

I'm done..

The first episode is ok. I like the idea of it being in Sydney and having the opportunity to include Australian actors and to have some of the cultural differences.

I think it can be a good show, they just need time to develop the characters and their back story. The one issue have is with the Michele character, the actress just seems to be ether trying to hard or the writers are really off on who she should be. She's really stiff and uptight, they could be doing it because Sydney is her first command and are going to have her be more relaxed as the season progresses. I hope so, because like I said I think the show has potential.

The first ten minutes of episode 1 were painful - a combination of very wooden acting and a lot of over acting as the actors tried to inform you about the nature their characters as quickly as possible.

And they seemed to all be trying to imitate characters from the other NCIS shows to the point that they seemed to be intentionally being parodies of those other characters.

If you ignore the rather silly and cliched story line it did start to get a bit better for the rest of the episode, as the actors settled in to a less over the top approach to their roles.

It is a show that has potential if the writers can come up with original and interesting stories, and the actors stop trying to be other characters and get a chance (if the show lets them) to develop something unique.

But I'm not holding my breath...