The second season of NCIS: Sydney hit the ground running, not with a bang, but with a meticulously orchestrated heart attack. “Heart Starter” wastes no time plunging viewers back into the murky world of international espionage, where double agents lurk around every corner and pacemakers become deadly weapons.
This season premiere picks up right where the first left off, reminding us that the NCIS Sydney office, barely a year old, is already a magnet for global threats. Special Agent DeShawn Jackson (D.J. Jackson), newly appointed boss, experiences a baptism by fire on his first day. He’s thrust into a high-stakes situation involving Colonel Rankin, an apparently upstanding military man tasked with handing over a Russian spy. Surprise! Rankin is dirtier than a Sydney back alley, revealed to be working for the very spy who kidnapped JD’s son.
Just when it looks like Rankin’s treachery will be exposed, he clutches his chest and crumples. A heart attack? Maybe, but there’s nothing natural about the timing. Turns out, his pacemaker has been hacked—a high-tech hit job courtesy of Russian intelligence keen on keeping Rankin quiet.
But the heart-stopping shenanigans don’t end there. Anna Neimus, the slippery spy who evaded capture last season after eliminating JD’s son’s kidnapper, pops up in Sydney like a bad penny. Clearly, she has unfinished business Down Under. And guess who’s hot on her trail? The Americans, naturally.
In a slightly awkward yet amusing turn of events, Mackey and JD go undercover as a fretful married couple to extract information from Rankin’s cardiologist. It’s a classic “NCIS” blend of tension and humor, offering a brief respite from the episode’s otherwise serious tone.
“Heart Starter” efficiently sets the stage for what looks to be a season packed with twists, turns, and a healthy dose of international intrigue. With a rogue colonel, a ghost from the past, and a hacked heart, NCIS: Sydney has all the ingredients for a compelling second outing. The only real question is whether this nascent NCIS office can withstand the heat of such high-stakes espionage without imploding under the pressure.
NCIS: Sydney airs Fridays at 8/7c on CBS.
