There have been some slight bumps in the road for NCIS: Sydney in its first two seasons, but one story change could rectify a major character problem. NCIS: Sydney season 2 helped put things on the right track with bigger storylines and higher stakes. But the NCIS: Sydney season 2 finale was a firm reminder of what still needs fixing.
Although its characters have plenty of charm, NCIS: Sydney doesn’t seem to have connected with viewers on a personal level as well as other series in the franchise. Thanks to one major story plan, NCIS: Sydney season 3 might finally be able to change that. And one character could use the boost more than nearly any other on the show.
Colonel Rankin’s NCIS: Sydney Redemption Doesn’t Make Him Fully Trustworthy
Even The Series’ Showrunner Has Doubts About Him
Most viewers likely wouldn’t name Richard Rankin as one of NCIS: Sydney’s best characters. His motivations have often been difficult to assess, to the point that Colonel Rankin appeared to be a possible antagonist for much of the first two seasons. But when risen from his coma in the season 2 finale, he proves his allegiance to the good guys.
Rankin’s intel plays a vital role in helping the NCIS and AFP track down a stolen stinger missile before it can be detonated, and it’s furthermore shown exactly how he was blackmailed into working with terrorists. But Rankin’s past attempts to interfere with NCIS investigations still make him hard to trust. Showrunner Morgan O’Neill tells TVLine this isn’t entirely accidental:
“Look, he’s as much of a good guy as someone who works in the intelligence field can be. He’s instrumental in us cracking the case in the final episode, and we realized exactly why. Going all the way back to the [cold open], that sort of Apocalypse Now moment in Dilly, you understand exactly what’s happened to this guy and how he’s been leveraged into behaving like he has. So, if the question is, ‘Is he a friend or foe?,’ I would suggest that he’s more of a friend. But he’s only a friend that you can trust so far.”
O’Neill does appear to concede that Colonel Rankin is about “90% good guy” by the end of the season 2 finale. But that doesn’t change the fact that, as early as NCIS: Sydney episode 3, Michelle had to blackmail Rankin with evidence of CIA espionage to halt his interference with their case. Sadly, Rankin’s shadiness is his only notable hook.
NCIS: Sydney Struggled To Keep Rankin’s Storyline Interesting For Two Seasons
The Spinoff’s Pacing In General Hasn’t Been The Best
It isn’t necessarily a problem in and of itself that Rankin has yet to earn the audience’s full trust. Plenty of fantastic NCIS franchise spinoff characters have seemed untrustworthy before, but that can only be fun insofar as the audience is able to see the character participate in their own story. Colonel Rankin, however, suffers rather thoroughly in that regard.
Richard Rankin’s first few appearances are incredibly interesting, but it’s not until the end of NCIS: Sydney season 1 that Rankin truly appears as if he might be a primary villain. He then spends the bulk of season 2 in a coma, while the NCIS/AFP task force only occasionally finds evidence relevant to his storyline. Fortunately, that can now change.
NCIS: Sydney 3’s Story Plan Can Provide Deeper Insights Into Rankin’s Character
The Series Can Shed Light On Where His True Interests Lie
Looking at the story plan for NCIS: Sydney season 3, it appears the flagship is already set to boost interest in virtually all of its characters, and the series won’t need anything particularly flashy like an NCIS: Sydney crossover to pull it off. Speaking with TVInsider, showrunner Morgan O’Neill claims season 3 will focus on the characters’ problematic histories, explaining:
“And we’re in production on the third season, as you know, and we’re kind of exploring what is a pretty universal theme, which is that, if you don’t deal with your past, the past will deal with you. … I can’t be too specific about it because I don’t want to spoil for anyone, but it’s definitely a case of accepting the reality that you can’t outrun your past and that if you don’t deal with it, it’s going to come back and hit you like a freight train.”
In context, O’Neill is largely referring to Blue and the mysterious woman in her house at the end of NCIS: Sydney season 2. However, he also broadens this concept to include the other main characters as well. This could lead to some of the best episodes of NCIS: Sydney, and Rankin’s backstory could provide valuable insight into his characters’ motivations.
Regardless of whether this makes Colonel Richard Rankin more trustworthy, it will at least add depth to his character that would make his role in NCIS: Sydney significantly more interesting. His character has certainly never lacked incredible story potential. It’s simply time for season 3 to begin working a lot more stridently to unlock that potential to its absolute fullest.
