Season three of NCIS: Sydney is set to be the biggest yet – and its stars, Todd Lasance and Olivia Swann, couldn’t be more excited to dive back into the action.
“The big theme this season is that the past is going to catch up with you,” Olivia tells TV WEEK.
“And that’s really made clear at the beginning of the season – the idea that you can’t run from your past.”
The new season kicks off with Australian Federal Police (AFP) Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey (Todd) facing fallout from a risky pact.
NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey (Olivia) finds herself at the heart of a conspiracy, while AFP’s forensic scientist Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson (Mavournee Hazel) is being hunted by her so-called ‘family’. And NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson (Sean Sagar) is forced to reveal a buried secret.
“There are plenty of massive reveals,” Todd teases. “We both have secrets that we withhold during the season.”
“This season already just felt bigger, better, more locked in,” adds Olivia, 33. “It was elevated in so many ways.”
The series packs a punch with its cases, ranging from a ‘nanotech assassin’ to a true-crime podcast cold case, a daring treasure hunt and more. The team even ventures away from the iconic Sydney harbour and heads to Broken Hill and the Blue Mountains, where British Olivia encountered an unwanted visitor behind the scenes.
“I saw a huntsman spider in my bathroom – and it was enormous,” she says. “It looked into my soul!”
Filming on such an ambitious scale also bonded the cast. With marathon shooting days and demanding stunts, Todd, 39, and Olivia leaned on each other for support.
“It’s literally like having a sister,” Todd says of their relationship.
“Because of where Mackey and JD are this season, it actually lets us bring our own relationship to the screen,” Olivia adds.
The season also features familiar faces and thrilling new additions, including guest stars Doris Younane, Simone Kessell, Fayssal Bazzi, Stephen Peacocke and Todd’s old roommate and former Home And Away co-star, Lincoln Lewis.
“I still remember when he found out he’d got the gig and I face-timed him from set.
“We couldn’t yell too loud because we were shooting,” he recalls.
“But we were silently screaming – we were so excited!
“To have one of your best mates come and work on a show and crush it is the cherry on top of these sort of experiences.”
