NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Is Wasting Its Best New Character — And Fans Are Running Out of Patience

Four installments into NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson (Mavournee Hazel) still isn’t back on the team, and the International-themed Navy procedural needs to stop wasting time with its best character. The team’s forensic scientist is officially out of commission but unofficially still working, as seen in “The Truth Is Outback.” Michelle Mackey’s (Olivia Swann) team delves into the world of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Episode 4, and, as always, Blue gets the AFP/NCIS Sydney task force the intel they need.

Notwithstanding Bluebird, every member of Mackey’s team has officially returned. Jim “JD” Dempsey (Todd Lasance), Dr. Roy “Rosie” Penrose (William McInnes), Evie Cooper (Tuuli Narkle), and DeShawn Jackson (Sean Sagar) are all back for another installment in the Outback. Still, the series hasn’t answered what’s next for Blue. She became the task force’s go-to intel provider in NCIS: Sydney Season 1, earning her a permanent gig with the team. However, NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 2, revealed more about Gleeson’s past, complicating her route back to NCIS Sydney.

Bluebird Gleeson Still Hasn’t Rejoined AFP/NCIS Sydney’s Task Force In Season 3 Episode 4

Blue still hasn’t rejoined the AFP/NCIS Sydney task force in NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 4. Instead, the team continues to work with Travis “Trigger” Riggs (Claude Jabbour), a bomb technician who has stepped into Gleeson’s role. The NCIS franchise’s new favorite character had left NCIS Sydney in the premiere, resigning in a video message. However, after the team discovered that Bluebird’s absence was due to a nefarious plot led by someone from her past named Aspira (Doris Younane), there was a hint that she would be back.

While Bluebird makes her way back to the team, she appears at NCIS Sydney Headquarters in Episodes 3 and 4, covertly providing intel for Trigger to pass on to her team. It made sense that Blue provided an assist in Episode 3, since she was hanging around the office while reapplying to the forensic scientist position. Gleeson happened to be there at key times and was able to perform searches or look into details because she was around. However, her presence is less justified in the latest NCIS: Sydney episode, underscoring her drawn-out reintroduction.

In “The Truth Is Outback,” Blue is back at Headquarters. When Mackey calls Trigger for information about their case, he says the request is a bit above his pay grade, but Gleeson chimes in that she can do it. Mackey is skeptical about allowing Bluebird to fly under the radar, but Gleeson is convincing, likening herself to an “emotional tech support dog.” It’s great to have Blue back. However, the dialogue doesn’t do enough to support why she is working off the books, and her presence in NCIS: Sydney Season 3 crosses into somewhat unbelievable territory in Episode 4.

Bluebird’s Career-Threatening AFP Background Check Blunder Explained

The logistical reason that Blue hasn’t rejoined the team is that she has to reapply to return to her position as NCIS Sydney’s forensic scientist. After investigating her background in NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 2, because Doc suspected foul play in her disappearance, Mackey and JD discovered something alarming about Gleeson. The episode revealed that Bluebird, whose real name is Faith Mullins, was actually a convicted felon, and worse yet, she had forged all of her official identification and documents to gain entry into the law enforcement agency.

At the end of “True Blue,” Mackey and Jim Dempsey ponder Blue’s transgressions, deciding whether to let her back on the team. Michelle, a former Navy helicopter pilot who bears a resemblance to Mark Harmon’s Gibbs character, has had her fair share of missteps. However, even Mackey couldn’t look the other way completely regarding Gleeson’s lies, and she made her reapply to the position with a paper application, encouraging Blue to be transparent and honest. After reapplying in Episode 3, Bluebird is still awaiting the results in Episode 4.

What Will Happen With Blue Gleeson’s Story In NCIS: Sydney Season 3?

It’s worth noting that the NCIS franchise has teased many character exits at the top of the season in its flagship and spinoffs, and many of them are fake. Multiple NCIS seasons begin with a key character departing the team, only to reverse their decision and rejoin their squad after a couple of episodes, with their alleged exit establishing new emotional stakes. It seemed that NCIS: Sydney was employing a similar tactic to Bluebird’s story. However, now that she still isn’t back on the task force after four episodes, viewers can’t help but wonder just how long it will take.

Moreover, as Bluebird’s reapplication plot is still unfolding, it’s worth considering whether Blue’s story is designed to get Gleeson back on the team or as a way for Blue actor Mavournee Hazel’s character to exit the series. In NCIS: Sydney Season 3’s official trailer, Hazel isn’t pictured in a short clip of the cast members, which appears to be an official cast image for the season. However, NCIS: Sydney’s opening credits still include Hazel, showing new scenes of the forensic scientist, hopefully signaling that Blue will be back on Mackey’s team soon enough.